July 31, 2026

Some days on a farm are about getting chores done.

Other days remind you why you started in the first place.

Today was one of those days.

This afternoon, our six ewes and their nine lambs made the journey to what we’ve come to call the Bell Road Pasture. For Barbara, Cloud, and Dolly, it was a familiar walk. They’ve made this trip several times over the past couple of years and know exactly where they’re going.

For the rest of the flock, however, it was something entirely different.

For this year’s nine lambs—and even for some of the younger ewes—today was their very first journey down the woodland trail to fresh pasture.

Watching that happen was something special.

I often tell people that the sheep follow me.

But after watching today’s video, you might find yourself asking a different question…

Who’s really following whom?

As always, Barbara, Cloud, and Dolly stepped confidently onto the trail. The others watched, trusted, and followed. That’s one of the wonderful things about sheep. Experience isn’t just learned by individuals—it’s passed from one generation to the next.

Those lambs weren’t simply walking to a new pasture.

They were learning.

They were learning that a move means fresh grass, fresh browse, fresh herbs, and another beautiful “salad bar” waiting just over the hill.

Here at Briden Farm, we usually rotate the sheep onto fresh pasture every four days. It’s a system that gives the flock a continual supply of natural forage while allowing previously grazed areas the time they need to recover.

The sheep benefit.

The land benefits.

And year after year, both continue to improve.

As I watched the flock disappear down the trail, I couldn’t help but think back.

Briden Farm became ours on August 4, 2020. A couple of weeks later, on August 20th, our first three goats arrived. Strangely enough, I remember the day the goats moved onto the farm even better than the day we moved in ourselves.

Back then, there were no sheep.

There was no Bell Road Pasture.

There was no Mary’s Barn.

Just a dream, a willingness to work, and a lot of brush that needed clearing.

In the fall of 2024, we first expanded into the Bell Road property and began using Mary’s Barn. The goats were the pioneers, browsing through brush and saplings, slowly opening up the land. About a month later, the sheep followed.

Looking at photographs from those first days, and then looking at the pasture today, it’s hard to believe it’s the same place.

Not because we brought in bulldozers or excavators.

But because goats browsed.

Sheep grazed.

Nature responded.

And little by little, year after year, the land became healthier.

That’s the beauty of stewardship.

It’s not about forcing nature to do what we want.

It’s about working with it, patiently, and allowing it to become what it was meant to be.

By late afternoon, the flock had settled quietly beneath the trees of the Bell Road Pasture, contentedly grazing as though they’d been there all their lives.

The pigs had already been moved earlier in the day.

Water buckets had been filled.

The gates were closed.

For the first time in a while, I felt caught up.

When I finally headed into the house, supper was waiting.

A couple of days ago, I’d made a pot of macaroni using my Mom Enid’s wonderfully simple recipe.

Mom passed over twenty-two years ago.

Yet somehow, every time I make that macaroni, she’s still here.

With a steaming plate of Mom’s macaroni and my faithful old tea pot quietly brewing another pot of tea, it was the perfect ending to a long day’s work.

Sometimes the richest life isn’t measured by how much we own.

It’s measured by healthy pastures.

By animals that trust us.

By old family recipes that still warm both the body and the heart.

And by the quiet satisfaction that comes from knowing you’ve left the land just a little better than you found it.

After five years of building Briden Farm, one pasture, one fence, one animal, and one day at a time, I wouldn’t trade days like today for anything.

“This is what happens when you give animals a job, rotate them thoughtfully, and give the land time to recover.”

Until next time…

From all of us here at Briden Farm, thank you for following along on our journey. Have a wonderful evening, and may God bless. 🌿🐑🍵 

Brian

Briden Farm