St. Clair County Conservation District Welcomes New Coordinator

Jodi Shirley has been named the new St. Clair County Conservation District District Coordinator. A native of Pell City, Shirley grew up on a small farm and continues living that lifestyle today. Shirley and her husband Patrick own a small cow/calf operation, but also enjoy caring for their chickens, horses, and lambs. They raise their animals on various tracts of land from Pell City and Riverside to Vincent in Shelby County.

Shirley is also an active member of the St. Clair County Cattlemen’s Association, Farmer’s Federation, and the newly established St. Clair Lamb Club. Shirley and Patrick enjoy helping their daughter show lambs around the state, and sometimes in neighboring states. Their daughter, Josie began showing at the age of four, along with a few local Future Farmers of America (FFA) high school students.

“Showing involves the whole family, and not just your family … all the families,” says Shirley. “The friendships built are special. We quickly realized that our county needed a show club. So, with the help of the St. Clair County 4-H and 2 other show families, the St. Clair Lamb Club finally became a reality.”

For those who might not know, livestock showing began long ago at county fairs. It was an opportunity for farmers and their families to show off animals raised on their farm. Today, it is about education and the importance of individual responsibilities. Daily feeding, housing, grooming and exercising are a few of the requirements to maintain lambs. Children are given the opportunity to learn life skills that are not normally taught anywhere else.

When Shirley is not working or helping her daughter care for the show lambs, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter working around their family farm and caring for the other livestock.

Created as a result of the Dust Bowl, Alabama’s 67 Conservation District working in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), helps implement conservation practices that will improve the land and allow farmers to become good stewards of the land and natural resources. The district also tasks itself with citizen education and outreach through several year-round events like the Water Festival, rain barrel workshops, and forestry workshops just to name a few.

Visit the St. Clair County Conservation District Board Facebook page fb.com/stclairconservation for more information and inside looks at District activities.