Welcome to our Farm!

 

 

Welcome to Hopestead Hill Farm, located in the small town of Columbus in the rolling hills of northern Chenango County in New York State. Our flock of production oriented commercial Dorset sheep has been grazing the lush hillside fields of our 250-acre family farm for over 20 years.  

We believe in raising our animals as naturally as possible, with access to the outdoors and sunshine and grass. Every day or two, the flock is moved to a new paddock of fresh grass. This provides the best nutrition for the sheep and allows the pastures to rebound quickly.  (It also gives us and the dogs plenty of exercise!)    

Our farm goal is to keep our breeder flock healthy, happy, and productive.

We do not routinely medicate or vaccinate; and have never given growth hormones or stimulants of any type.

 

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Dorsets are a medium sized white faced breed, known for their good mothering, good milking ability, and out of season breeding. Combined with their natural healthy lifestyle and backed by 20 years of genetic selection, most of the 500 mature Hopestead Hill ewes are lambing three times in two years and raising fast growing pudgy lambs under our accelerated lambing program.  

To grow great animals we must grow great grass!  Our sheep are fed fresh pasture in summer, and high quality baleage and hay in winter. We make all our own hay for our winter feeding needs, as it is the best way for us to control the quality of our feed, and best manage our fields.  

 

The Hopestead Hill advantage: