Grass-fed and Grass-finished Lamb
We raise on our farm a combination of Saint Croix sheep, Katahdin sheep, and a St. Croix-Katahdin cross. They are all wonderful breeds of hair sheep that offer many advantages to our grass-centered, holistic approach to farming. Sheep fill an extremely important role on the farm and are a perfect fit for our grass-fed and grass-finished lamb system.
St. Croix sheep offer many advantages over conventionally raised breeds. There is no need to sheer because the St. Croix grow an undercoat during the winter months and shed it in the spring. St. Croix sheep are prolific breeders averaging two lambs every breeding season and the lambs have high survivability. They are hoof rot, fly-strike, and parasite resistant which means extremely low maintenance and zero chemical worming. St. Croix sheep are extremely mild in flavor because of their fine grained, low fat meat.
Likewise, Katahdin sheep have very similar characteristics. They too are hair sheep and require zero sheering. They are also prolific breeders and routinely have triplets and even quadruplets. Katahdin sheep also require little to no maintenance on their hooves and even share the same parasite-resistant tendencies as the St. Croix breed. The meat is also very mild in flavor because they do not deposit a large amount of fat into their muscles.
Role and Management of Sheep
Sheep play a critical role in the management of our pastures by bridging the grazing gap between grass loving cows and briar loving goats. The breeds of sheep we raise are non-selective grazers – meaning when managed correctly the sheep do a great job eating all types of forage in the pastures. Our sheep love to eat clovers, grasses, and forbs (think milkweed). As a result, we get increased pasture utilization which in turn increases soil fertility allowing us to grow more forage. The sheep are also vitally important in breaking up the parasite cycle. Sheep are dead-end hosts for many species of internals parasites for cattle and cattle are dead-end hosts for many species of internals parasites of sheep. Less parasite issues means healthier animals and a better quality product for the end consumer.
How and Where to Buy
Are you ready to buy? You can purchase our grass-fed and grass-finished lamb on the farm by the cut or we also offer our customers the opportunity to purchase in bulk by the whole animal. We also make scheduled monthly deliveries in the city so please contact us for delivery dates and locations.
