Prometheus (a.k.a. MEETHY): Meethy is the leader of the pack, highest in the pecking order, bouncer of the club (you get the gist). He came to us with this powerful name and personality from Wing & A Prayer farm in VT. I once receievd an email from a stranger letting me know that her dad died the day Prometheus was born: “My father repeatedly joked that when he died, he wanted to come back in his next life as a sheep on Wing and a Prayer farm. He didn't seriously believe that there's an afterlife, but it turns out that Prometheus was born the day he died. I don't believe in the afterlife either, but I keep thinking about how interesting it is that those things happened on the same day.” The sheep are spoiled rotten at Wing & A Prayer and I too may want to come back as a sheep under farmer Tammy’s care.
Waldo: He is a handsome gentleman with a charming underbite. Waldo is 25% Shetland, 25% Teeswater, 50% Valais Blacknose. His fleece might be my favorite to work with. Waldo produces a long staple length fleece with luxurious luster.
Once Waldo got himself tangled up in electro netting during a power outage. The netting was wrapped so tightly around his leg, that he lost circulation to his foot. His hoof fell off as a result, and we thought he’d never walk again! But after months of tender love and care, the hoof magically grew back. He is now fully recovered.
You may be wondering: what is electro netting? It’s a portable electric fence that we use to keep predators out of the pasture. It is also used to control where our sheep graze. We have a silvopasture (the orchard) and we rotationally graze the sheep around perennial shrubs and fruit trees. This is a common carbon farming practice.Wolfie: A shy guy with a gentle soul and sweet freckled face. He is 25% Shetland, 25% Teeswater and 50% Valais Blacknose. We almost lost Wolfie to urinary calculi a few years ago. However, we are SO LUCKY to have local large animal vets (shout out to Delhi Animal Hospital) and they were able to save him by clipping the stone off the tip of his pizzle! OUCH! Don’t worry he was given a strong pain killer first...April: May’s baby. She wouldn’t let me touch her for the first 3 years of her life! She is a Southdown Babydoll. My husband selected this breed to graze in our apple orchard. Having animals graze in the orchard is a common permaculture practice. By integrating animals into an orchard management plan, you can significantly enhance the orchard's natural resilience to bacterial and fungal diseases through improved sanitation, soil health, and a balanced ecosystem. May: A 6 year old Babydoll Southdown. She is friendly ewe that will rub up against you for attention! May and I bonded quickly upon her arrival at Echo Orchard. She is the mother to April, a surprise baby that was born here within the first week of me owning sheep. The farm May came from didn’t know she was was pregnant (whoops). Southdowns are known for their gentle disposition and smiling faces.Did you know that
wild sheep were able to shed their coats naturally?
Sheep were first domesticated around 11,000 to 9,000 BCE in the Fertile Crescent (Southwest Asia), making them one of the earliest livestock animals alongside goats, initially used for meat, skins, and milk, with wool becoming a key product later.
When we as humans realized the value of wool as a versatile, renewable fiber that could be used for basic needs like clothing, shelter and insulation, we domesticated and bred them to produce thick heavy coats that will not shed (but instead, can be harvested by way of shearing).
Our history with sheep and wool is long and spans cultures and continents. Our shared love for this fiber is evident and I believe continues to connect us today.