Jacobs Sheep

Fall is fabulous! The days have been perfect and the trees are starting to turn color.

Our new Mangalitsa pigs are doing very well. They are social and very soft with their wooly coats. We bought some of the meat and tried it. Fantastic flavor and texture. The fat is smooth and actually can be eaten straight. Found in very exclusive restaurants, Mangalitsa (MON-go-leet-sa) pigs are a classified “lard-type” breed. However, Mangalitsa pigs actually have more unsaturated fat (versus high levels of saturated fat) than conventionally bred pigs (classified as “meat-type pigs”). When cooked, Mangalitsa pork is exceptionally, juicy, tender, and marbled. Chefs rave about the meat and lard’s versatility—the lard can be whipped, and chefs don’t need to dress up the meat’s flavor with excess salt or spices. It tastes much “lighter”, “cleaner” and melts at a lower temperature. The fat is also healthier and keeps longer, due to higher levels of oleic acid. When cured, Mangalitsa meat makes unsurpassed hams, charcuterie, and salamis, due to the high monounsaturated fat content (versus high polyunsaturated fat in traditional pork).

We still have many crops in the field. I believe we are expecting a cold snap this week so we will probably lose much of them. We have prepped the fields for winter crops and will be planting soon.

The cute little fellow above is called a Jacob's. Wikipedia says: The Jacob sheep is a rare breed of small, piebald (colored with white spots), polycerate (multi-horned) sheep. Jacobs may have from two to six horns, but most commonly have four. The most common color is black and white, but they may also be blue and white or lilac and white in coloring. Jacobs are usually raised for their wool, meat, and hides. They are also kept as pets and ornamental animals, and have been used as guard animals to protect farm property from theft or vandalism and defend other livestock against predators.

Generally referred to as an unimproved or heirloom breed (one that has survived with little human selection), the Jacob is descended from an ancient Old World breed of sheep, although its exact origins remain unclear. Spotted polycerate sheep were documented in England by the mid–17th century, and were widespread a century later. Unlike most other old world breeds, the Jacobs of North America have not undergone extensive cross-breeding and selective breeding; their body habitus resembles that of a goat. Relative to their American counterparts, British Jacobs tend to be larger and heavier, and have lost many of their original characteristics through artificial selection.

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