Caroline Ranch Organic Lamb Farm
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 02.28.06
Who knew that livestock made such a fascinating tourist diversion? After eating a yummy organic breakfast at Boulder Montana's Boulder Hot Springs, Nick Aster and I noticed that Caroline Ranch, an organic lamb farm, was one of the hotel's sources. We thought it would be cool to meet happy, local sheep, so set up an appointment with owner Karalee Bancroft. Maybe we'd pet some fluffy ewes and dawdle? No. For two hours, Karalee blew us away with her expertise and hard-core devotion to real organic standards, small farmers, and local food sourcing. She may be one of the most dedicated people I've ever met. Though I've never eaten a lamb on purpose (they're cute! they're young!), I would nibble on a Caroline Ranch shank. She gave us way too many morsels for one measly post, so we'll gradually dole them out and follow her leads over the next couple of weeks. Keep reading for more about Caroline Ranch and more pics.
Karalee left a marketing and publishing career in Chicago for idyllic Boulder in 1989, where she settled on 140 acres with her mother, daughter and son-in-law. Her mother has passed, and the modern day homestead now houses four grandchildren, around 13 ewes, a ram, a peacock, chickens, turkeys, two friendly guard dogs, and multiple cats.
Not your garden variety back-to-the-lander, Karalee stumbled into growing organic produce after leaving her old life without a firm plan, but eventually found it difficult to do more than break even. Livestock seemed like a better bet. Her sheep are just about as free range as it gets, with a feeding paddock and about 100 frolicking acres. She looks at the sheep as animals, not commodities, and thus breeds them when it makes sense (rather than in time to make them fattest for market), gives them the space and nutrition to stay naturally healthy, and sheers them when it's best. Culling time is somewhat difficult, but knowing what carefree lives they've lived makes it easier. Since they're about a year old when they go off to slaughter, they're more like teenagers than babies, which makes the process a little less emotional.
Karalee serves on the board of the Montana Organic Association and also acts as a sales representative for other growers who measure up to her standards. The Caroline News letter to her customers is a wealth of information and reveals her dedication to consumer education. Lamb farming isn't lucrative, but providing an example of responsible organic farming feels like what she's "supposed to be" doing. We will use the information she's gathered to discuss the meaning of organic, free range, grass fed and natural, pasture raised, and antibiotic- and hormone- free over the next few weeks. Stay tuned! I fancy myself fairly aware and learned more than I ever thought I could in two hours. Photos by Nick Aster. ::
Organic lamb farm...I just can't get past how absurd it sounds. Poor baby lambs. :(
organic lamb farm doesn't make sense to me. whould it make a big difference to you, if killer treats his victims better before he murders them?
Yeah, J.R., it must be horrible to have a life full of natural food and clean living only to eventually die... Oh wait, that sounds like the path I'm on.
Get past it.
"Yeah, J.R., it must be horrible to have a life full of natural food and clean living only to eventually die... Oh wait, that sounds like the path I'm on."
The difference is that by definition a lamb is a baby. Your path seems to be different, unless you are a child prodigee.
Humans are carnivores. That's just the way of things. Accepting that, the only saving grace we have is that, unlike every other carnivore in the biosphere, we are capable of respect, compassion, and kindness to our prey, and even mercy when... ooh look, a bag of potato chips...
Andrew, I propose that you read this:
Are Humans Carnivores or Herbivores?.
Fact is, if you think about it, it is only humans' freakish intelligence that allowed them to eat meat. Without the use of tools (weapons) and fire (to cook), we wouldn't go very far. Have you tried to catch and kill something with your bare hands lately and eat the raw meat without getting sick?
As I mentioned in the post, I haven't been an eater of lamb and so understand all the lambivalence (sorry -- couldn't resist). I always pictured baby lambs and that was a deterrant. At Caroline's Ranch, however, the lambs go off to slaughter when they're about a year old (some producers breed ewes at this age). Customers have the option of coming to the ranch and killing the lambs themselves. My perspective is that whether it's right or wrong to eat animals, people do. If they're going to be raised for food, I would rather that they live healthily, happily, and with little impact while they're here.
As I mentioned in the post, I haven't been an eater of lamb and so understand all the lambivalence (sorry -- couldn't resist). I always pictured baby lambs and that was a deterrant. At Caroline's Ranch, however, the lambs go off to slaughter when they're about a year old (some producers breed ewes at this age). Customers have the option of coming to the ranch and killing the lambs themselves. My perspective is that whether it's right or wrong to eat animals, people do. If they're going to be raised for food, I would rather that they live healthily, happily, and with little impact while they're here.
MGR: I read it, ant it's pretty weak. In fact, in many places its just outright wrong. Incidentally, you cited our 'freakish' intelligence as allowing us to eat meat. You've actually got your cart before the horse on that one; we developed large brains because we were able to get the necessary proteins from a diet rich in meat. The reason we moved out of the trees and onto the savannah was to chase big game herds. Look at the diet of any other primate family, and you'll see that the higher order of primates all have meat in their diet.
Granted... we don't need so much that we have to have huge factory farms to supply everyone with a half pound angus burger a day...
Wow. As a resident of North Dakota, we've been often criticized for our "provincial", "rural" way of thinking, but we have our good points too.
I've always found it amusing the sorts of bias and prejudice that urban-thinking seems to produce. Yet, it seems that many city dwellers are blissfully unaware of their own bias and prejudice towards rural people. This article is an example of that.
Just you try to eat well and healthy in rural areas without access to organic, exotic produce flown in from all over the world. You have a luxury that rural people do not have. Don't hold it against us.
Besides, organic lamb chops never tastes good! Yum! ;-)
Sam I Am, I'm not quite understanding how the article shows prejudice against rural people. Karalee is a rural-living rancher who emphasizes eating local, organic food.
My appologies, I meant to refer to the posts against eating meat, and against ranching/farming in general - not the article itself.
Thanks for the clarification, Sam I Am. I can see both sides of it since I grew up in a rural area but then became a vegetarian for a long stretch. My cattle ranching grandparents were mortified!