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Robin Lynde's sheep produce wool that's highly sought after in local markets.
Nice to meet you, Jacob The Jacob sheep is not your
stereotypical “Mary-had-a-little- lamb” sheep. It’s a breed with roots in England, going back to at least the 17th century. “They’re a little different than what most people think of when they think of sheep,” she said. “They’re still sheep, but they have spots and they have horns.” Why did she go for what she said is considered “a primitive breed”? “I raise themprimarily because I like the wool,” she said. “I sell the wool and the wool products.”
Ewe oughta know Many warm blankets get their start on a Robin Lynde sheep
Story by Kevin Hecteman • Photo by Paolo Vescia
In the valley near Vacaville is a sheep farm that’s essentially a textile version of farm-to-fork. Rancher Robin Lynde raises Jacob sheep, a breed with “piebald” coloring—that is, dark with white spots. That yields spotted wool, which Lynde sells to an eager flock of customers through a number of products—from fleeces to fully woven blankets. (Want to take up weaving? Lynde’s farm, Meridian Jacobs, offers classes; these are slowly resuming after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a suspension of in-person gatherings.) There’s no such thing as a “regular day” in Lynde’s world. “Every morning,” she said, “it’s like waking up to Christmas and seeing what’s there this morning.” Lynde’s flock has about 80 animals at any given time. Sheep have one thing in common with canines: their ages’ rough equivalent in human years. “A teenage dog is getting old, and a teenage sheep is pretty old,” Lynde said. Some of themiddle-aged sheep will go on to help other people start their own flocks, she said, because they’re less expensive than lambs.
Chow time Lynde’s flocks feast on pasture during the summer. When ewes are close to giving birth, the farmer needs towatch their diet. Lambs grow themost in the last sixweeks of pregnancy. “It’s important to have good-quality hay, make sure they have hay and food available all the time,” Lynde said. “You want tomake sure that they’re getting enough nutrition and certainly, as they lamb, then the demand for feed increases evenmore, especially if they’re nursing twins.”
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January/February 2022
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