POTTER HOLLOW SHEEP

Potter Hollow pastures are home to a flock of purebred grassfed horned Icelandic sheep. We sell live animals, direct-to-consumer meat, and raw fleeces. Click below to see sheep available now.

Icelandic sheep are one of the oldest and purest of breeds, descendants of animals the Vikings brought when they colonized Iceland in the ninth century. Icelandics are medium-sized multi-purpose primitive sheep. Their meat is tender and fine grained. Their dual-coated fleece comes in a wide variety of colors. Developed long before the specialized exploitation of industrial agriculture, they retain some adaptive instincts that have been lost in more modern breeds. Hardy, thrifty, and vigorous, well-bred Icelandic sheep can thrive with little human input apart from good pasture management.

From spring to fall, our sheep graze pastures that are free of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Using temporary fencing to make small grazing paddocks, we move the flock to fresh pasture every few days, and rest grazed areas for at least two months. Within each small paddock, the sheep evenly select forage, trample, and spread manure. A long rest period after grazing allows pasture plants to recover and grow. Frequent moves and long recovery periods provide high-quality feed for the sheep, which in turn provides high-quality food and fiber for humans. Managed grazing also maintains meadow habitat for a diverse community of other lifeforms, including wild animals, plants, and soil organisms. 

In winter, we feed only local hay. Composted manure and old hay from the flock's winter quarters provides natural fertilizer for our garden.