16th Annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival16th Annual Vermont Sheep and Wool FestivalChamplain Valley Expo, Essex Jct., VT
For more information contact Animal Exhibit Chairperson:
Debbie Kirby (802) 247-3124 or kirby@sover.net
The Vermont Sheep and Goat Breeders’ Association (VSGA) again sponsors this year’s festival at the Champlain Valley Exposition. We will be following the State of Vermont and CVE Health Standards. We will be having breed displays, Sheep, Goats, Angora Goats, Llamas and Alpacas, Rabbits and any other fiber or meat animals people wish to register and bring. This year our featured Breed will be Angora Goats.
Each exhibitor is encouraged to prepare a pen display to accompany his or her animals. Displays may explain the history or characteristics of the breed/animal. Highlight the producer’s farm or breeding program, or depict any other aspect of the animals, which the exhibitor may feel is interesting and informative. This breed display can result in many contacts and future sales. To that end. VSGA will allow exhibitors to sell animals to interested parties by private treaty sales. No commission will be charged. Please use your discretion in designing pen displays, signs and display board may not block the view of adjacent pens.
Please read the following agreement carefully, and then save for future reference. Knowing the rules and regulations of the festival could mean the difference between having a pen and making considerable money selling your animals and not being allowed to unload your animals, so please read carefully and observe the following.
The registration fee for a 5 x 5 pen to include a display area is $25.00 all additional 5 x 5 pen spaces will be $10.00. For a 10 x 10 pen (which is four times the size), the registration is $55.00, which includes a display area, additional 10 x 10 spaces will be $40.00. NO SALES CAN BE MADE FROM A DISPLAY AREA. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO SET UP CHAIRS IN THE AREA AROUND THE PENS SO A DISPLAY AREA WILL BE REQUIRED FOR EACH NON-VENDOR ANIMAL PEN. If you have rented Vendor space you will not need a display area.
No more than three animals are allowed per pen. (Please use your own judgment here: if you have very large sheep, it may be more humane to just have two animals per pen.) The only animals allowed in the pens or the tents or on the festival grounds are animals in the breed display, in the youth show, and at the Shearer’s invitation for shearing demos.
All animals must be inspected by a veterinarian of their owner’s choice within 10 days of the festival (this is our rule, a bit more stringent than state rules on purpose to make this a healthy and secure place to bring your animals.) Vermont Animals can be inspected by our Veterinarian on Saturday morning, between 8 am and 9:30 am, for a small fee. You must have your rabies certificate for this service (Please be advised that if you choose this option, we reserve the right to refuse animals admission on the advice of our veterinarian. Our contracted veterinarian will make rounds and inspect all animals on Saturday morning and reserves the right to exclude any animal not meeting our standards, as well as the federal and state regulations. The VSGA and their appointed Veterinarian will be the sole judge of the fitness of any animal and his judgment shall be final.
Out of state animals are required to have official individual identification and an Import Permit with their Certificate of Veterinary Inspection.
Producer agrees not to make false or misleading representations about any animals.
Disclaimer: The VSGA and Champlain Valley Exposition shall not be liable for any injury or damage to any person, animal, or property resulting from any cause whatsoever, whether occurring on or off the premises. In the event of a private treaty sale, the following disclaimer applies: the VSGA and Champlain Valley Exposition act as neither producer’s or buyer’s agent, and while striving to attract quality animals, make no warranties, express or implied, as to the quality, fitness, health, or condition of any animal, and buyer’s sole remedy shall be against the producer.
For our part: There will be someone in/around the animals at all times to answer questions and to supervise, including overnights. No one will be allowed in with the animals after 6:00 pm Saturday night, except those who wish to check on their own animals. We will water the animals each morning early, and check them frequently during the night.
The rules and regulations will be enforced. All unloading must be done within these times. Trucks and cars, except those who have applied beforehand for reasons of infirmity or handicap, must be removed from the festival grounds by 9:30 am each morning and parked in the authorized area reserved for vendors and producers, Please remember NO DOGS ALLOWED ON FESTIVAL GROUNDS!
All animals must be removed from Festival Pens by 5:30 pm on Sunday
Animals being imported from outside the state of Vermont must comply with the established Rules Governing the Importation of Domestic Animals Including Livestock. Contact the office of the State Veterinarian at 802 828-2421
You may find this a helpful web site. www.vermontagriculture.com/healthstd.PDF
Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI)
All Vermont Sheep, Goats, and Camelids shall have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued by a veterinarian within 10 Days of the Festival. Such certificate shall include a description of the animal(s) including sex, breed, age, and any form of individual identification. Such certificate shall also state that the described animals have been inspected and show no signs of infectious, contagious, and/or communicable disease. Such certificate shall also document dates of any required vaccinations or health tests.
Rabies Vaccination
Animals over 3 months of age for which there is an approved rabies vaccine, including sheep, shall have a current rabies vaccination administered according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Such vaccination shall be documented either on an individual rabies vaccination certificate or a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and shall include the name of the vaccine used serial number, date administered and its duration. It is recommended that the vaccination should be administered at least 30 days prior to the event and that it be current within the previous 12 months. Vaccination less than 30 days should be accepted for younger animals not old enough to vaccinate in sufficient time prior to the Festival. Animals for which there is no currently approved vaccine, including goats, and camelids, extra-label administration of rabies vaccine approved for other species by a veterinarian is recommended.
Out -of-state sheep, and goats imported into Vermont are required to have official individual identification and an import permit with a CVI issued within 10 days prior to entry. Call 802 828-2421 for pemit.
Out -of-state camelids imported into Vermont are required to have an import permit, a negative brucellosis test , and a negative TB Test. Call 802 828-2421 for permit
All sheep and goats must have a Scrapie tag, in accordance with the mandatory federal Scrapie regulations. (All animals for exhibition, all breeding animals, all interstate sales animals.) Contact the nearest APHIS office for Vermonters toll free number is 866-873-2824