Meet the herd - the gents

It is time to introduce the boys!

BENJI

Benji is a big guy. He’s one of the biggest producers on the farm, typically yielding 3.5 pounds of prime fiber every spring at shearing. Benji’s fiber is featured in our 2020 Farm Yarn. And since he is so even keeled and friendly, it’s no surprise his fiber paired really well with a small percentage of merino wool.

CALVIN KLEIN

With the curliest and finest (softest) locks in the whole boy herd, it is no surprise he was named after a famous fashion designer. Calvin is an easy-going, mild mannered chap. If he could speak, I’m almost certain he’d have a thick Irish accent.

LEGEND

Spending his early years working the show ring and winning awards, Legend also has superior genetics to back up his name. Don’t tell the rest of ‘em, but Legend is the only male of ours that is poised to become a farm stud in the coming years…

RAINIER

As the name would suggest, Rainier comes from a long line of Pacific Northwesterners. He’s stout but compact and has beautifully buttery-soft fleece to match his sweet and tender disposition.

WILLIE NELSON

When he was a cria (baby), the way the fleece framed his face reminded me of Willie Nelson. And while all the other crias were going bonkers in the pastures, he’d be chilling out in the shade of a tree enjoying the country day…almost like he was composing lyrics to the breezes that blew by. Even as a young fellow, his vibe remains unchanged, he is certainly a Willie Nelson. And he is my absolute favorite.

SPITFIRE

At just 5 minutes old, this spry guy was not just standing up, he was running. At the 15-minute mark, he had learned how to work his spitter. And since I had never seen a newborn cria attempt to spit, the name Spitfire only seemed fitting. Now that he’s grown up, he is one of our biggest boys, and his very chill personality is hard to miss. If I had to do it all over again, he’d be named Norm.

MARIO ANDRETTI

The first baby to our farm’s first baby, this guy is named after legendary Indy car racer, Mario Andretti. And I reckon he is aptly named because he’s a total macho man.

ROCKY BALBOA

Rocky is our special little guy, and definitely the farm’s mascot. His dam (mom) was gravely ill during her first trimester, we almost lost her but she managed to still carry to full term. But he was born very small, too small to even reach the ‘milk bar’. He was only 7lbs when he should’ve been at least 15! But with TLC, he pulled through and farm friends voted to name him Rocky Balboa because he was such a fighter. Rocky is stunted but what he lacks in stature he makes up for in heart.

Because he is small & friendly, Rocky has an important role on the farm - he acts as ‘first friend’ to newly weaned males. He spends the first several weeks with weanlings, helping them transition away from mom and finding their legs as they prepare to enter the ‘big boy’ herd.

That’s little Rocky on the left, as comparison to the rest of the herd. I hope you enjoyed this introduction!