When we began investigating milking sheep and making sheep cheese, we were only considering the wonderful types of cheese that we could produce using milk from sheep. Little did we know that we were about to embark on creating one of nature's healthiest foods for humans. Sheep milk has nearly twice the fat as cow or goat milk. However, the fats in sheep milk are primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated which have virtually no effect on cholesterol. Plus the fat in sheep milk is made up of short and medium chain fatty acids, making them easier for the human body to digest and eliminate. Sheep milk has more conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) than the milk from goats, cattle, and humans. CLA is a cancer-fighting, fat-reducing fat.
Another added benefit of sheep milk is that people who are lactose intolerant can usually enjoy sheep milk products even if they have trouble with cow or goat milk products.
It gives us a wonderful feeling to know that we are creating a product here on our farm that is a very sought after gourmet sheep cheese that is so delicious and on the flip side, the health benefits make our Good Shepherd Cheese a wonderful choice for health conscience individuals.
Over the past few years many consumers have found that the phrases - eating local, know your farmer & slow food are not just slogans they are a way to be in touch with our food supply.
Our Good Shepherd Cheese is made with all natural ingredients with no preservatives (except the normal amount of salt that is used to help turn milk into cheese). Our sheep graze on natural Kentucky pastures and are only supplemented with natural grain mixtures and minerals needed for healthy sheep. Antibiotics are used only sparingly and in extreme cases, with the animal then being withdrawn from the production herd for the specified amount of time. We never use steroids or growth hormones. We keep our sheep as stress free as possible. Calm, happy sheep give more and better milk.
Photo taken by Sara Dunham.
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