Lambing Season at Leyden Glen Farm
Hello Friends of Leyden Glen Farm -
It's been a while since we have written. Did you know that there is another season besides spring, summer, fall, winter, and mud season? It's called Lambing Season and it happens on sheep farms throughout the world.
We are in the middle of lambing season here at Leyden Glen Farm. Although the majority of the mature ewes have already lambed, the yearlings (those sheep that were born last year) are now beginning to have their first lambs. Although this part of Lambing Season is less frenetic than the first part, first time Mamas often don't take to being mamas and thus they and their babies need more attending to.
Farmer Mark is sallying on - I do not think he wants to think about how tired he is. There have been more than 200 babies born. Here's a photo of a mama and her twins from when the snow was on the ground.
We use a numbering system to track all the lambs. Each mama gets a number painted on her side and each lamb has the same number. If the lamb is a twin, the paint is green. If the lamb is a single, the paint is blue. It's a lot to keep track and if you ask me, it is crazy chaos but Mark thrives on the challenge of it all.
I'll be at the Amherst Winter Farmers Market tomorrow at the Amherst Middle School. Stop by and pick up some lamb to make a Irish Lamb Stew for St. Patty's Day. Here are few recipes that sound good.....
Irish Lamb Stew with Guiness
Dark Sticky Stew from Jamie Oliver
Slow-Cooker Irish Lamb Stew from the BBC
Lastly, I would like to link to a great Opinion piece from the NY Times written by James Rebanks entitled "An English Sheep Farmer's View or Rural America."It is a good read and resonates with our life here at Leyden Glen Farm. James Rebanks is a best-selling author of two books about sheep farming in the Lake District of England - The Shepherd's Life and The Shepherd's View.
Hope to see some of you tomorrow.
Your shepherds,
Mark Duprey
Kristin Nicholas
Julia Nicholas-Duprey
Phone 413.774.6514
www.leydenglenlamb.com