COVID-19

During this unpredictable time in our country, farmers and ranchers across the nation are still hard at work. Social distancing has pushed livestock auctions to online platforms because even though we can’t gather in person to buy and sell our animals - we know that business must still go on and that there’s a future for our farms beyond the pandemic.

So this afternoon... we took a break from our work outside to come in and purchase a new herd bull. While we were able to get the one we wanted all from the comfort and safety of our dining room, we still can’t be as excited as we typically would be, because the truth is we would rather be AT the sale. Even though online sales serve a valuable purpose, there’s just something special about being at a livestock sale in person. We enjoy being around other livestock producers, taking in the adrenaline rush of raising a hand to bid, and the satisfying feeling of being able to load the trailer with a purchase (or sending our animals to their new homes) after it’s all said and done.

This is only the beginning as we look toward our spring sheep consignment sales which have also had to move online. Next week we’ll be fitting and picturing our entries for the Ohio Showcase Tunis Sale and wishing that we would be seeing our “sheep friends” in the next couple of weeks. It’s also bittersweet knowing that we won’t be coming home with any sheep for FFA members as uncertainty still looms around this fall’s show season. We’re just hopeful that things will settle in the upcoming months and that we’ll all have the chance to gather again soon.

-Peyton

Being spectators

When we started our sheep venture in 2015 one thing that was important to us was to raise quality stock that would be competitive on all levels. With both of us growing up showing livestock we knew that we'd want our kids to one day be able to show as well and we wanted them to be able to be competitive at any level with raised lambs. Showing sheep has proven to be vital to marketing our lambs, but this year has been a bit different... with the arrival of Neely in December we have had to cut back on our shows and therefore we decided to not show at NAILE this year. We decided that we would be spectators for 2018. We enjoyed our time at the 2018 NAILE visiting old friends and making new ones, and can't wait till this little girl is on the green shavings herself! We'll see ya in 2019 NAILE!

Finally Finished Lambing!

Our last ewe to lamb this spring lambed last Friday and brought an end to the spring lambing season. Be sure to watch our website, facebook, and blog in the upcoming weeks for pictures and sale information!

Winter Weather

As we have are getting close to lambing we are sitting up the barn and stocking up on supplies. This week we have been hit with our first bout of winter weather for the season. Yesterday the temperatures dipped down into the negatives and the windchill's were well below zero. Even at 8 o'clock this morning the temperature was 1. 

It's just pretty unheard of for us to have these type of temps. We are really equipped to dealing with them; our barns and equipment just are set up to handle temps in this range for an extended period of time. Here's to hoping it warms up soon, at least above freezing. 

Neely Rhea Fair

On Christmas Day Peyton and I welcomed our daughter, Neely, into the world. Neely will be the 5th generation of our family to be raised on our farm. We are thankful for our little Christmas blessing and excited begin our life as a family of three.

-Jeremy

Delta Fair - Memphis TN

We had a great couple of days at the Delta Fair in Memphis.

Our yearling ewe, Jet 1612, was 2nd in class
Our Feburary ewe lamb, TriStar 1701, was 1st in class
Our March ewe lamb, TriStar 1704, was 2nd in class

Our February ewe lamb, TriStar 1701, went on to be named Champion Tunis Ewe. Then was selected by judges Trent Nichols and Preston Forsee as the Supreme Champion Ewe!

We are excited to see how these ewe lambs continue to preform at Arkansas State Fair and NAILE.

Huge thanks to Dick Reese and the Purple Ribbon Farms crew on their help in and out of the show ring. 

Prep for National Tunis Show @ Missouri State Fair

We are getting ready for the 2017 National Tunis Show at the Missouri State Fair next week in Sedalia, MO.