Prairie Folk Farm is deeply dedicated to “rotational grazing”. This approach is so much more than just letting the sheep have access to pasture! It’s a strategy that puts the health of the land and sheep first, therefore producing some of the healthiest food available.

Our pastures have a permanent, exterior fence that is divided into several large blocks with additional permanent fence. We then use portable, temporary fencing to divide the permanent blocks into small sections, giving the sheep access to no more than a days worth of feed at a time. These daily alloments of forage allow us, the shepherds, to control how the sheep impact the soil and forage.

Most importantly, this approach allows us to ensure that the sheep don’t overgraze any of the forage. Our temporary fencing tools allow us to move sheep out of the grazing area before too much forage is eaten. The grass and legumes can regrow quickly when there is enough remaining leaf area to collect lots of sunlight. Additionally, it prevents forage from being eaten before it is fully regrown and recovered, which would damage plants and set back growth.

Creating daily “paddocks” also promotes an even application of sheep manure and urine. This nutrient cycling is what keeps our pastures going without many additional inputs. Sheep hoof action tramples forage onto the soil surface, which then gets broken down by abundant soil biology, adding to the soil’s organic matter stores. Organic matter helps hold onto nutrients and water, improves water infiltration and soil aeration, and serves a habitat for beneficial soil microorganisms.

Our pastures contain a mix of grasses, legumes, and forbs. It is an excellent source of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals when it is actively growing. The mama sheep stay healthy and the lambs grow vigorously on milk and forage alone.

Practices like these are often refered to as regenerative farming because they put soil health at the forefront of management. Considering soil first helps create the foundation for vigorous plant growth, leading to healthy livestock, and ultimately, healthy people.

We believe our farming practices produce exceptional food for our family and yours. You can learn how to purchase Prairie Folk Farm’s pasture raised lamb here.