Diversification ideas for the farm.

School, Sheep, and a Family Buds.

School.

Coursework at NWTC continued as I moved into the fall as a full-time student, including, Oral/Intrapersonal Communications, Beekeeping & Pollinators, Cheese Making & Fermentation, Managed Grazing, Value Added Foods, Event Registration & Housing, and Introduction to Sociology. I had a 4.0 GPA at this stage of my non-traditional educational experience and was loving what I was learning.

Sheep?

On the farm, we decided to look at alternative farming options... Brad had entered my life and came with years of professional farming experience and herd management. We looked into a farming venture as an alternative option to the conservation restoration that Barb and I had initially pursued. We opted to explore a sheep/lamb raising venture on the acreage - our friends at NRCS were able to help us put this plan onto paper as well to see if it might suit the land, our family, and our lifestyles we envisioned. We met with a local legend - Bob Leder, a retired veterinarian who took us under his wing to better understand the lifestyle of a sheep farmer and the economics of the operation. We thoroughly enjoyed our visits and gleaned much knowledge from him and his wife - Penny.

We also visited other sheep farms in the area, a wonderful pair that owned Hidden Valley Woolen Mill and Ryan Shepard's farm in New London. These experiences touring farms, asking questions about sheep farming, and wrapping our heads around this business venture proved to be highly rewarding.

A family buds.

Brad and I became engaged in September 2019, and also learned we would be expecting. A new challenge added to our plans. When weighing out the dreams of the farm and which lifestyle to pursue- Conservation Restoration or Grazing Sheep Farming, we became increasingly concerned with the lifestyle we wanted for our family. We created a budget for each business venture, and weighed the pros and cons, ultimately our lives would be tied to the farm for years to come with minimal times to leave and explore other places if we move towards the sheep farming option. We leaned towards the Conservation Plan as the best option for our family, lifestyle, management obligations, and ROI.

Rendering below of what we begin to explore- sheep farming operation.