We caught up with the breeder of the Reserve Champion Market Lamb at the 2025 Wisconsin State Fair. We invite you to read our candid interview with Johnson Family Show Stock below and please continue to check back often for our next edition of “Breeder Spotlight.”
What’s the pedigree of your champion?
My Town x Sweet RelieFF/Fraze Donor
What are your long-term goals as a breeder?
Ultimately we are old banner chasers ourselves, so helping as many kids succeed in all their goals and ambitions is our ultimate. A stretch goal would be to breed the Grand at Louisville.
Was there a moment when you almost gave up? What made you push through?
A couple years ago, our sons best 3 lambs died in the summer. As down as we felt, we knew our place in the show family was to be the strong, optimistic ones that led by example. It’s never over until it’s over. As down as times can be, perseverance and attitude will always dictate outcome. Never stop fighting.
What’s something you’ve changed your mind about over the years?
Being open minded to change, we’ve found, is critical to winning on big stages. We’d say where in the past certain genetic lines or feed lines or even our approach was closed off to change, we have grown as people, breeders, and feeders to always be open minded to new ideas.
If you could rebuild your herd/flock from scratch, what would you do differently?
Probably flush more of the key females as we were building and attempt to streamline those female lines into a higher percentage of our ewe base sooner than we did.
What trait do you wish you had focused on sooner in your program?
Chest design. We LOVE wide chested, super shallow ones. The last 10 years has evolved fast and staying up with cages, fur, feature, skin, underline, blades, and every quick advancement the industry has made we should have probably stuck to our type a little closer at times and let the pendulum swing.
Is there a breeding decision you’re especially proud of — or one you regret?
In all irony, we’re proudest of one that wasn’t planned. Our 8020 donor has done more than most females in the country. She was a result of a flush when we only had 9 donors and needed a 10th in order for the procedure to be done on farm. We loosely chose her mom as #10 and the rest is history. Being lucky is better than being good sometimes.
What’s your favorite state fair — and why?
After experiencing the dirt in Indy, it’s hard to not have that still be the highest on our list. The entire atmosphere is unlike anything words can explain. It’s truly a moving experience.
Is there anything you wish you had known when you started breeding?
We’ve been around a long time, but knowing 30 years ago that hamps would rule the world down the road, it would’ve been nice to have focused around skeleton a whole lot more than we did in the 90s.
What’s next — any big goals or projects in the works?
The fall shows, getting ewes covered, and hopefully a little down time before the chaos of lambing and next year hits.
