Alumni Check-In: Dino Vinci


Dino Vinci graduated from the University of Idaho in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and a minor in Animal Science. Following graduation, he worked for the West Ada School District as an agricultural educator and FFA Advisor. Here he taught animal science, welding, and small engine classes. 


Vinci was recently hired as the Sheep Center Manager for the University of Idaho. Vinci’s passion for the sheep industry began in high school through FFA and ag classes, which led him to showing sheep as a member of the Meridian FFA Chapter. After discovering his passion for the industry, he started his own flock of club lambs that he was able to show and sell at the Reno Nugget All American Show and Sale. Dino has since liquidated his personal flock to focus on the UI Sheep Center.


Dino Vinci says that the things he misses about his previous job is working with students every day and having an impact on their lives. Helping those who have no previous experience with agriculture get their start in the industry was one of his favorite parts of being an agricultural educator and FFA Advisor. However, Vinci is excited about his new position at UI and has many goals for the Sheep Center. 


Vinci’s goals moving forward with the Sheep Center are, “to produce the nation's most desired Suffolk sheep and create a research conducive space that will bring new people and research in.” A classroom-lab facility is scheduled to arrive next summer at the Sheep Center; this will assist in achieving Vinci’s goals. He also noted they are utilizing phenotypic and genotypic data to continually increase the quality of lambs produced at the Sheep Center. Recently, they completed their first ever successful hyper-ovulation and embryo transfer. Vinci explained this process as, “taking fertilized embryos out of one ewe and transferring them to other ewes to help speed up the genetic improvement progress.”


Vinci hopes to continue showing lambs from the UI flock at national shows and improving genetics of the flock with a ram recently bought from a predominant breeder in Ohio. The UI Sheep Center is starting its own line of wool products, which potentially will be sold at the UI Vandal Store. These blankets will be the first product from their new line and may be available for purchase at the end of November. 


Vinci has learned many lessons through his new managerial position at the UI Sheep Center. The most essential of these is the importance of accurate record keeping and looking ahead to plan for the future. These lessons will be utilized often, especially with lambing season quickly approaching. The first expected lambing date is January 3rd and will continue through March.

 

 

Written by Klae O'Brien

Fall 2020

 

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