Sheep, Soil & Scripture

There’s something about sheep that’ll preach a sermon without ever opening a Bible.

Many times when we go to move the flock, one of those knuckleheads takes off in the wrong direction for absolutely no reason at all, and I say the same thing:

“All we like sheep have gone astray…” — Isaiah 53:6 (KJV)

Truth be told… sheep can be a little clueless sometimes.

And the Bible compares us to sheep.

Maybe that’s because we’re not all that different from time to time.

I Wasn’t Supposed to Have Sheep

Truth be told, my lovely wife forbid me these two things:

• Turkey hunting
• Getting sheep

Well… we’ve got sheep.

I wanted to understand more of what the Bible talks about when it speaks of the Shepherd and the flock. And I’ll tell you what…I’ve learned more than I ever expected.

I’ll walk out in their pasture quietly and every one of them keeps grazing like nothing happened.

Then I yell:

“SHEEP!”

Every head pops up at once.

“Baaa.” They respond back to me. 

Call a second time?

They all come running.

There’s a lesson in that.

You can talk around sheep all day long and they won’t even look up. But call them clear. Call them directly. Every head pops up. They know the voice.

That’s probably why Scripture says,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” - John 10:27 (KJV)

Sheep aren’t brilliant. They’re followers.They wander. They graze. They drift.

But when the Shepherd calls, they recognize it.

I think we’re not so different.

Why We Raise Sheep (Besides the Sermons)

Sheep aren’t just here for theology lessons.

They serve a real purpose on this farm.

• 🐑 They eat what cows won’t touch.
• 🌱 They help manage forage differently.
• 💩 Their manure comes out in pellets — not patties.

That matters.

Those pellets spread across the pasture differently than cow patties. Add in dung beetles, and now you’ve got natural aeration happening in the soil.

Sheep + dung beetles = better soil structure.

Better soil = better plant diversity.

Better plant diversity = Better nutrient dense protein.

This is how biodiversity works on a regenerative farm.

Different species. Different grazing habits. Different impact.

All working together.

Biodiversity Matters

We believe diversity on the landscape is important.

Each creature, plant and microbe plays a vital role.

And on top of that, having multi-species on the land gives us more nutrient-dense protein to offer your family.

Pasture-raised lamb isn’t something you find everywhere.

But you can find it here at JBW Farm Fresh! It’s not just part of the farm store, it’s part of the eco system here.

And part of the story.