Like most people, I tend to focus on what is not going well or what we didn’t get to, but before we swap out the calendar, I wanted to pause and recognize all the sales achievements from this past year. After all, 2022 saw us take our lamb to market for the first time – just over two years after the sheep first arrived on the farm.
The other reason this list is a big deal to me is that I have never done these sorts of things before. While my parents have experience from their previous farm and their previous careers, they didn’t want to be involved in the sales aspect of Borderlands Farm. They offer advice and suggestions when asked, of course, but it is Brody and I taking the lead. Neither of us have ever sold anything before, so these accomplishments might seem small to others but are a big deal to us!
Here we go:
We successfully sold (and sold out) our lamb boxes using the website I made
Our lamb went to AJ’s Trading Post and Bogdala’s Smoked Meat
We did a road trip to customers in Dryden and Sioux Lookout
George’s market made custom lamb sausage using our recipe
Pieology made their Haggis hand pie using our ground lamb
All of our garlic scapes went to Superior Seasons for the second year in a row
Our garlic was included in the Neebing Picnic Baskets created by Eaten & Told
We became a vendor at the Thunder Bay Country Market
We sold wool, garlic and sunflowers at the Good Harvest Event at Goods & Co.
Garlic sold out; our 1 lb. bags went the fastest
Our wool batts are now available at Rohnda's Knitting Room and Wool Shop
I see this past year as just the beginning for us so looking to 2023 is really exciting. In addition to the ideas we have for our lamb, like making our own custom sausage (using our own lamb and our own garlic) and creating our own line of dehydrated lamb treats for dogs, we will also be able to do so much more with our wool once the wool mill and felting machines are up in running in the late spring. And of course, none of it would be possible without the support of you, the customer.
We have received so much support from the local community, from excellent feedback about the quality of our lamb and garlic, to compliments about our website, to excitement about the coming wool mill. When we talk to farmers in the south, it really becomes clear how lucky we are to have started a farm in a place where people truly care about sustainable, local agriculture. So we hope you will continue to support us as we head into 2023 and chapter 2 in the story of Borderlands Farm.
Image 1: At the Good Harvest event Sept. 18 at Goods & Co.
Image 2: Post from when George's used our lamb and Merguez receipe for a custom sausage.
Image 3: Brody and I in a photo taken in May by Raili of Tbay in Season