New Sheeps
We went to the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival and saw a lot of wonderful things. We decided to bring home a rare flock of sheep from Englishman Bay Handmade including a ewenicorn and a ewe-f-o.
Chilling Out
When you take a break between herding lessons, Josie says you should make sure you chill in the nearest water tub. Always making the best use of whatever she can find.
Growing Lambs
The rain has made a lot of things difficult this summer, but its does make the grass grow which makes the lambs grow. We rotate pastures every 3 days for parasite control and healthy pastures. These are 6 month old ewe lambs that were shorn last week. We couldn’t be happier with out Texels and their amazing ability to grow on grass.
Naughty Business
This is what happens when you don’t fallow directions while you’re human is feeding the sheep. Josie’s look says it all.
In the Dark
When all it does is rain, You have to mow when you have to mow.
When all it does is rain and you finally get 2 sunny days in a row, you mow, and you don’t stop until it’s all down.
New Friends
We got two new friends, here on the farm!
Welcome Rue and Rye to the farm. We started out in sheep more than 2 decades ago with a motley crew that included 2 Scottish Blackface. Thanks to Stony Meadow Farms, we’ve got them again
Snail Friend
Last year all we wanted was a few rain storms. This year, it’s so wet even the lambs have snails on them.
Start to Summer
Lambs have be moved and separated finally. The boys on one side and girls on the other. Sky is waiting for her partners to join her, she says it’s hard to watch all these lambs by herself when hey aren’t all together.
Haying 2023
The 2023 haying season is underway. We are expecting a good stretch of sunny weather. Hope fully we can get all of our first cutting done in this time frame. Fingers crossed the weather doesn’t change before we get it all in!
Gardening Has Begun
Gardening has begun on the farm while we wait for haying weather. Once the potatoes sprout, it will really look like we’ve planted something. We will keep you posted as the plants start to grow!
Moving Lambs
We moved the lambs to their next paster with or new little helper. 1 girl and her collie were far more successful than 3 humans last week. Josie is already a big help round the farm. We couldn’t be happier with how she is doing.
The Separation
Today we separated the lambs from the ewes. Josie, our herding dog in training, was keen to help move the lambs to their new pasture. She shows real promise of being a great asset on the farm in the future.
Josie the Border Collie
We just welcomed Josie to the farm. With almost 60 sheep on the farm this year, it was time to start training some help. Josie’s dad is herding sheep in Ireland and her mom is doing the same right over the hill in Strafford, VT. We couldn’t be happier and so far she is fitting right in.
Wool Mulch?
Today on the farm, I worked on something new. Our sheep are a huge part of the farm ecosystem, and now they have one more role. We’ve decided to mulch some of our gardens with unused fleece. They should deter weeds and provide organic matter for the plants as they slowly break down. We have started in one of our perennial beds that houses rhubarb, strawberries, asparagus and a few herbs. We plan on mulching in the vegetable garden once we rototill and have plants growing. Follow along to see how the wool works! Hopefully it will be one more way to use our wonderful Texel sheep to provide for our farm.
Out on The Field
The summer rotation had begun. Sheep are out on some scrubby paster near their barn before they move to greener, farther pastures. They say they’re excited to be eating grass and leaping in the pastures.
A New Member
Today was shearing day, but it was also baby horse day. Mustang Wednesday welcomed the newest member of the farm late last night. While I will post some picture of shorn sheep, how can anyone resist cute foal pictures? No name yet, but she sure is captivation.
Last Lambs
It all begins with an idea.
Our last ewe lambed yesterday so lambing season 2023 is over. It was long and we has some losses but we ended up with 31 healthy lambs, 18 girls and 13 boys. We even had our first set of triplets. We have some really nice lambs is anyone is looking for breeding stock.
Snuggles
It all begins with an idea.
Cold mornings are made for snuggling. You can usually find all the bottle lambs together in the mornings. They like to spend most of there time in the shed were it is warm and dry instead of outside with the other sheep. They find it more comfortable in a mass than alone.
Watcher of Lambs
It all begins with an idea.
Important time of year for the watcher of the lambs. Evie takes her job very seriously. She checks the lambs every day to make sure they are all accounted for and doing what they should.