First Lamb Harvest

We just picked up our first processed lamb and boy, are we excited to offer this to our customers! We can report from our taste-test that this lamb is delicately flavored, tender and lean. If you've never tried lamb before, this is a great time to give it a try. As the season progresses and the animals get a bit older, we expect the flavors to intensify just a bit.

We carry all the typical cuts in our online store, and will have a limited selection with us at the farmers markets. If you're one of our market customers, we suggest placing an order online, which we will have for you to pick up at your choice of markets. Orders can also be picked up by appointment at the farm. If you order a whole lamb for one of our upcoming harvests later this fall, you can have it custom cut (including Halal processing) to your specifications.

Part of purchasing from your local farm is the peace of mind knowing how the animals were raised what they ate and also supporting your local community and foodshed. Enjoy this pictoral summary of how your lamb got to your plate!

Week 1 (May): Coming in as weanlings from an Amish farm in N. Wisconsin, lambs arrive at the farm. They get a health check and get acclimated to electric fence in a small, secure paddock. After a few days, they get turned out into their first rotational paddock.

Midseason (June/July): Lambs spend June grazing lush spring grass while the cover crop gets established. They are getting used to daily handling and become quite friendly. Occasionaly one needs a little TLC from one of us (and we sometimes can't save them). Eventually, the cover crop is ready for grazing, just as the grass has been all grazed. Then it's time to cross the creek to start grazing cover crop!

Late season (Aug-Oct): Cool season cover crop provides a diverse, protein-rich diet. Daily rotation means sheep "clean their plate" before moving to the next paddock. Before each harvest date we sort and weigh. At the beginning of September, they'll be switched to a warm season cover crop for the rest of the growing season. With gratitude, we load them up for their final trip to be processed.