Small Producers of Small Lambs

You may be wondering why I decided on the title Montana Small Lamb Producers. Well, that's exactly what we are. We are a small group of mostly women who are raising small breeds, like Shetlands. Shetlands do not physically mature until they are 2 years old and therein lies the problem. It's just not economically feasible to keep lambs that long unless they are for breeding stock. Each year we are faced with a surplus of small lambs to sell and no (or a small) market for them. Shetland is not the only breed we raise and almost all are cross bred with something else. We are here to tell you the benefits of eating fresh, local lamb, purchased directly from the farmer and to try to dispell a few myths.
We think their size is perfect. They are perfect for us because we can handle them ourselves. Most of us are also fiber producers, so our lambs are very well taken care of in order to insure a lovely fleece. It benefits the lamb and the producer. The fleece and the meat are premium. Their small size is perfect for 1 or 2 people, especially if you only have a small freezer (like the one above your fridge).
The added benefit, and the reason most of us have them in the first place, is their fiber. We sell that too! Hand spinners and those who sew LOVE our fleeces, roving, quilts batts, etc. Our main push is to BUY LOCAL!
Did you know different breeds of sheep have different flavors? Just because you've tried lamb once and didn't like it doesn't mean you'll hate every cut of lamb out there. Shetland is a very mild lamb. After eating my lamb, I've had people tell me, "That's how lamb is SUPPOSED to taste!" Great compliment! I've also had people tell me they hated lamb until they tasted mine.
Lamb is lamb until it's 12 months old. After that it's considered mutton. With that being said, I've eaten my own lamb after 12 months old and age doesn't affect the flavor of a Shetland, unless it's a ram. We've all had those comments like, "Lamb? They're so cute! How could you possibly eat them?" Well, once they are about a year old, and you have A LOT of them and their purpose is to go in the freezer, it's easy.
My lambs & sheep are entirely grass fed. They are on pasture from May until October. After that they are fed alfalfa that is grown right here. I could go on about the benefits of grass-fed lamb, but I will save that for another post.
I do want to say, if you're buying lamb at Costco, you're buying New Zealand lamb. Think about the miles that lamb has to travel to get to your plate! Do you know the farmer who raised it? Do you know what it was fed?
BUY AMERICAN LAMB or better yet, BUY LOCAL LAMB!