Looking back, I see that I have been ignoring a valuable component of the Glasbern farm community: the sheep. If you have been lucky enough to get a close look at the flock that roves the rolling hills of the farm, you may have noticed that the sheep at the Glasbern differ from most. They are “hair sheep” (rather than wool sheep) known as Katahdins, bred near Mt. Katahdin in Maine specifically for grass-based meat production. The advantage of this breed: no shearing is necessary. They grow thick winter coats that are shed naturally as the weather warms in spring. They are also exceptionally fine mothers, having a protective nature and the ability to produce plenty of milk. It’s easy to see why this adaptable, low-maintenance breed is uniquely suited to the rotational grazing system that the farm is fostering. Although Teardrop, the Great Pyrenees pup assigned to guard the flock, keeps passersby from getting more than a momentary glance at her charges, she remains true to the fabled history of her breed by noisily defending the sheep from anything that might be construed as a threat. That includes you and me.

The primary difference between hair sheep and wooled sheep is the ratio of hair to wool fibers. All sheep have both hair and wool, but hair sheep have more hair fibers and wool sheep have more wool fibers. What’s the difference, you might ask? Wool has a waviness, or “crimp,” that allows the fibers to be spun easily into fine elastic yarns. It is also covered with thousands of overlapping microscopic scales, which makes the fibers cling together. Hair (called kemp in sheep) has few scales and no crimp and will not bind together like wool. In our modern times of cheap synthetics, the cost of shearing can be as much or more than the value of the wool.

Not only are hair sheep valued for their easygoing natures, but they are resistant to internal parasites. This natural resistance, plus the constant moving from pasture to pasture, keeps the Glasbern Katahdins naturally healthy.

And of course it goes without saying– grass-fed lamb has a smooth, mild, and honestly excellent taste.