Wyoming Wool Growers Association: Member Newsletter, History and Leadership
Profile updated November 2026
The Wyoming Wool Growers Association (WWGA) has represented the state's sheep and wool producers since 1905, and its member newsletter, sent electronically at least once a month, keeps ranchers up to date on policy, markets, the Wyoming Ram Sale and the association's conventions. Wyoming ranks first in the nation for the value of its wool production, so the newsletter serves one of the most important wool states in the country.
| Association founded | 1905 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Casper, Wyoming |
| Newsletter | Electronic member newsletter, at least monthly |
| Executive Director | Alison Crane, since July 2022 |
| Events | Wyoming State Ram Sale; winter and summer conventions |
| Wyoming rank | 1st in value of wool production, 4th in total sheep and lamb inventory |
| Official website | WWGA on Issuu |
History of Wyoming Wool Growers Association Newsletter
The Wyoming Wool Growers Association was founded in 1905 to represent the interests of Wyoming's sheep and wool producers, at a time when vast range bands grazed the state's basins and mountains. In 2022 it marked its 117th year. The association is governed by a board of directors elected by its members.
Its archives from the 1960s and 1970s are held in a natural resources research collection, reflecting the association's long involvement in predator control and range policy. Its stated mission is to advance the sheep and wool industry in Wyoming by improving producers' conditions and product quality, increasing efficiency and promoting cooperation across the state's livestock sector.
Amy Hendrickson served as executive director for about nine years before retiring in 2022. The board, led by President Regan Smith, selected Alison Crane, Ph.D., a sheep and meat goat extension specialist and assistant professor at Kansas State University and a certified wool classifier, who took over in July 2022.
Wyoming Wool Growers Association Newsletter Today
The association sends an electronic newsletter to members at least monthly, covering policy advocacy, education and lamb and wool promotion. It also publishes material such as the 2025 Wyoming State Ram Sale catalog online.
Its programs include market development through the annual ram sale and a ram test coordinated with the University of Wyoming, education for youth and producers on flock production, public education about the state's sheep history, and special projects with state and federal agencies, the American Sheep Industry Association and the association's auxiliary.
What Wyoming Wool Growers Association Newsletter Is Publishing Now
Policy and advocacy
State and federal legislation, grazing permits, predator management and labor issues for range operations.
Ram sale and ram test
Catalogs, results and performance data from the Wyoming State Ram Sale and University of Wyoming ram test.
Conventions and education
Winter and summer convention news, youth programs and wool and lamb promotion.
Wyoming Wool Growers Association Newsletter Editors and Staff
WWGA leaders named in recent announcements include:
- Alison Crane - Executive Director
- Regan Smith - President (2022)
- Amy Hendrickson - Former Executive Director (retired 2022)
Crane's background is in small ruminant nutrition and reproduction, and she is a certified wool classifier.
Who Reads Wyoming Wool Growers Association Newsletter
Readers are Wyoming sheep ranchers, many running large range flocks, along with farm flock owners, shearers, wool buyers and agency partners. Wyoming ranks first nationally for the value of its wool production, third for breeding sheep inventory and fourth for total sheep and lamb inventory. USDA NASS Quick Stats tracks those numbers by state.
Wyoming Wool Growers Association members raise sheep in a state where the wind does most of the shearing, and they tend to have the humor to match. For a break from the ram sale catalog, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor in a deadpan rural voice, with ranch humor built for sheep wagons and cow camps. Its farm jokes hold up even in a Casper winter.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
Wyoming Wool Growers Association Newsletter Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Northern Ag Network: WWGA announces new executive director - Alison Crane's 2022 appointment and Wyoming rankings.
- Western Ag Network: WWGA seeking new executive director - programs, conventions and the member newsletter.
- WWGA: 2025 Wyoming State Ram Sale catalog - the association's own sale publication.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Wyoming sheep and wool statistics.
- American Sheep Industry Association - the national producer association WWGA works with.
Wyoming Wool Growers Association Newsletter FAQ
When was the Wyoming Wool Growers Association founded?
In 1905.
Does the association have a newsletter?
Yes. It sends an electronic newsletter to members at least monthly.
Who leads the Wyoming Wool Growers Association?
Alison Crane has been executive director since July 2022.
What events does WWGA hold?
The Wyoming State Ram Sale, a ram test with the University of Wyoming, and winter and summer conventions.
For more than a century the Wyoming Wool Growers Association has kept the nation's top wool state organized, and its newsletter keeps members in the loop.