Icelandic sheep are a primitive, unimproved breed of sheep.   They were brought to Iceland about 1000 years ago from Northern Europe where they have been isolated from cross-breeding or otherwise working to "improve" the breed to commercial standards. Their primitive breed characteristics make them smaller in size, naturally short tailed, slightly wild and leery, and independent relative to commercial breeds of sheep.  They are natural foragers that happily eat a variety of vegetation and do not need to be grain fed. This makes the meat leaner, lower in natural fat content, and high in Omega-3 fatty acids and iron.   

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It is our farm policy that we do not routinely sell breeding stock. Why?  We raise our animals for meat, hides, and skulls.  We believe in using all parts of the animals including internal organs and even blood. Animals that are unfit for human consumption (die of natural causes or are at an advanced age) will feed our herding dogs. It is our belief that selling breeding stock comes with the responsibility of mentoring other shepherds and we are not capable of doing that with consistency.  

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With humility, we believe our policy of raising animals from birth and shepherding them through death here on our farm provides our customers with the most ethically sourced meat available for sale in the US today.  Our meat is sold as "custom exempt" and slaughtered by a qualified processor on our farm then butchered in a USDA inspected facility.  Our animals are never sold at auction or trucked to a USDA slaughter facility (a USDA requirement of selling meat by the cut, whether bought in a grocery store, farmers market, or farm direct).  I personally oversee the death and slaughter of each and every animal that dies on this farm.  I view this as an act of compassion and commitment to the well-being of my animals.  

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There are some terrific breeders of quality breeding stock in our region.   Their animals are worth the prices they ask.