On 135 acres south of Livingston, Montana in the Paradise Valley, Wolf Ridge Lamb and Wool Co. is home to Barb, her husband Per, 230 head of ewes producing fiber and meat, and three yaks. The story began in 1997. Barb’s father wanted to purchase property in the Paradise Valley as an investment. At the same time, Barb traveled to Deer Lodge to meet fellow dog-lover, Barb Sene. Ms. Sene served Barb Icelandic lamb for dinner. The flavor was delicious and a dream was born. Soon thereafter, in 1997, Barb’s father purchased the land they currently live on and she convinced him that Icelandic sheep could be a tool to improve the land, and the business was started.
Today, Wolf Ridge Lamb and Wool Co. produces both food and fiber. Marketing their grass-fed, natural lamb to local restaurants and the local hospital, Paradise Valley Gourmet Lamb is recognized for its quality. Icelandic lamb has a distinctive, milder taste than traditional lamb and it produces smaller cuts with finer meat grains. Eighty-five percent of their meat goes to Xanterra, the operator of Yellowstone National Park’s lodges and resorts. Because their largest buyer is located across the state line in Wyoming, all lamb is processed at Stillwater Packing, a federally inspected packing plant in Columbus, Montana.
Per and Barb shear their Icelandic sheep twice a year – in the spring and again in the fall. Their wool is coarse grade and primitive. The spring wool is of lower quality and breaks from natural shedding that occurs in spring in the Icelandic breed. It is used in rugs and felted hand weaving. Fall wool is higher quality and, therefore, is made into yarns and roving (i.e., natural fiber yarns that have been drawn out and slightly twisted in preparation for spinning.) After shearing, the wool is sent to Becky Weed at 13 Mile Lamb and Wool in the Gallatin Valley for processing. Upon return, Barb dyes the wool into a variety of colors. All the wool is direct-marketed through pelts, yarn, or roving. Spinners like the versatility of Icelandic wool.
Both Barb and Per agree that their lack of business training is one of their biggest challenges. Their backgrounds never prepared them for their present lifestyle. Barb groomed dogs at a local vet clinic and Per was trained as a nurse (and doubles as the resident mechanic). In 2006, the Western Sustainability Exchange’s Farm to Restaurant Program helped to expand and open doors for the business. Through direct marketing, farmer’s markets, and online sales, the Gunness’ are now selling more lamb than ever before. Online meat sales are slow due to the prohibitive cost of shipping. “Shipping costs add 100 percent to the price,” explained Per.
Another challenge for the business is keeping lambs alive. “Lambing the ewes and making sure the lambs make it to a marketable product is huge for our business,” explained Per. The business name sprung out of a predator sighting on the ridge south of their house. Barb laughed, “Wolves were spotted on a ridge on the property. Thankfully, the wolves seem to be transient and haven’t set up residence nearby.” The Gunness’ lambs are born in late April and early May, taking advantage of spring grass and avoiding local predators. “The wolves are following the deer and elk to higher elevations at that time,” Barb shared. Lambs are born outside without barns or sheds. Barb’s parents and a friend spend three weeks each year providing extra lambing help. “We couldn’t do it without them,” Per commented. The sheep are brought in close to the buildings each evening to help deter predators. Using electric fences and guard yaks, they are able to maintain a 190 percent lamb crop annually, which means that a majority of their ewes have twin lambs.
Guard yaks? Yes, the business “employs” three of them. The yaks are very protective of the sheep and, in many ways, are easier to take to other properties than guard dogs because they are less likely to interact with local dogs. However, at $700-$800 each, guard yaks are a substantial investment and require a fair amount of time to train. Barb explained, “You have to get them when they are babies. They show interest [in the sheep] when they are around age one, and are fully interested by three.” The yak must be hand-fed with the sheep to help them bond. You cannot get more than one yak at a time, as they will bond to each other and not with the sheep. The Gunness’ only coyote kill occurred in October 2012 in a group that didn’t have a yak. A badger contributed to the only other predator loss. “Predator damage has been minimal and I have to think that the electric fences and the yaks are the reason,” Per explained.
From late May through December, the sheep graze on irrigated pasture and in areas to control weeds in the Paradise Valley. They are trailed out to a 50-acre irrigated parcel that is fenced in 10-acre pastures. Moving daily, the sheep graze on weeds, such as cheatgrass and spotted knapweed, and on small hayfields for local and absentee landowners. With good pasture management, the sheep can graze until December before returning home to be fed hay. They are supplemented with kelp meal for mineral and salt with selenium.
Barb credits cowboy friend Jack Blankenship with early advice that started her down their grazing path. After visiting the property with her, Jack told her she would have to use rotational grazing to make her operation work. He also advised her to subscribe to the Grass Farmer magazine to learn more about raising sheep on primarily grass. Internal parasites are the Gunness’ number one issue with the sheep. For internal parasite control, the Gunness’ have turned to folklore. They are using raw apple cider vinegar mixed with the sheep’s drinking water to prevent internal parasites. “This method is more cost effective than worming them and much less stressful than running them down the chute multiple times,” Per commented. “In 2012, this preventative method has worked extremely successfully.”
Wolf Ridge Lamb and Wool Company looks toward the future. A new fodder system has been ordered. The system sprouts forage plants they will use to fatten lambs and produce meat quality more similar to grass-fed than grainbased diets. Barb and Per would like to increase their farmer’s market presence in the future, possibly cooking and distributing samples. They are excited to get more involved in the wool aspect and are looking for cooperators to pool large quantities of white wool, which would make it easier to process, market, and distribute the wool.
Barb and Per Gunness share an enthusiasm for land sustainability and a love for their Icelandics. They laugh and share, “Lambing is the most fun.” Together they have created a unique enterprise on a few acres, practice sustainable grazing, and use grazing to reduce noxious weeds. You can see in their eyes that they love what they do. Feel free to visit their web site at www.wolfridgeicelandics.com.