MEET OUR NEW SHEEP!

Years ago, I was scrolling through Instagram and stumbled upon an enchanting scene that stopped me in my tracks. Grazing in a bucolic landscape were sheep with bright white wooly coats and sweet faces as dark as night.

I was instantly captivated. A glance at the caption revealed their breed—Valais Blacknose Sheep—and from that moment, I knew we had to bring them into our family. Little did I know this instant affection would spark a nearly ten-year journey to find some of our own, as these unique sheep are not easily sourced!

I am thrilled to announce that the decade-long search finally came to an end last week when three sweet sheep trotted off a trailer onto the grounds of Patina Meadow. 

Their arrival at our farm was thanks to Blacklion Vodka, a rare sheep milk vodka brand based out of the Cotswolds in England. We were first connected with Tim and Tan Spittle, the kind owners of Blacklion, last month through our friends and beekeepers Steven Abernathy and Claire Papavies. They had attended a tasting event starring their vodka, and after chatting with them, discovered the Spittles would be selling a few offspring of their flock in a few weeks. We hopped on a call with Tim & Tanya, and before we knew it, three of their adorable lambs were ours!

With the help of our new friend and fellow Valais Black Nose sheep parent, Christie Craig, our flock — Shania, Dolly, & Shelby — made it safely to our farm. 

They happily sauntered off their transport and made a direct line to the adjacent grassy hillside. I felt like I needed to pinch myself a few times to ensure that I wasn’t dreaming. They looked as if they had stepped out of a storybook, it was hard to believe they were real. As they nibbled on the greenery, Christie gave me tips on how to handle them, including with my new shepherd crook. I felt just like Little Bo Peep! 

The past two weeks with them have been wonderful. Every morning, I go to the barn and greet them and our other animals. I pet their soft wool while they eat their breakfast.

I then break off ginger snap cookies as a sweet treat to ensure they love me most (kidding…kind of.) 

They happily share a pasture with our five darling Nigerian dwarf goats - Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Dill, & Basil during the day. Watching them prance back and forth between the barn and their pasture provides endless entertainment. 

Once they are a bit older, we plan to breed them to grow our flock, so stay tuned for the cutest little lambs you have ever seen!

I hope you enjoyed meeting our new sheep today! If you want to meet a Valais Blacknose Sheep and taste the delicious vodka Blacklion makes from their milk, join us at our Patina Homes & Gardens Book Celebration at our shop in Leiper's Fork on November 15th! We hope to see you there.

Until then, Shania, Dolly, Shelby, and I wish you a very happy day!

xx,

Brooke