shepherding ~ a person who tends and rears sheep. The past two weeks have been one of those heart wrenching times when shepherding has not been easy, when the tears flow gently. The dictionary makes the job of shepherding sound so cut and dry, so black and white. It does not talk about the heart work of shepherding-the clinging … Read More
Last week, Stella hit our farm with force. Weather maps had been mapping her path as she geared up to be our “biggest snow storm of the season”. Reports for 40 mph winds and frigid subzero degree temperatures put us on high alert. We expected lambs to begin arriving on the cusp of the storm. We had to figure out … Read More
I am often asked how my sheep can survive the harsh Vermont winter storms. Yesterday our first big snow storm hit with a vengeance. We woke to swirling snow, subzero wind chills, and deep snow banks. With proper shelter and feed, our sheep have no difficulty with these winter conditions and cold temperatures. Proper Shelter Well ventilated…protection from wind…plenty of space … Read More
Keeping fleeces clean is one of the most difficult challenges to combat on a sheep farm, and it all centers around chore time. Who would ever think that feeding sheep would be one of the most significant moments on a fiber farm? Sheep are like most other creatures, they talk with their mouths open, they dribble their food all over … Read More
Beneath the blanket of snow that covers our farm, lush pastures rest and wait. Winter provides one the longest stretches of time when our pastures can rest before another grazing season begins. Rotational grazing is an important component in our sustainable farm practices. Each summer and fall, we utilize rotational grazing. We subdivide each of our fields into smaller … Read More
