HOW TO BE THE BEST SHEPHERD: Lessons from a sheep
WILLOW 2008-2022
It was a mighty sad day for me as I faced the loss of Willow, born here 13 years ago. Willow was one of the first lambs born on this farm.
Willow was a registered Navajo Churro sheep. She was short legged and a wee bit stocky but ALWAYS healthy and always had an extra skip in her step. Her breed characteristics were spot on with her double coat of strong Navajo wool. Although her legs were short they were clean and strong. Her wool finished into a nutmeg color yarn. As lovely as she was she was so much more. She was friendly and approachable, unless she had babies!
Willow was that one sheep you wanted all your sheep to take after. Basically Willow and I grew up together. Over time I realized how much less effort Willow took compared to some that seemed to always need extra attention. This was her primary lesson to me as a farmer. The farmer, the one that runs the operation and makes a go of things
As the shepherd, the one to watch over the flock, I believe we need to understand a bit about their ways. I began this farm applying “human” thoughts to their care. Don’t get me wrong I have learned we need to apply some human wisdom to manage an operation like this but I also think working with the sheep makes for a happier easier environment all the way around. Take Temple Grandin for example, she learned to understand the animals behaviors and then apply what she learned to some of the most efficient livestock handling systems, EVER! If working with their behaviors isn’t too disruptive to the operation why not let it be? I am aware a large operation could probably not allow some of the things we have allowed here…guess for that reason I’m glad were small! BTW, if you haven’t seen the movie, Temple Grandin starring Clare Danes, do it!
OK, so back to Willow. As Willow and I were growing up together and she was teaching me to be aware on a day to day basis what shepherding involved, it was always her mothering that gave me constant challenge. She was a GREAT mom. She just didn’t want human interference. From her first lambs to her last, she would birth where she wanted and would do everything in her power to keep her lambs from us. Even after years of experiencing our gentle hand and kindness she did it her way. It wasn’t until the year I decided that Willow deserved a break from breeding that I got the clearest defiance of all, and the clearest lesson! Some years back I wrote about our human interventions and Willow (click on the link if you’d like to read the whole piece) and this is basically what I said:
The other day I was rehashing a decision to want to keep one of our older ewes back from breeding. She has given us plenty of beautiful babies. She deserves to rest, I thought. So, I did just that. She went to spend her time grazing in green pastures with the teenagers. What a glorious gift, or was it?
Well, to shorten what could be a very long tale, Willow, that’s her name, ended up pregnant anyway. How? We’ll never be 100% sure. Through a fence? Could be, but boys were not in adjoining fences except for short stints while moving sheep? Could she be that fast? One of our lambs might have been more mature then we thought? Like i said, we’ll never know for sure.
A funny thing happened on that day I realized she was with lamb, as I walked away from her pasture something beckoned me to look back. There went Willow trotting away from me and kicking up her heels.
She was mighty happy.
It’s as if she was saying to me, I love being a mom! You don’t get to decide.
I believe I had just been reminded, we’re not necessarily smarter then mother nature!
So, Willow, I will always remember your gifts. I promise to remember everything you taught me. I promise to honor mother nature and to always try to understand the great spirit from your perspective.
Thank you my friend