Come to Tamarack Farm in the summer and you’ll see the ewes and rams out in pastures grazing fresh grass. In the winter, they’ll be tucked into barns eating hay that we make ourselves. We make sure that that our animals always have free access to grass or hay, as much as they wish to eat, no matter the season. This grass or hay, fresh air, and room to move and exercise mean happier and healthier animals, and we believe it also means healthier meats.
For rural communities and Vermont’s working landscape, grazing offers a way to utilize abandoned agricultural lands to produce food; Tamarack is in the process of restoring 120 acres of land in this way. In addition to grass and hay, a supplement of whole grains allows our ewes to thrive through their lactation, when their lambs are nursing. As the lambs grow, they are offered free choice hay or grass as well as whole grains.