Buttermilk: Old Fashioned vs Cultured - What's the Real Difference?
Learn the real difference between old fashioned buttermilk from butter-making and cultured buttermilk. Includes how to make both, storage tips, and when to use each type in your homestead kitchen.
The First Question I Ask Every Potential Sheep Buyer (And How Your Answer Changes Everything)
Before buying dairy sheep, ask yourself this crucial question. Learn how your goals determine which sheep is right for you—from milk production to experience level to lifestyle needs. A breeder's honest guide.
Holiday Gift Guide: Cheesemaking Books
Discover the best cheesemaking books for dairy sheep homesteaders! From beginner guides to advanced natural cheesemaking, plus free resources. Perfect holiday gift ideas.
Easy Roasted Lamb Belly Recipe with Homemade Noodles
Learn how to cook lamb belly with this easy roasted recipe! This underutilized cut becomes incredibly tender and flavorful when cooked properly. This was a hit with my family!
Body Condition Scoring Sheep
Learn how to body condition score sheep for breeding season success. Step-by-step guide to scoring ewes and rams, target BCS numbers, and why it matters for lambing.
Homemade Chocolate Syrup Recipe
Learn how to make homemade chocolate syrup with just 5 simple ingredients! This easy recipe takes 10 minutes and tastes better than store-bought. Perfect for chocolate milk!
Surviving the Dry Season: A Dairy Shepherd's Guide to Life Without Fresh Sheep Milk
If you've recently dried off your dairy ewes (or are about to), you might be experiencing a mix of emotions. Relief at having a break from the demanding milking routine, but also a bit of sadness knowing you won't have that incredible fresh sheep milk for a while. Trust me—I get it!
Drying Off Your Dairy Ewes: A Simple, Practical Guide
Drying off your dairy ewes might seem straightforward, but the timing and approach can make a big difference in their health, body condition, and milk production in the following lactation. Here's how I handle the dry-off period on my farm, along with the reasoning behind my approach.
What does sheep milk taste like?
I have a lot of people visit my farm interested in trying sheep milk. I don't blame them—I wanted to know what it tasted like too when I first became interested in dairy sheep.
Impress Your Family: Homemade Asiago Cheese
If you have been struggling to make a cheese that your family actually likes — give Asiago a try. This cheese got big thumbs up from all three of my kids (including a picky 3 year old) and my husband.
Preparing Your Sheep for Breeding Season: A Practical Guide for the Homestead
Learn how to prepare your sheep for breeding season with step-by-step tips on nutrition, flushing, ram care, and flock management for healthier lambs.
How to Care for Your Ram Year-Round
Caring for your ram is a simple, yet important job—because he accounts for 50% of the genetics in your flock. The quality of your ram will influence not only the health and productivity of your lamb crop, but also the long-term future of your flock.
The Importance of a Good Ram for your Flock
Shepherds often say, “The ram is half the flock.” It may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s the truth. Every lamb born carries 50% of his genetics, which means a single ram has the power to shape the future of your flock for years to come.
Why Dairy Sheep? The Best-Kept Secret in Homestead Dairying
When most people imagine a homestead dairy animal, they usually think of a cow. Some picture goats. But what about sheep?
Frozen Clabber: Our Favorite Old Fashioned Summer Treat
Learn how to make frozen clabber, a tangy old-fashioned frozen yogurt made from raw milk. A simple, probiotic-rich summer treat straight from the homestead!
Parmesan Cheese from Skim Milk
A Traditional Hard Cheese from What Many Consider a Waste Product
How to Make Butter from Sheep Milk (Step-by-Step Guide)
Yes, you can make butter from sheep milk! It’s rich, creamy, snow-white, and just a little softer than cow’s butter—perfect for spreading or baking. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how we make butter from our own sheep milk here on the farm.
Sheep Milk Guido’s Cheese: A Quick-Ripening Italian Delight
Guido’s Cheese is a mild, Italian-inspired cheese that’s ready in just three short weeks. It was highly recommended to me by another dairy shepherdess. It’s a great choice for those new to aged cheeses or anyone looking for a faster payoff from their home cheesemaking efforts.
🧀 Bel Paese Cheese from Sheep Milk: An Encouraging Guide for Beginner Cheesemakers
Step-by-step guide to making Bel Paese cheese with sheep milk—plus encouragement for beginners and tips from a real homestead cheesemaker.
The Most Important Thing You Can Do for Your Sheep’s Health
If I could give just one piece of advice to anyone raising sheep—whether you’re a brand-new shepherd or adding sheep to your homestead—it would be this:
Observe them. Every day. On purpose.
Download The Top 5 Farm Activities Kids Love Most!
Make the most of your farmstay with these hands-on experiences your whole family will remember.