Spring has sprung at Shutecombe in Bere Ferrers. The Shutecombe Pedigree Jacob flock is kicking its heels up under the watchful eye of Pete Gorringe.
When Pete left school, he decided that farming was the life for him and embarked upon pig rearing and a college course in milk production. He went on to develop a plant hire and groundworks business in Sussex; an enterprise which is continued today in the capable hands of his sons.
When he, his wife and family moved to a five-acre home in Bere Ferrers, Pete bought a few Jacob sheep from a friend and was struck by their appearance and quiet, friendly nature. From these small beginnings in 2009, his flock has grown to 20 ewes, 5 rams and, when I visited him in the middle of February, 10 new lambs. Pete estimates that the flock will number 70 by April.
‘Why Jacob sheep?’ I asked him. He told me that, apart from their easy-going nature, these animals produce superb meat with a special flavour, fleece that makes excellent quality knitting yarn and very attractive skins which provide unique sheepskins because of their individual markings.
Pete has a ready, local market for all these products. The meat is sold to the village pub and other customers and whilst he has a good reputation for the quality of the lamb, mutton is also back in fashion and is appearing on menus. The sheepskins and wool are sold at craft fairs; 50gr balls of double knitting can also be bought at a wool shop in Tavistock or direct.
The journey from source to customer is an interesting one. A local shearer divests the Jacobs of their coats in May and the wool is spun by experts in Launceston.
The sheepskins go to ‘Devonia’, a company in Buckfastleigh where they are sorted and processed. Six months later, they are returned to Pete who has no difficulty selling them at craft events, on line and by word of mouth. A Jacob sheepskin is truly a thing of beauty and a worthy addition to any home.
Pete is a member of the Jacob Sheep Society in the S.W. Region, an organisation that provides invaluable information and advice to breeders as well as organising sales and shows.
Pete’s track record at shows and competitions is impressive. In 2014, he won second prize in a large flock competition; a success he hopes to repeat in September this year. He won first prize in a best fleece competition in 2015 and collected a total of eleven rosettes last year. He likes to show at local one-day events and finds that he can do enough business there and at livestock markets without having to look to bigger agricultural shows. He has held an open day on his property but tells me that the next one will be held on 12 June near Honiton. Anyone who is interested in Jacob sheep will find details through the Jacob Sheep Society or on Pete’s website.* There will also be a rare breed sale at Sedgemoor Livestock market in September. Two weeks’ work goes into preparing sheep for showing. I almost didn’t believe Pete when he told me that they have to be trained to be led on a halter. Apparently, once they’ve learned how to be led, they never forget and take it all in their stride along with the washing, grooming, primping and preening.
So, here we are officially in spring and hopefully, the maintenance of the flock will ease. Pete has checked his animals daily and has brought them in to barns when the weather has been really bad. Sometimes, the sheep have let themselves in when they’ve had enough of being soaked! The ewes have been scanned to see if they are bearing twins or triplets and their feed has been supplemented with haylage before moving on to clover fields. Pete showed me some trees in his fields that had been stripped of ivy. Apparently Jacobs know that it is good for them and had cleared the hedges as well. Jacobs make fine mothers, producing good milk and after weaning in June, Pete will keep some ewe lambs for breeding in 2017.
Let’s hope that the Shutecombe Pedigree Jacob Flock thrives in 2016 and that Pete’s business continues to flourish. You can find him on *shutecombeflock@hotmail.com or shutecombeflock.co.uk