Seattle City Sheep – The Quarter Acre Farm Story

February 8th, 2011 by Urban Farm Hub Team

Seattle City Sheep – The Quarter Acre Farm Story

Isolde

by Lydia Strand

When I tell people that my husband and I keep sheep in the city, some giggle, some are shocked, and almost all want to know how? why? what? So here’s a little background…

Our family wants to know where our food comes from. We also raise chickens for eggs and grow a good amount of our own produce, so raising sheep felt like the next, natural step for our farm. My husband, Jared, has wanted to be sheep farmer since he was a teen. So our project is a step toward fulfilling his lifelong dream, even though we live in the city. This gives us the opportunity to participate in and contribute to local/regional food and product security. Keeping sheep also adds to the personal value of our lives, as they are wonderful and entertaining companions.

Iris

Since I had no hands-on knowledge of sheep I educated myself by attending the Goats/Sheep 101 class at New Moon Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary and the Cultivating Success: Small Farming and Ranching class through WSU Extension. After making some initial sheep choices, we decided to go all out and begin focusing on a specific breed. In talking with breeders, visiting their farms, and helping out with their sheep, we have gained valuable mentors who are a wealth of practical information- not only about sheep but what it means to be a grass farmer, how rotational grazing works, etc. Something that cannot be stressed enough in any undertaking is to read, read, read- borrow books, use the library and internet, but be picky, not all information is good information. There’s definitely a learning curve and plenty of “armchair experts” posting on the internet.

Isa

Once you have the information, keeping sheep is an ongoing education. While they are low on the level of daily maintenance, they need proper fencing, no access to poisonous plants, and have specific nutritional needs. Shearing or rooing, hoof trimming, and parasite control are aspects of keeping sheep that require regular, detailed attention.

Since this is our first season, our rewards so far have been purely visual- seeing our lambs grow taller and rounder, their fleeces filling out in deep colors that will make spinners happy. In the evening, games of chase turn our gentle lambs into bounding straight-legged caricatures straight from cartoons- and even our huge ram appears to hover weightless as his long fleece floats in the air. It makes us happy to see them healthy and playful, and we look forward to spring, when we start it all again- our first experience with newborn lambs.