Friday, October 21, 2011

October 2011, Reflection, Decisions and Moving Forward


Fall is a great time of year for the shepherd.  The craze of the lambing season is long over, the summer chores are all complete and lambs have long left the farm to go to their new homes.  As we turn our focus on the breeding season, we take a long look at our stock, make notes and spend some time in the office reviewing data.  Fleece mircon counts, codon 171 status, current flock genetics, importation of new genetics, markets and the economy all are analyzed as we begin to make breeding decisions.  In our home, this is usually done with the aroma of simmering apples, being cooked down for sauces and butters before canning!  An apple tart and cinnamon tea seems to help the thinking process!

The sheep and wool industries are two industries that are actually growing in our current economy and they represent a wise investment for current and potential farmers looking to add or expand income streams.

As a Finnsheep breeder, producing one of the world's most prolific sheep, I am especially excited about the new possibilities opening up for the breed.  As the quality of our wool, the resistance to scrapie and the improvement of the conformation and growth rate of our sheep is reaching our business targets (and industry requirements for quality) we are able to offer more products of higher quality to more markets than ever before.  

While Finnsheep representatives of the past may have elected to not respond positively to the needs of the market and their clients, we have.  We have listened to the valuable input from each and every one of our clients and we have so appreciated the time you have taken to educate us regarding your needs.  It is because of you that we are able to produce products that suit your needs and goals and we look forward to working with all of you.  We can all profit from new ideas, directions and relationships. 

As grocery store prices continue to rise and the quality of the food available in them continues to decline, farm producers who can raise and sell quality products will continue to be successful in the marketplace.  Those of you who choose to add Finnsheep to your wool and lamb production programs will realize a stronger profit margin, building a better bottom-line and stronger community for everyone. A quality Finnsheep will increase flock production, provide a high-quality, extremely marketable wool clip, produce lean delicious meats for the table and will be hardy and disease resistant.  The unique versatility of the breed allows the producer to market in more than one area, building varying income streams, a key requirement to a successful farm business.

We hope you enjoy the splendor of fall.  Breeding decisions will be posted on our website by the end of October.