sheepskins. In about a week, the lamb is cut, packaged and ready for pick-up. Wool mills for producing
roving and yarn from out raw fleeces are all over the
country. Currently we utilize 2 larger mills in Michigan as they have a short turnaround time.
tional demands of late gestation and early lactation. This is also why we don’t need to flush the ewes
before breeding season. The organic grains we feed
are purchased from a mill that is only a few miles
away. They also bring in the certified organic minerals and salt we purchase. The amount of grain we
use is re-calculated each year according to our hay’s
nutritional analysis.
What kind of facilities do you have at the farm?
We have a large run-in shed barn with one side for
sheep and the other for our horses. Each measures
25 x 30´ (7,5 m x 9 m) with one side open toward the
east to protect the livestock from the worst of our
storms. Our run-in shed has a small hayloft where we can store small square bales of hay and straw.
The bulk of our forage is fed in large format square
bales which are stored in a roll off dumpster nearby
the barn. The rams and miniature horses and donkeys each have a run-in shed in the barnyard. We
have a small handling chute that we use to sort and
treat the sheep. We also use a lot of electronet fencing to help rotate the flock frequently to new grazing areas while minimizing the parasite exposure
during the summer.
How do you secure the feed for your flock?
We are fortunate to live in an area where hay and
grain are abundant so we purchase in the fall to feed
through the winter. The grass hay which makes up
much of the flock's diet is locally grown (less than 5
miles from the farm). However, western states grown alfalfa forage is some of the best in the world and
this year, we will likely be purchasing some of that
for our lactating ewes. Feeding high quality forage
meets much of the ewes nutritional demands and so
we do not need to supplement with expensive concentrates like barley and oats during peak nutri-
Do you see yourselves expanding your farm to
meet the raised demand, or are you content
with the situation on the farm as it is?
There is a lot demand for our products so we could
expand our business. However, we would also have to increase the size of our sheds and that would
mean a large capital improvement and likely additional labor. Rather than do that, we work to improve
the quality of the product we have as well as marketing it better. By doing those things we do not have
to increase quantity of animals but can realize higher profits. Right now, the farm is a profitable business, but we have other investments as well to back
it up on a bad year. We are very happy with the farm.
The Point of View Farm is the exception to the rule
of “bigger is better”. Their clever use of all Finnsheep
products coupled with successful marketing has
made it possible for them to tackle multiple markets
simultaneously. In their opinion, this is possible because of the dual-purpose nature of the Finnsheep
breed. Their farm might set an example in Finland,
as well.
For more information on the Point of View Farm, visit
www.pointofviewfarm.net.
Apusanasto
practical period
breeding
heritage breed
fiber
spinner
docking
genetic diversity
word of mouth
lamb processor for butcher
wool mill
turnaround time
run-in shed
large format square bale
electronet fencing
handling chute
parasite
alfalfa
concentrates
nutritional analysis
harjoittelujakso
jalostus-, siitosperinnerotu
villa
kehrääjä
typistäminen
geneettinen monimuotoisuus
puskaradio
teurastamo
kehräämö
tuotteen palautusaika
kolmi-seinäinen eläinsuoja
kanttipaali
kevyt, siirrettävä sähköaita
”ränni”, matala-seinäinen hoitokäytävä
loinen
sinimailanen
väkirehut
rehuanalyysi
Meijän luvalla 2013