Navajo Churro Sheep Association (N-CSA) Annual General Meeting – October 15-17, 2026
Location: Contoy Arena, 995 W. 1000 South, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
Schedule
Thursday October 15 – Special Pre-AGM Workshop
Horseshoe Mountain Fiber Guild will be hosting a “Make it with Wool” demonstration and workshop day at Contoy Arena from 11 am to 7 pm. See more details at end of this post.
Friday October 16 – AGM Presentations and Annual Meeting
9:00 am – AGM Presentations Intro
9:30–11:00 — Animals and Farm Practices for a Successful Enterprise Presenters: Chad Page, PhD, Utah State University, Sheep Extension Specialist and Joseph Okoh, PhD, Utah State University, Small Farms Extension Specialist.
11:00–12:00 — Focus on Wool Discussing all aspects of Navajo-Churro Fleece. Presenter: Dr. Jim Keyes, Utah State University, N-CSA Inspector and Chair of the Standards Committee.
12:30–1:30 — Lunch break; lunch is on your own
1:30–2:30 — Alternative Uses of Wool for Gardens and Crops Presenter: Dr. Melanie Stock, Utah State University, Associate Professor /Extension, Urban and Small Farms Specialist.
2:30–3:30 — Veterinarian discussion: scrapie, screwworm and questions Overview of Emerging Diseases. Presenter: Dr. Nicole Cossey, Field Vet, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
3:30–4:30 — Wool Insights and Solutions: Small-Scale Custom Wool Processing Insights and Solutions in Small Scale Custom Processing. How to prepare your Fleece and Examples of Good and Bad Preparation. Presenter: Elias Baker, Owner of family-run Eagle Mountain Mill.
4:30–5:30 — Merchandising and Social Media Ways to market and merchandise using Social Media. Presenter: Janna Miller, long-time breeder of Navajo-Churros and wool provider.
FRIDAY EVENING AGM Banquet and Business Meeting 7:00 pm
Saturday October 17 – Sheep and Wool Shows
Sheep Show Judge: Dr. Jim Keyes
9:00 am – Sheep Show check-in and sign up
10:00 am – Sheep Show begins
12:00 Lunch
Wool Show Judges: Irene Bennalley, and Katherine Tucker
1:00 pm – Wool Show registration
2:30 pm – Wool Show begins
Other Information
Silent Auction: Donations welcome! If you will be attending, please drop off items either Thursday during open hours or Friday before 8:30 am. If you cannot attend, please send items well in advance to Dixie Earl: dixiesmailbox@gmail.com or call her at 435-851-7300.
Vendors Welcome!: Vending is free, but each vendor will need to pay their own sales tax through Utah State. You will also need a temporary sellers permit. Go to tax.utah.gov for more information.
RV Hook-ups at Contoy Arena: 7-8 spaces available. $25 per night
Hotel: ½ mile from Contoy Arena – Horseshoe Mountain Lodge – $80-90 per night. 890 South Highway 89, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84646. (435) 462-9330. 15 rooms available. Call to make reservations and tell them you are with the N-CSA.
Nearby Hotels in Ephraim:
- Cobblestone Hotel and Suites- 70 E. 900 North Street, Ephraim, UT 84627. (435) 283-2351.
- Willow Creek Inn: 450 South Main Street, Ephraim, UT 84627. (866) 246-1035
Air Flight: Salt Lake City Airport – 1 hour and 40 minutes away by car. Provo, UT Airport – 1 hour away by car.
Special Pre-AGM Workshop – Thursday, October 15th
Horseshoe Mountain Fiber Guild will be hosting a “Make it with Wool” demonstration and workshop day at Contoy Arena from 11 am to 7 pm. All N-CSA members and the public will be invited to join in the workshops! Everyone can try different activities or just observe. Everyone is encouraged to bring handmade wool items for the display!
The workshops will be Open House style throughout the day. Each workshop will have demonstrations and Project Kits that have materials and tools for you to practice the skills. Project Kits are $1 each.
The Five Workshops are:
- Weaving – all types including Inkle, Navajo Tapestry and Floor looms. People will be able to observe various types of weaving and to try hands on projects.
- Knitting and Crochet (including tatting and Fishnets)
- Dye Pot – Natural dye and Prochem
- Spinning, carding. Wool processing. Drop Spindle and floor spinning wheels
- Felting – If people have examples of things they have felted; please bring.
There will also be a Tasting Table featuring Navajo-Churro lamb. And food trucks will be in the area all day.
