Cows and goats also help out on Rebecca’s farm; they rotate grazing on pasture that the sheep have already eaten. This organic practice helps to prevent parasites from developing. Allowing a succession of different animals to graze on the same land can break up the lifecycle of parasites, and also helps to maintain the health of the pasture.
As our group walked downhill from where the sheep cheese is made, we met some baby animals who were just a few days old. Experienced farm hands explained to the tour about the importance of buying domestic wool and lamb, as well as the many strange quirks and peculiar idiosyncrasies of sheep and goats.
As we left the farm we were given spicy steaming cider, hot coffee with sheep milk, and samples of freshly made raw cheese. I left completely overwhelmed by the massive amount of work that is entailed in running a dairy. I am also now completely in love with organic unpasteurized sheep cheese—such deliciousness my mouth has never known.
Read more about the EcoFarm Tour here on Wednesday.
