Drover’s Way
Sarah and Oliver Loten (and family)
1161 1st Con. Drummond, RR1 Perth, ON
<lotens@superaje.com> 264–0539

What they raise: Lamb and cash crops

In January — the dead of winter — when the air is still, cold, and thin, there is nothing that quite beats walking into a barn and being greeted by hundreds of ewes and their lambs — especially when they think they are about to be fed. Hundreds of ewes, and their lambs, demonstrating their orchestral talents by bleating continuously and simultaneously is, well… impressive! This was how my visit with the Lotens began.

Sarah and Oliver Loten moved to this farm with the beginnings of their family fifteen years ago from a hobby farm near Carleton Place where they’d tried their hand at raising a variety of livestock. At that time they both had full time work off the farm — Sarah as a teacher, and Oliver in IT — and they figured they could either funnel what extra income they had towards ‘toys’ and gadgets, or towards a bigger, more sustainable farm operation. The untimely death of a friend also inadvertently helped them decide to take the plunge and get on with doing what they’d wanted to do, so they did some research and determined that sheep farming might be a viable option to pursue. Lamb prices were good, there was a market for it, and there was fairly good government support for sheep farmers. They started small, and fifteen years later the flock has grown from 10 to about 650 ewes. They have bought some neighboring land and can grow their feed, as well as cash crops, on about 200–300 acres. Another 400 or so is used for grazing the sheep.
Sarah toured me around the farm. The flock is divided into sections. Those about to lamb or with very new lambs are housed in the barn to help protect newborns from the cold (in winter), and predators. Soon after being born they are turned out to an open-ended poly tunnel that provides a bit of shelter. This is where the lambs are ‘finished’ before they go to market. With their wool insulation, sheep do well outdoors even in winter. Guarded by two Great Pyrenees (livestock guardian dogs) and a lama, the main flock of several hundred ewes lives quite happily in the fields behind the barn. With three lambing periods each year the Lotens manage to have lamb ready for seasonal festivals such as Eid (a Muslim holiday) and the Greek festival in Ottawa.
According to the Oliver, sheep farms are hard to come by — at least sheep farms that are big enough to be viable. Apparently, he explained, sheep farming was associated with hobbyists and wasn’t considered “real” farming back in the day when cattle and hogs were the standard. So farms with infrastructure to deal with large numbers of sheep are rare. Anyone wanting to get into lamb production will likely need a decade, he suggests, to build up the farm and flock. These days a flock of about 1000 ewes (that produce about 1700 lambs) is what most sheep farmers consider necessary to support an average family. The Lotens are aiming for this number, and an eventual complete transition away from off-farm work.
Back in the kitchen of their lovely old stone farmhouse, I asked them what the biggest challenges were to sheep farming in Ontario, aside from finding the right farm. Of great concern is the diminished number of local abattoirs (ones that small- to medium-sized operations depend on), and a regulatory system that makes it difficult for Ontario lamb producers to get their meat onto Canadian supermarkets shelves, or to an international market. Most of the Loten’s lamb is sold through Leo’s Livestock Exchange (Greely) for an Ottawa market, or to Rideau Meats, an abattoir in Smith’s Falls. Though they support direct sales to local consumers in principle, at this point, with the demands of a large family and a high volume of meat to sell, they don’t have the time it takes to market and manage them. Moreover, they emphasized to me that they want to spend their time actually farming rather than spending more time on complex marketing and sales.
Parasites and predators also pose a significant challenge to sheep farmers everywhere it seems. Rotational grazing, and keeping abreast of evolving research into organic methods of parasite control help to lower the effects of the former. Lambing indoors, even in the summer months, and keeping guardian animals with the flock, helps to control the number of coyote kills. The Lotens believe that both organic and conventional production methods have something to offer, and they carefully choose options that are practical for their life and their growing operation, and which also allow them to raise lamb at a saleable price.
How exactly Oliver and Sarah Loten manage close to 650 ewes (plus lambs), hundreds of acres, five children, five dogs, extracurricular activities, teaching music, and working part-time is somewhat of a wonder to me. One thing is clear though, they love life, and their farm abounds with it!

Quick Curried Lamb
1 lb. ground lamb
1 med. onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 c. cooked rice
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
In a large skillet, cook lamb and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in curry; add rice and vegetables. Cook and stir until heated through. Serves 4.