The Rural Voice, 2000-08, Page 26Green Arch
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22 THE RURAL VOICE
plants know their customers and they
know what they want."
When the sheep are in the pasture
at the front of the farm they often ger
visitors dropping in on. weekends
wanting to buy a Iamb. They've
never developed a freezer trade,
however. "The people you know you
can't force yourself to charge the
price you'd get sending the Iamb to
Cookstown, plus cutting and
wrapping." says Doris.
The general stability of prices in
the past five years has helped their
farm, says Doris. "You can kind of
plan on an income. We hear other
people who got out five or six years
ago and they're wishing they had
stuck it out."
Stable prices had allowed them
to make a larger investment in
improving their market lambs
in the past few years, buying quality
rams to cross -breed their Dorset
ewes. They've added rams from.
some of the legendary western
Ontario breeders: names like Geddes,
Renwick and Pullen. As well they've
added rams of less familiar breeds
like Texel and Charollais. Texel
provides more muscling on the rear
end of the lambs. The attraction of
Charollais is the tighter fleece on the
Iambs that buyers like.
"We try not to skimp on rams,"
says Doris. "You know the money
these breeders have invested in their
flocks so you don't begrudge them.
You know they're good animals and
they'll perform for you."
One of the pleasant aspects of the
sheep business is that the long
established producers don't mind
helping serious newcomers who look
like they'll stay in the business,
Murray adds.
Murray and several other large
producers have joined together in a
Modern Sheep Management club to
share information and bring in
speakers they want to hear. Those
with larger flocks have different
needs than those with small flocks,
Doris points out.
As they look to expand, land base
becomes a question. Currently they
own 200 acres and rent 50, cash
cropping about 45 acres. Whether
they buy more land or just buy in
feed is a difficult decision, Murray
says. "The price of land around here,
whether sheep would pay for it is