mmmarasheep1Grazing in the Green Mountain Valley of Wallingford, Vermont is a flock of sheep with long, lustrous locks of various shades. When they amble around, you can hear the melodious sound of bells. Marble Meadows is owned and operated by Rob and Sue Carey and their daughter Mara.

We first started raising sheep to clear a rocky pasture in back of our house. It was steep and hard to mow, so sheep were the perfect answer. Initially, we only kept sheep during the summer months; but, when Mara was 8, she started asking about keeping sheep over the winter and raising lambs. This was a big step for Rob and me. We have outside jobs and two children. The addition of taking care of sheep seemed rather daunting. So we made a deal with Mara. If she could feed and water the sheep during the summer, we get her breeding stock the next year. Mara showed her resolve and was very diligent in caring for the sheep.

mmsheep1That was 10 years ago. Now we have a flock of Cotswold and Cotswold cross sheep. From traveling across country to buy sheep to showing at county and state fairs, it has been quite an adventure. Along the way we have worked hard to ensure that the flock has stayed healthy and safe. We have experienced the joys of newborn lambs and the sadness of an occasional death. We have made many friends through 4-H and RALWP. Raising sheep is definitely worthwhile and we would recommend it to anybody who has the interest, time, and energy to commit to it.

For purchasing products:  marblemeadows.etsy.com