Researching nutrition in ewe’s milk for his master’s thesis at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, David Brown had to milk the ewes and deliver the milk to the lab for analysis.
He had the hands-on skills needed, as he grew up raising sheep and goats on his grandparents’ farm in Nigeria, including helping with feeding, lambing and kidding.
His interest in small ruminant nutrition took him from the farm in Nigeria to the University of Limpopo in South Africa, where he earned his doctorate on nutrition of dwarf goats.
Five years ago, he and his family moved to the United States, where he did post-doctoral research in low-input small ruminant production at the Virginia State University Cooperative Extension Program. His first post-doctoral research project was funded by a grant from the National Research Association, and he also did research in conjunction with the Flemish Interuniversity Council.
On June 1, he started his job as the first-ever sheep and goat specialist for the University of Missouri Extension Service. His goal: to put Missouri mutton on the map.
“I want to create a strong awareness of sheep and goat production in this state,” he said.
His first two months have been busy. He spoke at a meeting of the Cattlemen’s Association in Deepwater, and was pleased with the positive response he received. He also participated in a seminar on strategies to build sustainable forage and livestock operations in Missouri. Held in Appleton City, it drew 17 farmers, six of them women, he said. This week, he is speaking to the Osceola Chamber of Commerce.
“I want people to know that there is someone in Missouri who specializes in sheep and goats,” he said.
Everywhere he’s gone he’s received a welcome that is second to none, he said, even compared to that he received when he and his family lived in Baltimore. Before taking the job with the University of Missouri Extension, a colleague told him that the people in Missouri are the nicest people in the world, and he has found that to be true, he said.
His first trip to the United States was when he was chosen to speak on his doctoral thesis at the joint convention of the American-Canadian Societies of Animal Science. The thesis was an evaluation of an invasive plant on indigenous goat production in the tropics.
His research in sheep and goat nutrition has also taken him to conferences in England, Ireland, Germany, Dubai and Canada, he said, and he has had 20 articles in peer-review publications.
He is currently writing up his research at Virginia State University on the use of tannin in sheep’ diets to reduce methane emissions.
In Missouri, farmers raise Katadhin sheep, a breed developed in Maine that is a cross between St. Croix and Suffolk, among others. Katadhin, which resemble cattle, are produced for meat, he said, and are a hair sheep, meaning they naturally shed their coat, so don’t have to be sheared.
Dr. Brown grew up eating mutton and likes it, he said. He is planning cooking demonstrations to teach people how to cook mutton and lamb.
He is also planning to organize a small ruminant producers group, which he hopes will become as prestigious as the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. Creating a different niche product and a ‘brand’ for Missouri mutton and lamb puts more money in farmers’ pockets, he said.
“That’s the bottom line,” he said.
His focus areas are the benefits of multi-species grazing, alternate feed sources for small ruminants and natural methods of parasite and predator control. Dr. Brown is a proponent of the Famacha System, which diagnoses individual animals instead treating the whole flock for parasites, which has resulted in world-wide resistance to antibiotics.
Dr. Brown said he plans to be involved with 4-H programs, and stresses the importance of education and encouraging youth to explore career paths in agriculture, whether it’s in the lab, as a program director or a specialist.
“I took this job to give back to the community,” he said.
He attributes the welcome he has received from farmers to his depth of knowledge and his willingness to help. He answers telephone calls even at night, citing a text he received from a farmer who sent a photo of one of her flock that was ill. He texted back what steps to take. He also received a text thank-you from a farmer who had followed his advice and wanted to thank him.
He wants to help develop resources and policy to deal with future droughts, he said, instead of waiting until they hit. People can’t control the rain, Dr. Brown said, but can control their response to it.
He continues to be involved in research at the Southwest Research Extension Service Center in Mt. Vernon, where he will participate in a seminar for sheep and goat farmers on Nov. 17.
He and his family live in Springfield, where his two older children go to school. He learned English when he started school in Nigeria, he said, where it is the language of education.
He also speaks Yoruba, the language of one of the three main ethnic groups in Nigeria. Nigeria is located in West Africa, tucked under the continent’s bulge just north of the equator. Dr. Brown said he was privileged to attend the University of Limpopo in South Africa, which taught him about diversity and equality.
He said he was happy to move to Missouri, where the pace of life is quieter than that of the eastern United States. His personal goal, once he has settled into his new job, is to live on a farm, where he can raise sheep and goats like his grandparents did.
“I’ve always worked with animals,” he said. “I want to teach through experiential methods.”
He promotes the improvement of small ruminant nutrition and increased production in Missouri through seminars, working with producers and newsletters. Contact him at his office, 417-646-2419, or mail davidbrown@missouri.edu.
