Lars- Our Icelandic Ram that made the journey from Jones Farm in Vermont in 2022 to our farm.
Our main breeding flock consists of Jacob and Icelandic sheep. We have a few Katahdin crosses left from our original flock of hair sheep we started with before shifting to focus on fiber and wool. You’ll recognize them on social media or photographs since they have shorter wool and are all white. We kept the remaining few because they were either bottle lambs, or have been great mothers with wonderful personalities that make them a joy to have around.
Hawthorne- Jacob Ram
Why Jacob and Icelandic? Having grown up showing Suffolk's and the typical 4-H sheep breeds, Bethany wanted to go a completely different direction, and focus on rare and heritage breeds. Ones that would thrive in our climate, and on a pasture based systems with minimal if any grain needed. We put our focus on the livestock conservancy breeds of sheep, and Jacob stood out to us due to their unique spotting, multiple horns, and unimproved characteristics. The Jacobs are what we jokingly say are immortal. They have great parasite resistance and are very low maintenance! We still have Matilda who is 12 years old and from our first group of sheep ever brought to the farm on January 2016. She even lambed twins last summer (2025) at the age of 11. Even after a decade of caring for her everyday, she will not let us go up and pet her. But what she lacks in cuddly behavior, she makes up for in every other way!
While not on the conservancy list, Icelandic sheep are pretty self explanatory when you see their long flowing locks with so many colors and patterns, it is hard to keep track of! Even in southwest Ohio, with careful management, our Icelandic’s have acclimated well to our humid summers, and thrive in our cold and snowy Ohio winters. Both breeds offer beautiful wool that is incredible to spin and felt with. We utilize their wool on the farm for hand spinning, felting vegetarian rugs, and to make wool dryer balls.
Rhynera- Jacob and Icelandic cross
