About Our Sheep
Let me ask you a question -- What would you do if 50 sheep unexpectedly showed up on your doorstep? Mutton dinners for the next six months? Wool mittens all-around for Christmas? We did what any slightly crazy person might do and started milking those sheep. We also named them the “Ladies”.
Today, that first flock of 50 “Ladies” has grown to over 250, a fancy mix of East Friesian and Lacaune beauties, the best milking sheep in the world. And despite the fact, the herd is now too big to name all the sheep (like we used to do when we first started) we are attached to these animals like they are family and treat them with the same care and nurturing.
Great Sheep Make for Great Cheese.
Sheep’s milk is the wine of the milk world. The sweet, rich taste lingers with a long, flavorful finish. To produce Hidden Springs Creamery cheese, we rely on East Friesian and Lacaune dairy sheep. One breed is of German heritage and the other is of French decent and despite their historical rivalries these sheep get along quite well. (We suspect it’s because they are all moms.)
East Friesians originally hail from northern Germany. East Fresians are a wide-bodied sheep and are the most productive dairy sheep in the world. We love them for their relaxed attitude and friendly disposition, and for their little rat tails that grow without any wool.
The Lacaune herd are our resident demure Parisians, and are infamous for producing the milk used to make Roquefort cheese. They are hearty and robust after surviving in the rocky regions of France, but the rolling green Wisconsin meadows fit them like a pair of satin gloves.
We truly care for our Ladies, and are proud of the deliciously pure milk that they produce, high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and easy on those who are intolerant of the lactose in cow’s milk. Our love for our flock comes through in the product we produce and that is just the way we like it.
