Pastured Lamb

     The best sandwich I have ever eaten in my life was created in the French Prairie farmhouse kitchen on a homemade, freshly-ground spelt bun, smeared with homemade olive oil mayonnaise, topped with sliced lamb roast, sauteed onions and red peppers, and mixed olive Tapenade.  Delicious is an understatement- succulent better describes it.  Lambs raised on green grass and their mother's milk develop a mild flavor and smooth texture in their meat that is beyond comparison.  

     Ruminants such as sheep have digestive systems which are designed to eat grass and other green cellulose.  Feeding grain changes the pH of the rumen, the first stomach of the sheep.  The increased acidity slows down the nutrient absorption process, allowing fewer nutrients, and puts the sheep at higher risk for the proliferation of intestinal worms and diseases. Grain causes the sheep to gain more weight as fat, and also changes the fatty acids from primarily Omega-3s (the good fats) to primarily Omega-6s (ones that encourage heart disease).  Grass-fed lamb has 2 to 4 times more Omega-3 fat than conventional lamb, and 3 to 5 times more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid).

 Portable electric fences

       This is our portable electric netting which surrounds the area in which the sheep live.  The netting has small enough divisions to keep even the smallest lambs inside the fence, and the height and electricity of the fence keeps predators out.  Also assisting with predator control are Tractor and Jasmine, our Great Pyrenees dogs. They live with the sheep, barking at anything and anyone who dares come close to their friends.

Jasmine

      Due to the portable nature of this electric net fencing, it is easy for Gerald to pick up and move when it is time to open up a new section of fresh pasture.  The rotation of the animals through the pasture spreads out the manure, which encourages new plant growth by adding organic matter to the soil.  By grazing a section and then allowing it to rest, the soil and plants are regenerated, growing more lush and stronger with every rotation.  Sheep also love to forage on brush, berries and tender leaves, so we include sections of wooded land into the rotation to give them a variety cuisine.  

 Ewe reaching for tender leaves on a sapling

     Our sheep are free of hormones, GMO feeds, antibiotics, and chemicals.  When necessary, we mix up a fresh batch of high-quality garlic oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and herbs to boost their health.  Healthy ewes give birth to healthy lambs, and healthy lambs give you healthy, clean lamb chops, lamb roasts, leg of lamb, and lambburgers.  Once you try a French Prairie Farm juicy lamb burger, you may never go back to beef again!