Scaling Sheep Production: Farmer Panel

Increasing numbers of New England farms steward sheep, but there is not much of a recent local history with these animals and thus not a shared culture of best practices. Many of us have just made it up as we built our farms, and things you can get away with a few sheep do not necessarily work well with a larger flock. We will talk about infrastructure and management systems for a mid-sized flock of about 50-100 ewes. At this scale you can supply markets consistently, while the venture can allow for off-farm jobs or be partnered with other enterprises. Each of the panelists (Bruce Howlett, Bill Fosher and Jascha Pick) will discuss their sheep experiences and their preferred systems for managing grazing, lambing, handling and sorting, and wintering. We have found different solutions, and don’t have all the answers, but our experiences may help you avoid some common hurdles. Presenter: Bruce Howlett, Jascha Pick, & Bill Fosher This presentation was recorded during the 2026 New England Grazing and Livestock Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire.