MORAN — On any given afternoon, as the school day winds down and students scatter, Shelby Sprague’s workday is just getting started.
A Marmaton Valley senior, Sprague runs S2 Livestock, a goat business that she has grown beyond county lines and into a nationwide network of buyers.
Sprague has owned the business since her freshman year, but its roots go back a bit further.
What started with her aunt raising goats and her sister Julianna taking it on as a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) project through FFA, eventually became something she would take over and expand.
“Whenever my sister moved out of FFA, I took that over,” Sprague said, explaining how the responsibility shifted. “I’ve basically just grown it from there.”
That growth has been steady. What began as a small project has turned into a herd of roughly 100 to 110 head, including breeding does, yearlings and kids. During this year’s kidding season alone, she cared for close to 90 baby goats. “It started out super small and now it’s grown,” she said.
Her reach extends far beyond Kansas. Sprague has sold animals to buyers as far away as Oregon and along the East Coast, connecting with other young livestock exhibitors through 4-H and FFA programs. In some cases, those connections have turned into lasting relationships.
“The girl that got one in Oregon, she has sent me pictures and has done really well,” Sprague said. “It’s really cool.”
She has also sold many close to home and estimates that she sold goats in 11 counties in Kansas last year, with many of those animals going on to top placements. “I think in 10 of those counties, there was a grand or reserve goat that came from me,” she said. “It was a really successful year.”
SPRAGUE’S familiarity with livestock comes from a lifetime spent around it. Raised on a family farm, she grew up watching both her father and her late grandfather Lonnie Sprague, work in agriculture. “I’ve just been around animals all my life,” she said. “I’ve shown goats all my life. It’s second nature to me.”
That familiarity has been essential, because running a livestock business requires far more than simply feeding animals.
Each day involves a range of responsibilities, from routine chores to detailed record-keeping and herd management.
Chores include cleaning pens, distributing feed and hay, monitoring animals for illness and handling medical care when needed. During kidding season, the workload intensifies, requiring constant attention to ensure newborns stay healthy.
In previous years, especially during the winter, Sprague’s days started long before sunrise.
“I was usually up about 5 a.m. to do all the chores,” she said, recalling early mornings spent breaking ice, checking on animals and managing through power outages that could put young goats at risk.
This year, the addition of a hired hand has helped ease some of that burden, allowing her to focus more on school during her senior year. Still, balancing both worlds remains one of the most difficult parts of what she does.
