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Ohio Sheep Farmer

Curt Cline

“This is the way Mother Nature intended it to be.”

Curt Cline
Sheep Farmer

Name: Curt Cline
Location: Albany, Ohio
Years farming: I have been farming all my life but on my own since 1994.
My family: My wife is Wendy, my daughter Kayla is 11, and my son Wesley is 8.
How I came to be a farmer: I started farming because I wanted to continue with the farm that has been in my family for generations, and wanted my family to be raised on a farm. I also enjoy taking care of animals and I had experience with sheep growing up.
The best thing about being a farmer: It is a great place to raise a family. The kids have great experiences such as caring for animals. They will also grow up with an understanding of how to grow crops and produce food for themselves as well as for others. It is also a great place to invest hard work and actually have a harvest that one can see.
My personal philosophy on farming: My philosophy on farming has evolved over time. I used to think that I was a "producer,” but I am actually not. The sheep produce themselves with some help from Mother Nature. My job is to actually be a "nutrient manager," which is much easier than being a producer. The grass will grow if the nutrients are managed properly and the sheep will produce themselves if they are allowed to eat the nutrient-rich grass. I believe grazing livestock operations are the original, true solar powered, sustainable, environmentally-friendly food producers.

Lamb Production in Ohio and the United States
  • Ohio ranks 12th in the production of sheep and lambs and is the largest sheep producing state east of the Mississippi river.
  • There are sheep farms in every county in Ohio.
  • The average flock size of a sheep farm in Ohio is 43.
  • The sheep community provides Ohio residents with more than 3,000 full and part time jobs.
  • Ohio sheep farmers produce approximately 640,000 pounds of wool each year.
  • The term "lamb" refers to a sheep that is either gender and less than one year old.
  • There are 47 recognized breeds of sheep in the U.S.
  • Sheep are used to help fight forest fires and control weeds in vineyards.
  • American Lamb provides a complete, high quality protein, which means it supplies all of the essential amino acids, or building blocks of protein that a person needs to build, maintain and repair body tissue.


For more information on sheep production in Ohio, please visit:
www.ohiosheep.org

 

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