Summer newsletter

regenerative grazing at full speed!

Aug 01, 2026

I meant to write a summer solstice newsletter but things have just been runnin’ wide open and here it is already August.

A few quick news briefs and a bunch of photos from the past couple of months…

Duck eggs!

Our flock of ducks numbers close to 60 birds now and the main group of young birds are settling into regular laying. We’ve got duck eggs by the half or whole dozen and they are fantastic.

Come get ‘em on the farm, at the Hickory Saturday Farmers’ Market, from Saunders & Sons Grocery near Statesville, or Sixteen West Grocery in Denver NC.

Our ladyducks were thrilled to offer their eggs to nourish attendees of the recent SE Regional Permaculture conference at the Patterson School Foundation!

Merguez!

We have begun offering a new lamb product and it is a big hit! Merguez sausage links:

Merguez is a traditional North African (Moroccan) spiced sausage. The first 50 lb batch sold out in about four market Saturdays. These are so popular they’re hard to keep in stock but we’ll try - more on the way soon!

The Merguez has done so well I am planning to try other ethnic sausages. Next up - Cajun Andouille, or as I call it, Lambdouille.

Texels! Katahdins! and Hamps! Oh my!

In July we welcomed six new sheep into our family courtesy of our friends Brian and Cindy at Winged Elm Farm in Tennessee. (Brian is the author of a fantastic collection of agrarian essays published in book form, Kayaking With Lambs. Recommended reading!)

I brought home a Hampshire/Dorset cross ewe, and five Texels or Texel-Katahdin crosses, including a young registered Texel breeding ram.

Dolly, the Hampshire/Dorset mama.

Texels are THICCC, yall!!! This is gonna be a huge boost to our meat production. For being so big they are very friendly and gentle (thank goodness).