Three years in a row, I have purchased sheep from a breeder in Oregon. They traveled just over 3,000 miles to get to our farm in Vermont. Some have come the southern route, and some have come the northern route, making the trip within 5 days to within 3 weeks. Basically, my flock of Gotland sheep have seen more of … Read More
In the early spring, we literally sit and stare at the grass on our farm. Here on our Vermont hillside farm, we only graze 5-6 months out of the year. After months of eating hay, the sheep can not wait to get out on grass. With grazing comes the joys of pasture management for parasite control. On our farm, … Read More
Ask the Shepherd ~ Why do sheep curl their upper lip? Flehmen Response Curling back the upper lip. Inhaling deeply-head held high. The transfer of air carrying pheromones to an organ in the roof of the mouth, provides the animal with information about the scent. It’s a sheep thing. It’s the way that they gather information. It is how … Read More
As the farmstay movement has grown across the United States, more and more farms have jumped on board, offering their own version of what agritourism means to them. Over time, I feel that two distinctly different farm experiences have emerged for families and couples to choose between: farmstay or agritainment. Agritainment is simply providing an opportunity for entertainment in … Read More
Raising Quadruplet Lambs Our bundle of Gotland quads have reached day 24 and are growing strong! In raising quadruplet lambs, we have all learned a few quadruplet survival skills along the way: Mum needs proper nutrition to feed quadruplets! We have been supplementing Kamila’s diet ever since the quads were born. She gets extra grain and fermented alfalfa … Read More
