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Shepherd's Cross Meet the farmer, Cross Talk

Meet The Farmer – Cross Talk

  • A Greener World

Dr. Diane and Peter Dickinson raise Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW sheep for meat and wool and Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW beef cattle outdoors on pasture at Shepherd’s Cross Inc. in Claremore, OK. The Dickinsons have been farming for 34 years.

 

Tell us about your farm …

Peter and I were both raised on farms and we had a longing to raise our own family on a farm. We saved our pennies after college and eventually purchased our farm. My career as a licensed veterinarian led me to my work on sheep and goats. We started with a flock of 12 sheep in the early 1990s and the flock has grown to several hundred. We developed our own breed of sheep called Shepherd’s Cross, which can thrive on grass and is a great producer of meat, wool and milk. We also raise Certified Grassfed by AGW Dexter beef cattle. We produce all our own chemical-free hay, as well as pecans and black walnuts. The farm is a wool buying station and a black walnut buying and hulling station. We have a farm museum, a Biblical Garden and a wool processing mill for our own wool fibers, and offer tours and classes to the public. We wanted to farm, to leave an impact on future generations.

 

Why did you choose A Greener World?

Natural, healthy, outdoor living in grassy meadows for the livestock, no chemical usage on the farm, and being kind, caring and protective of the livestock are paramount principles we adhere to on the farm. Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW and Certified Grassfed by AGW certification seemed a natural progression, and we appreciate the quality standards.

 

Sustainable farming principles: why do they matter?

Under good management, sheep improve the land. A good shepherd cares about pasture improvement and environmental improvement, so that shepherding and farming can continue to future generations. Leaving a positive impact on our culture for future generations is imperative. We want to leave a rich heritage to our children and their children.  We want to remain healthy and help others remain healthy.  We want the earth to continue to produce into the future. We care.

 

Describe a typical day in your life…
There are no 2 days the same on the farm.  Morning begins at 5 am or earlier, with rounding the livestock and checking on the animals at both farms. It also ends that way every day – 365 days a year.  In between, life varies. Our Farm Store, Farm Museum and onsite Wool Mill are open from 8:30 – 5:30. Folks can drop by the farm 5 days a week, and purchase sustainable local products, and receive an education about farming.  In between we process wool, roll hay, harvest pecans and enjoy life. One of the greatest joys is watching the sun rise every morning and set every evening. 

How can the market for Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW products be improved?

By educating the public concerning the truth about food labels. Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW is a label that sets an industry standard and is synonymous with integrity.

 

What is the biggest threat to the sustainable farming movement?

Labels that are not truthful and have hidden meanings. These labels are misleading and giving people a false sense of security.

 

What do you love most about what you do?

Watching the sun rise and set every day, while tending to the needs of the livestock we love. Life in abundance.  Joy in heaps.

 

What do you find most frustrating about what you do?

The lack of appreciation by the American public.

 

What’s your vision for the future?

We want to be a bridge between the farmers of yesteryear and the farmers of future generations. Without farmers for future generations in our nation, we have no nation.

 

AT A GLANCE

Farm: Shepherd’s Cross, Claremore, OK

Certification/date: Certified Animal Welfare Approve by AGW 2011, Certified Grassfed by AGW for beef cattle 2015

Size: 630 acres

Soil type: loam l

Altitude: 597 and 820 feet

Annual rainfall: 34 inches

Enterprises: Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW Dexter cattle and Shepherd’s Cross Landrace sheep, selling beef, lamb, mutton and wool products along with hay, pecans and black walnuts.

 

 

Find out more at shepherdscross.com

 

Originally published in the Fall 2017 issue of AGW’s Sustainable Farming magazine.

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