Sheep Industry News March 2024

ing season and then we can be done in two weanings.”

THE MARKETS Two of the five farmer’s markets on the weekly schedule close up shop in late summer/early fall, so that works well with the dairy’s timing, as well. “We do a Wednesday afternoon, Thursday afternoon, two on Saturday morning and one on Sunday afternoon,” Brent said. “The best way for us to sell is direct to consumer. That gets our name in front of people and has allowed us to edu cate northwest Georgia about sheep’s milk cheeses. “Marietta is our best market. They have over 70 vendors, and it’s all food. People come to grocery shop there, and that’s what we want.” In addition, Rosemary and Thyme benefitted in 2023 from taking part in the Georgia Farm Bureau’s Farm Passport pro gram. Anyone interested in fresh farm products could grab a passport book and visit nearly 100 farms around the state. At each farm, the passport was stamped and participants earned prizes based on the number of farms they visited. Tours of the farm were given nearly every week through the program. “And they come ready to buy, so that helps us,” Brent said. “It’s a really good program.” Farmer’s markets and farm tours would be the perfect time for Brent and Hannah to toot their own horns about those U.S. Cheese Championships awards, but their limited supply of milk meant they were fresh out of those award winning cheeses halfway through 2023. The two hope steady expansion in 2024 and beyond will somewhat alleviate that problem. But selling out of product is a good problem to have. “We’ve had to educate people about the seasonality of cheeses,” Brent concluded. “They go to the grocery store and it’s available year-round. But there is a seasonality to it, especially our cheeses.”

the state – and half were East Friesian – a traditional dairy sheep breed. “We did some things a little different because we’re in Georgia and have a big parasite issue,” Hannah said. “It seems to be working out pretty good. As we grow and breed, we’re all over the place based on how much milk they produce. But we’re working our way toward a flock that will work best for our climate.” The East Friesians came from Meadowood Farms in New York, an established dairy with proven genetics. “They were culls, but they were still a good line of sheep for us to get started with,” Hannah said. “This year was the first year we got to three-quarters East Friesian and one quarter St. Croix in our flock.” While the dairy ewes were used to being handled, the St. Croix were not. The day they arrived on the farm, they headed straight for the furthest corner of the property. “They didn’t come back for a month or two,” Brent added. “They just weren’t used to having people around. We haven’t bought any sheep since, so we have a closed flock. Now, it’s our responsibility to improve that flock through the culling process.” A few years into milking, the schedule is pretty predict able for everyone. “The dairy sheep in particular are very seasonal breeders,” Hannah said. “So, we breed them in the fall and they all have babies together, then we milk them for six months. We’re really busy from February to August, and then it really slows down.” Which is ideal for everyone at Rosemary and Thyme Creamery. “About the middle of August, we’ve had enough,” Brent added. “The sheep have had enough, we’ve had enough and we’re all ready for a timeout. So, we get a month or so off and then it’s time for breeding season again. We have 10 rams, which is more than most operations our size. We want to compress the breeding season, which compresses the lamb

22 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org