Friends on the Farm

Famous friends of Purple Sage Farms, White Lightning, also known as Wet Willy, and Gus the goat. Photo by Arlie Sommer, November 2018.

By Arlie Sommer and Tim Sommer, June 2021

A smaller sheep herd allows for greater attention to each animal at Purple Sage Farms. During lambing season, everyone watches the mothers closely to assist in birth when needed and make sure babies stay connected to mothers and are eating enough. This year, there were few bummer lambs at the farm, thanks to this watchfulness. 

Bottle-fed lambs supply a lot of entertainment in the spring. “It can be a nuisance to feed them many times a day, especially when you don’t have time to do it, it turns out to be one of our favorite things to do,” said Tim. He’s had many lamb companions trailing his ankles around the farm as he does chores.

Sweet Pea, the Bottle Baby

Sweet Pea was one such bottle baby who endeared herself to the family, frequenting our home at dinner parties and always up for a scratch between the ears, even as a mother ewe. 

Tim’s favorite story of Sweet Pea is about her resilience. As an orphan lamb, she came up with creative forms of survival. She had a very distinctive call at dinner time and so was sure to never be passed over. 

“Her smaller size made her a victim of bullying by other sheep but she was smarter than her tormentors,” said Tim. During the winter, when hay was tossed in the fields, she nestled between the legs of the bull and ate hay crumbs at his chin—no one could steal her food with the protection of the biggest guy at the farm. 

Sweet Pea was mother to many more lambs on the farm and became a lead ewe, “Sweet Pea knew where to go and when, and the other sheep learned to follow her.” She passed away in the Fall of 2018.

Sweet Pea with her lamb at dinner time. Photo by Arlie Sommer, March 2016.

Milk Pirate

There are also anti-heroes. A lamb this year was named “Pirate” because he stole milk from birthing ewes with full udders, while they were preoccupied with newborn lambs. “I had to lock her up for several hours everyday to protect new mothers,” said Tim.

Every spring we invite friends to the farm to join the excitement of baby lambs and all the characters in our herd. Kids get to bottle feed and pet lambs. One can spend hours at dusk watching the lambs “herd-up” and race from dirt mound to dirt mound. It’s a joyful time at the farm.