We're in business!

The lamb meat has arrived in our freezer, and I'm ready to deliver it to yours. This is so exciting for me. The harvest is in, and its market time. Emails went out to this morning; phone calls are flying and already two orders are bundled ready to go.

It hadn't fully dawned on me until today that I'm doing the same job my husband does, only much smaller. At the organic farm that employs him, Bob also grows animals. However, his are bigger and more of them. But just like me, when they are ready for market his animals go to the same processor, later he picks up boxes of shrink-wrapped frozen meat, inventories it, takes orders, and then bundles it up and delivers the meat to the customer....with a smile. Just like me!

I'm quite amused at this. I guess Bob's my hero and I want to be just like him. :) Well, maybe not just like him. I'll leave Bob to his cows, and I'll stick to my wonderful little flock of sheep while relying on his wisdom and experience. Of course, he'll always be my hero.

Feast or Fleeced?

I did my research. Read many websites. Collected information. Yep, Icelandic Lambs grow well on grass. In fact, they are best at gaining weight on grass and will be 90-110# in 4 to 5 months. We kept our lambs on mother's milk and grass all summer, and at the appointed time of 5 monthes, we delivered them to the processor knowing we have customers waiting for packages of healthy, tender lamb meat.

Here's where the research hits the pasture. After 5 months, our lambs didn't quite make the 110# target. In fact, they were about half that! Wow! A bit disappointing.

Well, what's a grassfarmer to do? We'll still have good meat to sell this year, albeit much less than hoped for. And next year we have a plan. My husband, the intensive grazer expert, says we'll try putting them on a fresh paddock at least every week. This year we've been able to improve several more paddocks and get them fenced in and ready to be used for intensive grazing purposes next year.

Isn't that what any good farmer says, "There's always next year." In the meantime, I'll still be selling lamb meat in a week or so. You just might want to call sooner since the supply is a little limited.

Tender, mild Lamb Meat

Coming soon to a table near you. . . . delicious, healthy grass-fed lamb!

Our Icelandic lamb meat will be available at the end of September.
First year introductory prices are as follows:
Whole Lamb - $5.00/lb
Leg of Lamb - $6.50/lb
Lamb Chops - $6.50/lb
Lamb Shank - $3.50/lb
Ground Lamb - $3.50/lb

Please email if you wish to order ahead: grass@wtc-mail.net
You'll enjoy this tender, mild lamb on your table this fall.

Flutterings in the pasture

Beauty in the beast! This lovely delicate yellow butterfly is sitting on a very prickly Canandian Thistle, a weed we try to eradicate. We have a large area of this weed north of the paddocks which received a flutter of butterflies earlier this week. We estimate more than a hundred flitting and fluttering from flower to flower.

Aren't they gorgeous?