Fresh Grass and Farm Projects
Hello everyone,
Summer has arrived in earnest here at Lucky Dog Farm, and with it comes that wonderful mix of excitement, exhaustion, and momentum that defines this season on the farm. Every year I forget just how much can happen all at once when the grass starts growing.
The sheep are officially out on pasture now, which feels like a milestone worth celebrating every single year. There’s nothing quite like opening the gate and watching them pour out onto fresh grass, heads down immediately, tails wagging, lambs bouncing in every direction. After a long winter of feeding hay and staring at snowbanks, green pasture feels like freedom for all of us. I bring them back to the barn most nights to protect them from coyotes or other predators, unless they’re being pastured right by the house. A nice walk for me, and work for the dogs.
Of course, grazing season also means fence season.
A good portion of my days lately has been spent moving electric netting from paddock to paddock. Intensive rotational grazing sounds wonderfully sophisticated until you realize it mostly means hauling fence, untangling rolls of netting, and trying to convince sheep that the grass really is greener on the other side. Still, it’s one of the most important management tools I have. Frequent moves keep the pasture healthier, spread fertility more evenly, and help keep parasite pressure down. The sheep certainly approve of the arrangement; they know the sight of me carrying rolls of fence means fresh salad is on the way.
Speaking of infrastructure projects, I’ve also been working on building a proper handling system for the flock. For years, most sheep work here has relied on portable panels, improvisation, and a certain amount of stubborn optimism. It worked… mostly. But as the flock has grown, it became clear that a better setup would save time, stress, and probably a few bruises too.
So lately there’s been a lot of measuring, sketching, hauling panels, and rethinking gate placement. The goal is a system that works efficiently for both sheep and shepherd, especially since most of the time I’m working solo. Good livestock handling isn’t about force; it’s about flow. Sheep move best when the setup makes sense to them, and I’m hoping this new system will make everything from sorting lambs to loading trailers a whole lot smoother.
Meanwhile, the pastures themselves got some much-needed attention this week as a contractor came in to spread lime and fertilizer. Improving rough ground is a long game here, but every year the fields get a little better. Healthier soil means healthier forage, which means healthier sheep. Grazing animals are really just part of a much larger cycle that starts beneath our feet. It’s easy to focus on the sheep because they’re the visible, charismatic part of the operation, but good pasture management is the foundation of everything else we do. I try to remember that I’m not a sheep farmer, I’m a grass farmer—better grass means better sheep, in every way.
And finally, perhaps my most exciting “grown-up farm purchase” of late: a livestock scale.
I’ve wanted one for years, and I finally took the plunge. I was scrolling through social media when I found one for sale, and it just happened to be the woman from whom I bought my first Dorpers who was selling it. Up until now, I’ve relied mostly on weight tapes and educated guesses. I’ll tell you what, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried to use a weight tape on a wriggling lamb or a truly obstreperous ewe. Having a scale on the farm is going to be a game changer. Accurate weights help me track lamb growth, make better breeding and feeding decisions, monitor animal health, and market lambs more effectively. Plus, I’ll admit there’s a certain satisfaction in replacing “Hmm… he feels about 90 pounds?” with actual data.
So that’s summer at Lucky Dog Farm right now: green grass, muddy boots, moving fence, building infrastructure, improving soil, and trying to stay one step ahead of a flock of very hungry sheep. It’s busy in the best possible way. Exhausting, yes—but also deeply satisfying.
This is the season where everything begins again.
Happy summer,
Farmer Judith