|
 Although
she had grown up being involved in her family’s Brimfield
grain and hog farm in Peoria County with parents Gene and Veva
Windish, and brothers Roger and Michael, when Joy Crouch
married husband Dennis 25 years ago, she moved to a new county
– Woodford – and into an entirely different and unfamiliar
agricultural industry. Sheep.
Dennis’ family was
heavily involved in the sheep industry. Dennis was a
professional sheep shearer at one time. He and his father,
Mick, also a professional shearer, have shorn sheep in several
states. But now Dennis shears their sheep and those of a few
friends. He also is a wool buyer. Dennis works at Martin
Brothers Implement, a John Deere dealership at Roanoke.
Joy, Dennis and their
three children, Jeremy (22), Cody (21) and Jessica (18)
continue to raise sheep on their 12-acre farm east of Eureka.
The Crouches currently have about 30 head of purebred Dorset
ewes and raise primarily breeding stock replacements and
market lambs. Jessica has a small flock of Southdowns that she
also shows. In addition to many local fair wins, Jessica
captured reserve champion ewe at the 2002 Illinois State Fair
Junior Dorset Show.
Jeremy and Cody also
have been very active in showing sheep. All of the Crouch
children have reaped many benefits from participating on
various livestock judging teams. Jeremy participated on the
Illinois State 4-H, Black Hawk College and University of
Illinois teams and is now judging sheep shows.
Home-grown business
Raising sheep is only
the proverbial tip of the iceberg for Joy; her involvement in
the industry runs much deeper. Two decades ago with two small
children and a third soon to follow, Joy was looking for a
business she could operate and still stay home with her
children. As luck would have it, a local couple had a small
business making their own wool into yarn and selling a few
other wool items. The couple was interested in selling their
inventory, so Joy decided to purchase the business and, thus,
The Sheep Station was born.
"When I started, the
items would fit on a card table, and we stored them in our
bedroom. Now they fill an 18 ft. x 20 ft. building, and it
takes a truck to transport the items to the shows," she says.
Early on, the Crouchs
were on the road a great deal traveling to sheep sales and
shows across the country to sell their items. "We had shows in
Virginia; Colorado; Sedalia, Missouri; as well as a great show
right here in Springfield, Illinois," Joy reports.
When Joy took a
full-time job as marketing assistant with Woodford FS about a
decade ago, the family cut back on the show schedule. And when
after five years with FS she joined 1st Farm Credit Services
as a client service representative in the Eureka office, she
maintained the more curtailed schedule.
 In
addition to the shows, Joy sells her items in a small booth at
the nearby El Paso craft mall, as well as via mail order,
phone and more recently email. The business initially
concentrated on sheepskin and wool items, but Joy says she has
changed the product line over the years to appeal more to the
actual sheep producers that attend the sales and shows. She
used to make some of her own items, but no longer has the
time. But other sheep producers and farm- and ranch-based
small businesses make many of the products, Joy tells. "I try
to keep items that the average family can afford," she
explains.
For 15 years, the
Crouch farm also hosted an annual sheep festival. The
two-and-one-half-day event would draw 500 people and featured
shearing and spinning demonstrations among the activities.
Lamb pellet bingo also was a popular local fundraiser during
the festival, according to Joy.
Other involvement
Joy also has been
involved with the sheep industry at the local, state and
national levels. She is a member of the Woodford County 4-H
Sheep Committee, served five years as the secretary-treasurer
of the Illinois Lamb and Wool Producers and attended the
National Lamb Feeders Leadership School.
Additionally, Joy has
been a featured speaker at a number of sheep industry
conferences, focusing on entrepreneurial diversification and
making more profit from a small flock. "In case you haven’t
noticed, I like to talk," Joy says with a laugh. "When I got
my first speaking engagement, I couldn’t wait to call my
mother and tell her I was actually going to get paid to talk!"
Joy also has been
involved with the Woodford County Farm Bureau Women’s
Committee, Ag in the Classroom and as a 4-H leader. She
currently serves as treasurer of the Eureka High School FFA
Chapter Alumni. Jeremy, Cody and Jessica all have been chapter
officers, and Jeremy and Cody both have served as chapter
president and as a section officer.
This is a particularly
special year for the Crouch family, Joy relates. Not only will
she and Dennis be celebrating their 25th anniversary, but also
all three children became graduates this year. Jeremy
graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in ag
business and has landed a job in agriculture. Cody graduated
from Illinois Central College with a two-year degree in heavy
equipment mechanics and is employed at a local Caterpillar
dealership. And Jessica graduated from Eureka High School and
is planning to attend Illinois Central College to pursue a
degree in child development. She also will be involved in an
internship program with Caterpillar.
All three children have received $1,000 Superior Young Sheep
Producer scholarships awarded through the Illinois State Fair,
Joy says proudly. It’s been one of many benefits Joy and her
family have received from that different and unfamiliar
industry down whose path she began walking those 25 years ago. |
improving their
profitability, that is important. I am still in the learning
curve and help with a problem or situation is only a phone
call or email away. My 1st FCS team members are very helpful
with
providing information and support to keep our branch office
running smoothly."