Serving our community through responsible,
sustainable stewardship
LEICESTER LONGWOOLS
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As a member of the Leicester Longwool Sheep Breeders Association, we are part of a small number of breeders in the United States dedicated to preserving this rare breed of sheep. The breed was kept in North America during colonial times but due to out crossing, it disappeared and in 1914 it appeared there was not a single purebred Leicester in the USA. Thanks to efforts by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a small flock of Leicester Longwool sheep were imported to Williamsburg in 1990. Because of dedicated breeders, the Livestock Conservancy only recently removed Leicesters from the critically endangered list, although they still remain threatened as a breed.
Our current flock of Leicester Longwools numbers right at 20 animals, including white, black, and English Blue colors. We are very proud to be a part of preserving this unique breed of shiny wooled sheep and occasionally may have registered breeding stock available for sale. For additional information about Leicester Longwool sheep:
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TUNIS SHEEP
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The name Tunis is a reflection on the North African origins of the North American Tunis sheep. Tunis are affectionately called "red heads" due to their coloring. They are an ancient fat tailed breed known for their heat tolerance and resistance to parasites. This made the breed a perfect fit for the climate of the southern USA. The breed was almost entirely lost during the Civil War but conservation efforts have helped this once endangered breed to rebound such that it was moved from the Livestock Conservancy's rare list to the watch list. Tunis are dual purpose sheep, producing a lovely light & spongy fiber, as well as award winning meat.
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Our Tunis flock is taking a backseat at the moment as far as breeding but we still maintain a few purebred animals. We can't imagine the farm without our beautiful read heads! For additional information about this lovely breed:
Beltsville Small White Turkeys
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Spring 2018 we were afforded a unique opportunity to acquire some of these very rare turkeys. We were able to purchase 8 unsexed poults and lucky enough to have 2 toms and 6 hens. One tom and three hens were sold to a farmer who was also interested in conserving this breed and we kept the other tom and 3 hens. The hens have just recently started to lay eggs (September 2018) and we are hopeful that we will be able to raise poults in Spring 2019 and add new genetics to our flock from other breeders. We are one of only a few farmers in North Carolina with true Beltsville Small White turkeys. They are great birds, wonderful foragers, and curious...to a fault. Because they enjoy free ranging long distances without concern for their rarity, we have to keep a tight watch on them.
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For more information about this unique and rare breed, visit
https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/beltsville
Bourbon Red Turkeys
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A visit to the farm is a guarantee that you will meet Tomas, our Bourbon Red tom. His girlfriend, Coco, will not likely make an appearance on her own but you will hear her from the chicken coop shouting a warning that strangers are about. Coco & Tomas have attempted to set eggs several times with no success, unfortunately. At the moment we are re-evaluating our plans for a conservation flock of Bourbon Red (which is why we have not added to this pair). Whether we decide to add more Bourbons or not, this heritage breed turkey is wonderful to have on the farm & has an interesting history:
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https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/bourbonred