Edible Santa Barbara Summer/Fall 2020

electric fencing as the sheep move around to new fields. Much fertilizing the soil. Sheep grazing on wildlands not only reduces of Jack and Jenya’s days are spent building fences, taking down fire hazards through weed abatement, but their foraging habit fences and talking to people who wander by with questions. also mimics the original herbivore grazers like deer and helps restore natural habitat.

It is sometimes chaotic, and unforeseen issues pop up constantly that must reprioritize their time. In the month the Goats have often been used for weed clearing, but sheep sheep spent moving around daily at the San Marcos Foothills graze differently and select for different plants. This behavior Preserve, the couple dealt with a rattlesnake bite on one of helps clear out invasive exotic weeds, leaving room for native their dogs, moving a portion of their flock to Summerland for bunch grasses to return. Their hooves help scarify native seeds a short grazing project, co-hosting a regenerative agriculture that depend on trampling and dispersal to create better growing educational session with the White Buffalo Land Preserve (in conditions. In the San Marcos Foothills Preserve, the restoration the rain) and coordinating all the sheep shearing operations project to bring back the native bunchgrasses should also bring with the shearers who traveled down from Mendocino. back the Meadowlark and Grasshopper Sparrow, grounddwelling birds that had been pushed out by the invasive exotics.

With so many moving parts in a highly dynamic environment, it can be hard to unwind and recharge. Their As a nearby resident of the preserve, seeing the sheep comhome was an RV parked in various locations near the flock ing by and hearing them in the hills was such a joy, especially where they would cozy up with each other and their herding when the young lambs were there. So we benefit from their dogs at night. presence, too.

The dogs themselves are critical The second component contributors to the whole operation, of Cuyama Lamb is meat Their lamb is organic, pasture raised Cuyama Lamb couldn’t function production. They started an without them. Jack and Jenya have initial flock of 400 yearling ewes. through their grazing projects and, as four dogs, and each plays a different Over the years, they follow a anyone who has passed by the everand vital role in caring for the flock. natural cycle of growing, having babies and culling out the young moving flock throughout Santa Barbara Lucy and Yorae are the sheep males, called wethers, while protectors.

Lucy is a Maremma, County can see, the sheep are living retaining the ewes to expand the and Yorae is a Great Pyrenees, headcount. Their lamb is organic happy, enriched lives. breeds with natural herd protecting and pasture-raised through their instincts. They are bonded to the grazing projects. And as anyone who has passed by the eversheep, live and sleep with them and guard them. moving flock throughout Santa Barbara County can see, the These creamy white dogs are the ones you’re most likely to sheep are living happy, enriched lives. encounter if you visit the sheep in any publically accessible spot.

Finally comes wool production. It might seem to be the The dogs will see you and race right up to the fence to bark at least visible aspect of the company, but wool is a part of nearly you. Then they immediately back away to say: This is my crew all our lives. Wool socks, sweaters, rugs, dryer tumbler balls and and do not come any closer. They are lovely sweet dogs, and felted toys all come from sheep. Much to my surprise, I learned there’s no need to fear them, but they are still working dogs— from Jack and Jenya that all the wool produced in the world is not pets—and they shouldn’t be approached through the fence hand sheared. No machine can do the intricate work of shearing as if they were. At night, they keep away predators. Not a single wool from a sheep’s body. And shearing must be done yearly to sheep or lamb has been lost yet under Lucy and Yorae’s watch. keep a sheep’s wool maintained from overgrowing, matting and This recent springtime, just as the novel Coronavirus put simply to remove its winter coat for the warmer weather. Much the county into lockdown, Yorae gave birth to six puppies. As like how we must keep our own nails and hair trimmed, so is a the rest of us sheltered in place, uncertain of our future, Jack sheep’s fleece periodically cut. and Jenya shuttled Yorae between the offsite flocks and her litter Currently, their wool is sent away wholesale, but anyone of wiggly pups. Since then, five of Yorae’s offspring have moved who would like to buy an entire fleece from them is welcome on to other farming families while one male, called Bruno, is to inquire. Shearing is a springtime activity and took place at growing up with Yorae and Lucy. He’s destined to be a very big Orella Ranch in Gaviota in late February this year. Last year boy and already a natural at protecting the sheep. the shearing took place right on the preserve, an easy walk up Rocco is a herding dog, who stays with the shepherds and Cieneguitas Road, where a multimillion-dollar luxury home follows their commands to assist moving the sheep around. now stands.

He is a gathering dog who specializes in herding sheep back Unlike a business with a brick and mortar location, or into the flock. Sherman was Jack’s longtime pet (since he was even a farm that is generally confined to a defined plot of land, still a teenager), who became a natural driving dog—the dog tending sheep is a nomadic experience that cannot follow a rigid that herds the sheep away from them. Sherman, being an old schedule. Cuyama Lamb’s ability to move around the county soul, sadly passed away earlier this year. When the time is right, requires coordination of trucks to haul the sheep, a watering they’ll bring another herding dog into their lives. station and food for the dogs, as well as daily construction of The dogs are like family. Working alongside the dogs with EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 37