I have heard that shepherding is one of the most stable professions in the homesteading world, and I can see why! Sheep are like the swiss-army-knife of livestock, they provide a plethora of options and avenues for income and in an easily manageable package. I genuinely believe dairy sheep are the cream of the crop, and here is why: Personality. You cannot beat the personality, gentleness, and relational bond that dairy sheep have offer their shepherd or shepherdess. On a homestead or small dairy operation, having docile and fun livestock to work with will make a world of difference and may determine whether you stay in the business for 2 weeks or 40 years. I am not joking. It's hard enough trying to be a mom-of-all-trades on the farm, and the last thing you need is a big, wild, mean, skittish, angry creature from hell to try and tame while you're backpacking a baby and trying to cook from scratch sourdough on a wood stove. I said it because its true. Options. If you search out the proper genetics, your flock can supply you with meat, milk, and wool. There are not any animals I know of that offer so many wonderful options for living self-sufficiently. A good dairy ewe can produce upwards of a gallon per day of the richest and most wonderful milk you’ve ever tasted, give you strong triplet lambs, and a luxurious 8-12lb wool coat to craft with all in a year. This means you will be get up in the morning and take a shower with a wonderful bar of sheep milk soap, have a snack of cheese, yogurt, butter, or ice cream, a hearty lamb supper, and knit a sweater for yourself all winter long. Dude. Heartiness. Again, proper genetics is key, and you’ll want to do the research and find which breeds thrive in your particular climate. After many years trying out a number of purebreds and even registered stock, I decided my favorite for all-around multipurpose excellence is a Finn X Rideau Arcott cross. I also have some Border Leicester EF crosses that would give any light-boned purebred dairy sheep a serious run for her money. The muscle, the heartiness, the incredibly soft wool, the milk production…UGH. It’s a dream. Acuna Matata. It means no worries, for the rest of your days. This problem-free philosophy of dairy sheep might just save your homestead. Particularly if you are a woman, or a beginner without a lot of livestock experience, there is no better animal to start with. Except maybe chickens. They respect fences, they love you, they follow you, they stand nicely for milking, they out-produce any other animal, and they do not require a lot of heavy lifting. If they do get a wild hair or have a bad day, you won’t be headed for the hospital, so that’s always a plus.
Affordability. This one. The cool thing about dairy sheep is that they don’t require much to sustain themselves. If you have ample pasture and a mineral, they are going to be happy and healthy 99% of the time. HOWEVER, you will notice on your shepherding journey that to get above average production, you’ll have to put in above average care. I SO want you to understand that you cannot get out what you don’t put in. An animal who puts so much energy into growing baby animals, beautiful fleece, and wonderful milk needs serious nutrition and careful attention. If you are interested, you can find more on sheep nutrition in other blog posts under “Dairy Sheep!”
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When it comes to the environment, I have a big question. Is there intentionality and relationship between a healthy system and someone or something who makes it that way? Is there design behind so many wonderfully functioning natural systems? If so, is it possible to learn and understand this design, (knowledge) and apply this knowledge rightly (wisdom) to benefit the earth? Co-dependent In our zeal for a healthy environment, I wonder if we often cancel out or try to remove an important factor. The human factor. The positive relationship of man with earth, the biblical principal of gratitude, stewardship, and dominion. There may be increasing environmental challenges we face in this fallen world, but elimination of the human factor from the equation is surely not the answer for a better-balanced ecosystem, and neither is severing thousands of years of human dependency on animal products and the natural fruits of the earth. The truth is, we ALL have an important role to play, and monopolizing the food chain, messing with the ages-old symbiotic relationship of man and animal, is only further removing us from the benefits of a grateful and sacrificial relationship with each other and the earth. I believe it is moving us in a dangerous direction. A "Beyond-Dangerous" direction. (You smelling what I'm stepping in?) What is the solution? When was the last time you were told that you matter? That you are precious? Not by a company trying to buy you, but by a human who actually cares? I wonder if our greatest need is a change of heart, a soul-deep, course-altering, worldview that causes us to pause and consider the ethics of every move we make, every penny we spend, and especially, the intrinsic value of human beings. (Rom 12:2) If we are sincere in our belief that every person is imperishable and made in the image of God—and I do believe we are—it matters how we nurture the earth, our bodies, our livestock, and each other. YOU are unfathomably valuable and loved as an individual, imperishable soul. Only when we realize this, can we move on to other ethical and environmental issues. Slow progress = lasting resilience Here at the farm, we wrestle daily with the contrast between get-rich-quick farming and slow legacy building. We are the generation standing in the gap. As we walk the fields and see beautifully rich ag land around us being split into residential areas and bought up at an alarming rate by centralizing, monopolizing entities run by millionaires like Bill Gates, it is quite easy to see two hugely contrasting worldviews. And it is not hard to imagine the multi-generational consequences they will likely have. Put your fields in order, then build your house. Agriculture and human development can either “rape” the land or “regenerate” it. We must be continually testing of our methods and ideas. Instantly gratifying solutions, while tempting, may give one generation stability while exhausting natural resources for the next. This is the case in almost every arena, not just farming! Regenerative farms and homes should build, make resilient, de-centralize, stabilize, and sustain for generations to come. Ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is. The concept of taking barren dirt and transforming it into carbon-capturing, solar energy converting, biodynamic, symbiotic-relationship-fostering soil is—to say the least—challenging. We have so much to learn! But I also cannot think of many professions so thrilling and full of hope! Regenerative agriculture is just a beautiful glimpse of that perfect garden that we were literally made for tending…I do believe, as they say, “It’s in our blood!” |
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HELLOI'm Lydia. Mom to one wild barefoot fluffy headed toddler, a herd of cows, flock of sheep, a group of too many chickens and a neglected garden that against all odds, survives. Married to a wonderful husband with an equal number of titles and jobs...Dad, bro, (also as in, "bro, get over here gimme a hug") hydro-electric power plant mechanic, volunteer firefighter, fixer of all things with wheels and engines. (Ya, I'm proud of him.) Farm life, family, coffee, and Jesus make my world go round. Archives
August 2023
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