Hello from Saskatchewan, Canada!

[xyztal]

Hello from Saskatchewan, Canada (aka the 'very cold place' in the middle of nowhere)

So after years of making various cheeses at home (yoghurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, neufchatel, camembert), I have finally decided to step down from my day job, drop my blackberry and pick up a shepard crook!  My husband and I are slowly getting into sheep production and set up a sheep dairy!  If successful, I think I will be the first gal bringing back sheep dairy (and sheep cheese!) in the province...

Anyway, lots of work we need to do... like setting up the barn that will house both the cheesemaking facility and an abattoir and getting that barn approved by the health authority.  My husband is still working a FT job and I am just going down to working 50 - 60% time... so fingers crossed we will get this going in a couple of years!  We will start out with 20 ewes and hopefully we will reach about 50.  People in Saskatchewan barely know that sheep cheese exist.... (!!)

I have read a lot of threads that are very useful for our planning process... and I am sure I will get lots of questions as we go on this journey.... wish us luck!

[Tobiasrer]

Welcome!!
I live in Alberta know but was born near Shaunavon Saskatchewan. Had some relatives raise sheep for a while, not for and with a functioning dairy though!
I wish you the best!

[linuxboy]

Best of luck and welcome :)

[Tiarella]

Good luck!  I know of a ten ewe milking set up for sale cheap but it is stateside.  let me know if you want contact info,

[bbracken677]

Best of luck with your endeavor! 

[xyztal]

Thanks everyone!

We got 4 ewes and next year our plan is to do some product development and testing... I couldn't find a drop of sheep milk in the Prairies (legal and illegal...)