Stewarding the land for success

By Matt Reese and Joel Penhorwood

Shawn and Kim Ray have wrestled some challenging southeastern Ohio ground into productive submission for their successful sheep and goat operation in Noble County. This decades-long effort, paired with extensive leadership in Ohio’s sheep industry, has earned them the Charles Boyles Master Shepherd Award for 2024.

“This is the highest honor of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and Sheep and Wool Program can give to a sheep producer in the state of Ohio. Shawn and Kim have been very involved with the sheep industry for a large number of years. Not only have they been in leadership positions but they’ve also raised a very high-quality commercial type of sheep,” said Roger High, executive director of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and Ohio Sheep and Wool Program. “Shawn has been on the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association Board of Trustees for 15 years. He has served in all capacities and even after he was president of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, he remained on the board guiding and mentoring new and younger members of the board.… Continue reading