Lamb on Sundog Farm
The basics
Our lambs are raised humanely and locally– we raise them from birth to finish on our farm
We use sustainable grazing practices and make decisions with a conservation mindset
Ordering a whole animal can save you money and fill your freezer before winter
how we raise our animals and why
We keep a flock of sheep year round to maintain our pastures and fertilize our fields. Our ewes (female sheep) are a mix of Dorset, Suffolk, and Ill-de-france breeds, and live their best lives on our beautiful rolling hills.
Our sheep are great collaborators for us on our farm. They are particularly well adapted to graze and maintain our steep hills that are not suitable for growing vegetables, and also provide important fertility. We compost their manure and use it to fertilize our vegetable fields, providing the most organic and local fertilizer possible.
We breed our ewes once a year and they have their lambs from February-March in our barn, where they are cozy and we can keep a close eye on them. Our lambs are raised entirely on our farm. We raise them using a practice called rotational grazing, which means we move them into new sections of pasture every few days using mobile electric fencing. This helps them gain weight quickly and keeps them healthy!
We finish them on the pasture using a non-gmo grain mix to supplement what they are grazing. This is a practice that has enabled us to finish our lambs within one growing season and make sure they remain healthy during a hot and dry period when their forage quality declines.
how do I buy lamb from you?
We sell our lambs as whole animals, and work with several meat lockers in the area to provide the meat, fully processed and ready for your freezer.
Luckily, ordering a whole animal does NOT mean you are ordering a live animal or even one that you have to learn how to process yourself. We work with local meat processors who butcher, process, and package the meat you purchase according to your specifications. And don’t worry– making the processing decisions to make a cut order is not difficult! We can walk you through the process to make a cut order that fits your cooking needs. This means that you end up with tidy packages of ground lamb, stew meat, shoulder roasts, lamb chops and more in your freezer.
Ordering a whole animal is a great way to fill your freezer with meat that may be more expensive in the store. You will know that the animal lived a great life on a local farm, and can request exactly what cuts of meat you know you will enjoy cooking.
For me, making the cut order is a creative process that helps me think more about the meat I’m buying and how I want to cook it. I know I like to cook with ground lamb, and always make sure to request a lot of that. I also know I’m not going to cook a lamb roast more than maybe once a year, so I don’t choose to keep both shoulders and legs whole because I know I may not get to cooking them as roasts, when I can enjoy the meat ground much more easily.
If you are curious to know how this actually breaks down into different cuts of meat, here is a guide about what to expect from ordering a whole lamb.
What are the pros of ordering a whole animal?
Fill your freezer: Instead of having to run to the store to prepare meals, you can use ingredients you have at home, including delicious, local lamb
Support your local farmer: Much like purchasing a CSA share, ordering a whole animal is good for us too! It saves us time spent marketing cuts to... you know, give the animals the best lives they can have!
It's bulk buying, just like Costco: ordering a whole animal, while expensive up front, is a lower price point than purchasing this same quality of meat at the grocery store. If you love lamb, this is a cost-effective way to purchase it.