Sheepcote Farm

“When I grow up, I want to live in the mountains and have a big garden. I want to paint pictures in the summer and make stuff with my wool in the winter.”  Hands on hips, pigtails bobbing for emphasis, that was my standard answer when people asked, “what do you want to do when you grow up?”

I tucked that answer away as I pursued other life adventures. But there came a time when I began asking myself, “what do I want to do with the rest of my life?” That little girl popped right back up, hands on hips, and said, “When I grow up…”

My husband and I joined the Georgia Sheep Association to learn about sheep. With our wonderful mentors Dr. Tom and Mona Huber, we visited farms, talked with sheep producers and saw different breeds. We began exploring goals. Were we most interested in meat? Wool? Dairy? We also learned about heritage livestock. These are traditional livestock breeds that were raised by our forefathers; many are now in danger of extinction.

We decided to raise Tunis sheep. A heritage breed, well suited to the hot and humid southeast, these sheep are renowned for their meat (listed in the Slow Ark of Taste), have lovely, cream-colored wool, are excellent mothers, and are red-heads. Both my husband (a red-headed child) and I were smitten with these beautiful, hardy and sweet sheep. 

Today at Sheepcote Farm, we raise Tunis sheep for breeding stock, meat and wool. We have an assortment of cats, dogs and poultry, and gardens. We share common grazing ground with our neighbors. And that little pig-tailed girl? She’s living the dream!