THE THING ABOUT OUR SHEEP…
Sheep were a new adventure for us when we were starting out – I’d had just enough experience to know I loved to work with them. Local mentors gave me hands-on training from their decades of expertise, and today tending to our flock is one of my favorite parts of the day.
We raise Katahdin/Dorper cross hair sheep: unlike wool breeds, hair sheep shed their winter coats when the weather warms, and do not need to be sheared. They are great mothers, lambing easily and giving lots of milk. We often have twins and triplets and usually one mother can raise all of her offspring. Spring lambing is one of the most exciting times at the farm. It’s like Christmas morning every day for about three weeks!
Our sheep and lambs spend their days out on pasture, often grazing right alongside the cows. While unusual on most farms, we’ve found it’s a perfect arrangement – not only does the sheep/cow relationship help to minimize certain parasites, but they also have slightly different foraging habits, grazing in different parts of the pasture and eating plants the cows overlook or reject.
The result? Healthy pastures, healthy cows, healthy sheep – and lamb meat with wonderful flavor, high in omega 3’s and vitamins B, C and E, with less total fat and saturated fat.
If you visit the farm, you’re sure to meet our two mascot lambs, Whitey and Brown Spot…they were orphans we raised by hand, and my kids grew very attached to them. They’re our PR ambassadors now, and no farm tour would be complete without a nuzzle from them.
