The Joys of Raising Sheep

We often discuss cattle farming on this blog, but I would like to share a bit about my experiences raising sheep for meat and wool production. Lamb isn’t always something that crosses our mind when brainstorming what to cook for dinner. But raising meat production lambs is something that has been a part of my life since I can remember. It may be safe to say that I have some of the most spoiled sheep in the country. Each evening the flock is let out of the pasture into our yard (yes, our yard) to feast on the luscious grass and clover. There is no better feeling in the world than to see them running and jumping with joy and filling their bellies for the night. It’s a scene we call “pastoral splendor”.



Pastoral splendor

When it is time to turn in for the night, I get my helper, Cap, to guide the sheep back to the pasture. Cap is an Australian Shepherd and my right-hand man on the farm. Our evening finishes off with some “cookies” and head scratches for the sheep. This is truly my favorite time of the night. I know my sheep are full, happy, and comfortable which means I have done my job as a shepherd. Happy and healthy sheep mean lambs that grow into quality production animals.



Guiding sheep back to the pasture with Cap

 While I love my sheep, I understand the practicality of raising lambs for meat production. The money we make from selling lambs is used to buy feed and medicines for our resident flock and the lambs we sell enter the food system to help feed people in America. Another aspect of raising sheep includes annual shearing. We save the wool from the Romney sheep we own for use in our personal knitting projects.



We'll use this wool for our own personal knitting projects

Thanks for joining me in some of the responsibilities of a shepherd. I hope you enjoyed the trip!

 

Caiti

Fourth of July Safety

This post has a double meaning: food safety and fire safety.

 While we all know that July is in the heat (literally) of the summer and is the perfect time for grilling and fireworks, we need to be mindful of two points.

1. Remember to use a food thermometer when you're grilling. Sure, it's hot and you want to get the meat off the grill and onto your plate. But you could be in another kind of rush later on if  you don't make sure that your foods have been cooked to proper temperatures to kill any bacteria that may exist. Here are the proper cooking temps for your 4th of July activities:

      Ground beef/pork/lamb - safe and savory at 160 °F
      Ground turkey/chicken -  165 °F

      Steak - Medium - Rare 145 °F
                  Medium - 155 °F
                  Medium - Well 165 °F
                  Well Done 170 °F - I included this for reference sake, but it hurts to do so!

       Poultry - Chicken & Turkey, Whole 180 °F
                  Breast Meat 170 °F
                  Thighs, Wings & Legs 180 °F
                   **Salmonella is killed at 165 °F

       Pork - roasts, tenderloins and chops - 145 °F  (no higher; nobody likes dry pork)! 

2. Fireworks are awesome. I'm actually a pyromaniac and am one of the first people to buy fireworks on the day the stands open. But we're in a drought now and we all know that fire + dry pastures/hay fields = horrible fast-spreading disaster. If you are in a county with a burn ban in place, consider driving to a neighboring county and watching a sponsored fireworks show. I'm likely going to the Wamego, KS show (it's one of the best in the state). One night of fun shooting off bottle rockets and roman candles isn't worth the devastation of charred fields.

With these safety steps in mind - have a great holiday! And as always, remember the true reason for the season. We are a free country thanks to those who have gone before us and those who continue to fight for our freedoms.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~