Vermont Shepherd is a 250-acre farm in Westminster West, Vermont with 300-700 sheep (depending on the time of year), 2 Border Collies (who herd the sheep) and 8 Maremma - a beautiful white dog who protects the sheep from predators - along with shepherds of all ages. At the northern edge of the farm is a cave which is home to 2 types of cheese, where they live out the seasons of their lives.
Vermont Shepherd is owned and run by the Major and Ielpi family, with active shepherds currently ranging in age from 7 to 53. Vermont Shepherd (once known as Major Farm) is one of the oldest sheep farms in Vermont and it is the oldest sheep dairy farm in the United States. The three generations of shepherds on the farm have lambed and pastured, herded and shorn many many generations of sheep. Pictured are family members Austin, Andrew, Robin, Alex, David, Lana, and Yesenia, from top left to bottom right
Work on the farm includes: milking the sheep twice a day (5 a.m. and 5 p.m.), moving the sheep from pasture to pasture, haying, shearing sheep, cleaning to keep everything beautiful, and boxing up our cheeses and other goods and sending them out all over the country!
Vermont Shepherd has won two conservation awards in 2002 and 2006 for the quality of its farming work and improving the soils, pastures, and water resources.
