Wayne grew up in the Darlington area of Lafayette County, attended the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and graduated in May 1975 with a degree in Animal Science. He managed a dairy herd until taking a job with the Farm Service Agency in 1985. At that time, FSA was known as ASCS. From 1985 until February 1992, Wayne was the County Executive Director in Adams County, just north of Wisconsin Dells. In February of 1992, he joined the FSA staff at the Wisconsin State Office in Madison as a program specialist. At various times over the past ten years, he has worked with many different farm programs administered by FSA. The last four years, Wayne has been responsible for Price Support Programs that include the following:
The Lamb Meat Adjustment Assistance Program (LMAAP)
The Wool and Mohair Market Loss Assistance Program (WAMLAP)
Commodity Loans
Commodity LDP's
Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL)
Wayne Schwartz
Price Support Chief Specialist
USDA/Farm Service Agency
6515 Watts Road, Suite 100
Madison, WI 53719
608-276-8732 Ext. 117
fax: 608-271-9425
email: wayne.schwartz@wi.usda.gov
Dr. David Thomas, Professor and Sheep Extension Specialist
He grew up in the small rural community of Mineral Point, Wisconsin where he raised purebred Hampshire sheep. He obtained his B.S. degree in Meat and Animal Science in 1971 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His graduate degrees were obtained from Oklahoma State University - the M.S. degree in Animal Science in 1975 and the Ph.D. degree in Animal Breeding and Genetics in 1977. He served as a member of the faculties of the Departments of Animal Science at Oregon State University (1977-81) and the University of Illinois (1981-91) before returning to Wisconsin in 1991.
His research has involved many areas in sheep breeding and management. He is engaged in a project to introgress the major gene for high ovulation rate of the Booroola Merino into a Rambouillet population. He was the first to show that the severe skeletal deformity of Suffolk sheep (Spider Syndrome) was due to a recessive autosomal allele. A breed evaluation study conducted in southern Illinois showed the merit of hair sheep breed crosses over prolific wool breed crosses for lamb production and economic returns in hot, humid environments. In more recent years, he has developed a research program in dairy sheep production that serves this growing industry in North America. He has published over 300 articles in both peer-reviewed scientific journals and popular sheep industry magazines. His former graduate students hold both academic and industry positions in the U.S. and abroad.
Dr. Thomas teaches undergraduate courses in Sheep Production and Principles of Animal Breeding. He also serves as the Sheep Specialist for the Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service. Dr. Thomas has an interest in international animal agriculture. He served for two years as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, has worked on projects in Bulgaria, Kenya, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan, and currently serves as the Scientific Liaison Officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development to the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Thomas is a familiar speaker at sheep industry symposia throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Dave Thomas
Department of Animal Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1675 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: 608-263-4306
Fax: 608-262-5157
Email: dlthomas@facstaff.wisc.edu