The sheep are on the move! Tending our sheep flock is an integral part of our land stewardship initiative here at Rootbound Farm. We manage a whole landscape here, and much of it is rolling grassland–perfect for grazing animals. We manage our flock of 200 ewes year-round on 100% grass, meaning that our lamb is 100% grass-fed. We are now in the middle of “hay season” when we mow, forage, and store parts of the farm for the winter months ahead. Fresh grass doesn’t grow at all from January to April, so we rely on those stored hay bales to keep our sheep healthy and happy eating grass all winter long.
In order to cut over 250 acres of hay, we have a pretty sweet partnership with our neighbors at Foxhollow Farm. Derek and his team bring over the hay cutting and baling equipment that we don’t have, and then we get to split the hay that is cut here on the farm – there’s enough for us and Foxhollow’s grass-fed herd of beef.
For our September Friday Farm Walk, we will have time to get up close and talk more in-depth about our sheep flock and the role they play in the fertility cycle here on the farm.
If you’re like me (Bree), you may not have grown up eating much lamb. I don’t have any memory of ever eating lamb as a kid, and I think the first time I ever prepared it was when I was 30 years old, and we started raising our own lamb here on the farm. Now I love lamb! First of all, it’s delicious – full of flavor and “terroir” of being grass-raised here in the Bluegrass. I also believe in the sustainability and cycle of regenerative animal proteins.
You can find our lamb products in the store every week when you customize your share and add these items to your cart individually. Or, take it to the next level and commit to a lamb share that provides an outlet for the whole animal throughout the CSA season. This week, we’re gathering recipes for half of our selection, and we’ll be back with the second half in the coming weeks. Starting with the easy and accessible ground lamb, we will work our way to lamb liver by the end.
As a note, all our lamb comes frozen in a bag packed separately from your veggie and egg shares.
Recipes for Ground Lamb – 2 Pounds
Ground Lamb is the easiest of our products to work with. After defrosting, you can always use as much as you need and then seal the rest in a well-sealed reusable bag or container to use for another recipe.
Lamb Shoulder – 3.5 Pounds
After years of social media popularity, Birria is one of the most well-recognized dishes on the internet. This traditional lamb stew hails from Jalisco, a western state in Mexico, and you can eat it as is or in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, or even ramen. Now that the weather is getting colder, this tender and well-spiced lamb dish will warm your heart.
Lamb Leg Steak – 3.5/4 Pounds (4 pack)
| BBQ Lamb Leg Steak with Harissa and Mint – 4 Lamb Leg Steaks – Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary |
| Lamb Leg Steak Introduction – 1 Lamb Leg Steak – Onolicious Hawaii |
Lamb Rosemary Sausage – 2 Pack, 16 links
Dolma is a dish widely eaten throughout Western Asia and the Mediterranean. You’ll find versions from Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iran, but today, we are showcasing these Iraqi-style Dolma. Here, you stuff seasoned rice and ground lamb into any type of leaf, be it from a grape plant or a cabbage. This recipe is a complete celebration of lamb, as you arrange your stuffed leaves atop loin chops, which render fat and flavor the whole pot as it steams
Meet Branner Grimsley, One of the Farmers.
As you know, our agricultural practices go beyond cultivating produce. Last week, we talked about our lamb practices, but we didn’t introduce the farmer taking care of the sheep and chickens. Meet Branner, Rootbound’s Livestock Coordinator. You’ll catch him riding around the farm on his special RTV or walking with the animals in a bright yellow outfit, listening to punk rock or podcasts about Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).
When Branner started last July in 2023, he got to know all the farmers while working on the harvest team. He eventually transitioned to working with animals full-time in 2024 and now works mostly independently to complete his daily tasks.
Branner is originally from Colorado and has extensive experience working with livestock. He started out as an intern for vegetable production and worked as support staff at a farm outside of Aspen before working for four years as a Livestock Manager. There, he tended the same breed of Katahdin sheep that we have here at Rootbound. You can trust that Branner helps to maintain a healthy and safe environment so the sheep can happily graze the land.
On the harvest team, Branner found friendships with Sergio and Oscar. Oscar was a “great guy to kinda lead me along the first year, and he’s been very patient with my Spanish.” He credits Oscar with helping him learn how to speak Spanish with less fuerza, force. With Sergio, he started on the “slower” harvest team. “It was both our first season here and we were not as proficient in veggie harvesting.” They became great friends, but now they don’t work together often anymore. Last week, Sergio helped Branner with animal duties. Bucky recounted: “those are two grown men, but they looked about as happy as two little boys getting to play with each other again.”
In his time off the farm, Branner plays D&D with a group of friends. “[It was] one of the first things I did when I moved to Louisville, and I went on Reddit and searched local games.” Since he’s just a player–specifically a centaur fighter–he gets to sit back and enjoy some pizza, beer, and the five-hour game on the weekend.
This week, Branner is looking forward to the lettuce in his share that he and his girlfriend transform into protein-heavy salads. We hope you’ll enjoy the leafy greens, watermelon, and squash in your share as well! Happy pickup day from the team at Rootbound!
Recipes
Okra
| Southern-Style Air-Fried Okra – A Beautiful Mess |
| Air-Fried Masala Okra Fry – Second Recipe |
| Crispy Oven Okra with Aioli – My Pretty Brown Eats |
| Baked Okra With Chili, Tomato, and Olives – Sami Tamimi |
