Peacefully Eating

Earlier this year, Jeff and I heard a custom grazer speak on his methods for rotational grazing (the system we are using as we move the livestock around the pasture). Each summer, the grazer is hired to care for a neighboring farmer’s cattle. During his talk, he said, “I don’t want to see any ear tags. I want everyone to have their heads down, eating.”

I thought of those two sentences on Thursday as I checked the SGL. The day before, I had put up new netting, leaving the old netting up as a divider between paddocks. The sheep wandered along the opening in the netting. They tugged and munched on bunches of grass while Mocha the doeling nibbled happily on honey locust leaves.

Even the llamas had their heads down, every so often raising their elegant heads and necks to keep a lookout and make sure I wasn’t an intruder.

Several sheep grazed in their family groups, each ewe with her single or twin lambs.

Every time I move the animals into a new section, it’s tempting to stand in the pasture all day and watch. It’s a peaceful sight, watching everyone eat contentedly.

The goal is to be able to graze as late into the year as possible. Depending on the weather and nutrients available in the soil, the grass can run out in the fall. Some grazers know how to keep their animals on pasture all winter long. When we can extend the grazing season, we don’t have to feed as much hay.

That’s definitely something to aim for.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

• As October begins, what are some short-term goals you want to accomplish before the end of the year?

Share your answer and this newsletter with someone who can help you reach that goal.

If Sylvan Sundays was forwarded to you, welcome! To learn more about our farmers, check out “A New Year’s Introduction,” and to learn more about our name, visit “Being Sylvan.” Also, make sure to check out “This Week on the Farm” and “Farm Shop” below!

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This Week on the Farm

Now that October is arriving, we hit the ground running on winter prep, hanging gates in the barn and putting together numbers for how much grain and hay to order.

Farm Shop

For your fall fiber projects, check out our Etsy shop. We have several fleeces and llama fiber packages available.

If you’re looking to stock (or start 🙂) your own fiber farm, we have Shetland breeding stock available! Reply to this email to let us know your interest today!