Sheep Industry News September 2023

all his life, so that was all I knew. But we stepped out in faith when we got into the sheep. We’ve made some bad choices and some bad decisions along the way, but I wouldn’t go back to what we did in the past. Everything we were doing was preparing us for what we’re doing now.” The farm produces on average 5,000 eggs and processes 12 to 15 lambs, two hogs and one beef a month. And even then, it’s getting more and more difficult to keep up with demand. “Eggs are still the big bill payer, but lamb is the next big gest thing, and I see the opportunity for it to be the biggest." Direct marketing has certainly allowed the farm to be a price-setter instead of a price-taker, and Nathan doesn’t see any other way for his operation to be commercially viable. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE One of the biggest obstacles Nathan and Tina faced in the early days of their sheep endeavor was finding resources to learn from. They had trouble locating veterinarians who were familiar with sheep, difficulty getting their products into new markets and more. “There are a lot of people now getting their start in sheep in this state who are like we were, and don’t know what to do and how to do it,” Tina says. “That’s where our state association can step in and help them to grow and help the sheep industry in the state grow at the same time.” Nathan is now serving as president of the state associa tion and said education will always be a goal for the group.

“The Southeast has never been looked at as a place for the sheep industry,” he says. “But young people really like lamb and we have a growing ethnic market in this area. We want to help others find that opportunity and take advantage of it. "I’d been involved with Farm Bureau for 25 years, and with that experience I thought I could help the state as sociation. There wasn’t a lot available, but we did have some people who took the time and invested in us when we started. Now, it’s time for us to give back. “I won’t tell any of them what to do, but I can tell them what not to do. We’ve made all of those mistakes and had to live with the consequences. We’ve had to adapt and overcome. Sometimes I feel more like a firefighter. We’re so diverse – which a lot of farmers are in this area – and we have so many things going on.” With three kids ranging in age from 17 to 22, Nathan and Tina see more opportunities ahead. Their son has recently returned to the farm full-time. Whether his two sisters join him there remains to be seen. If they return, they’ll be welcomed and given the chance to run with whatever side of the operation interests them most. Of course, Nathan has some suggestions. “We’ve talked about fabricating our own carcasses,” he said. “Because we aren’t busy enough already,” Tina adds. “I was hoping one of the kids might want to take that on,” Nathan offers.

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