Cora Reinbolt, who has been an Extension educator in Bartholomew County for six years and has over 20 years of experience raising sheep, began an additional part-time role this September as Purdue Extension’s small ruminant specialist.
“It feels like it's my dream job,” Reinbolt said. “I'm looking forward to meeting the needs of our clientele and getting more sheep and goats out there in Indiana. I think it's an up-and-coming interest, and there's a lot of opportunity for growth.”
Reinbolt’s primary responsibilities (75% of her time) are still tied to her roles as an agriculture and natural resources (ANR) and community development educator and county Extension director. She will remain highly involved in Bartholomew County, managing a Master Gardener volunteer program, leading private applicator rectification programs, participating in local invasive species management and meeting with other Extension educators about animal sciences education.
The other 25% of her time is now dedicated to small ruminant education and programming, thanks to funding from the Department of Animal Sciences.
Small ruminant producers are a vital part of Indiana agriculture, and Cora will ensure they have a dedicated advocate and resource at the state level. By coordinating outreach and bringing together research, Extension and producer needs, Cora will help strengthen and grow Indiana’s sheep and goat industry.
- Paul Ebner, professor and head of the Department of Animal Sciences
Reinbolt will be the contact for all small ruminant questions and presentations. She explains she will help organize statewide events, “like the ones we do with like the Indiana Sheep Association or when Purdue Animal Sciences has sheep and goats at the Indiana State Fair.”
Her first experience with sheep was when her family raised sheep for 4-H projects.
“We'd buy one or two sheep, keep them for the summer and show them. Then we started thinking about it and decided to keep just a few and breed them,” Reinbolt said. “When we moved to a larger property, I really, really wanted goats too, but my dad didn't want goats that could get out and escape. I found out that there were hair sheep, which don’t need to be sheared and are kind of like goats, and I was like, ‘We're going to get these.’ The rest is history.”
Reinbolt now cares for over 60 hair sheep and is excited to share her small ruminant experiences with others.
“Each educator has our own little unofficial specialization. Even prior to getting this new role, I had gotten calls from other educators with sheep or goat questions because they know that I'm experienced in small ruminants. This is what I really want to be doing, being the small ruminant state specialist, and it's exciting to see where we can go in the future.”