head . “ And I ’ m just stupid enough to pick up the hardest thing in the world .”
But he wasn ’ t about to shed the title sheep farmer . He ’ d come to like the idea of raising sheep , despite its challenges . It was no longer about a tax break . “ I ’ ll tell you , it is the most maddening , frustrating , heartbreaking , rewarding thing I ’ ve ever done in my life . You get your sheep , they ’ re looking well , and then they just die ,” he shakes his head . “ And for some reason I take it so personally , like I failed . But , still , I wanted to stick with it .”
So he researched , signed up for the National Sheep Improvement Program , and learned , among a slew of other tips , that it ’ s best to just get rid of the weakest sheep , those that are susceptible to worms and other disease , and hold onto the strongest . “ These days , if a sheep looks at me wrong , I ’ m taking it off my place .” It ’ s worked . Today , fifteen years after he lost his entire first flock , Allen has 100 ewes and four rams . “ This year I ’ ve had a
The Goose Creek Friends graveyard in the Village of Lincoln .
zero death loss , and not one sheep needs worming ,” he beams .
As the flock grew over the years , so did the need for more pasture . It ’ s all about getting the sheep enough grass , the farmer advises . So he rented two pastures , one on the southeast side of Lincoln : the original homestead of Quaker Hannah Janney , and another 10 acres on Barbara Baroody ’ s place , called Creek Crossing . When the sheep have done a number on one pasture , the farmer moves his flock to the next , and so on , until they ’ ve hit each pasture once before the end of the year .
For years , he ’ d load up the
reluctant ewes into trailers and take several trips to deliver them to a fresh field , a process that took five hours by the time it was all said and done . It was late January when he thought of a better idea . His ewes were pregnant , carrying swollen bellies and thick wool . It would take all day , plus a team of generous friends and relatives , to load up the ewes .
“ So I thought , well shit , I can walk them home in an hour . So I told my dad , ‘ I think I ’ m going to walk ’ em home .’” “ Are you kidding me ? “ Sure , let ’ s try it .” So they got up early the next day and , just as the sunrise hit Lincoln , Allen opened up the gate at Creek Crossing to free his flock . The jittery ewes , followed by their shepherd and two dogs having too much fun on the job , steadily made their way down Chappelle Hill Road to Lincoln Road , then Sands Road .
“ We just marched right up through town and went home ,” Allen said .
The bleating march quickly became routine for the flock and the pair of pups , but it ’ s still far from routine for the dwellers of Lincoln . When word spreads
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