Sustainable Heritage: The Romney Sheep of Merck Forest

Our heritage Romney sheep, prized for their lustrous wool and flavorful meat, connect visitors to agricultural traditions through interactive experiences like Meet the Lambs events, summer camps, and educational demonstrations that showcase sustainable farming practices and the cycle of seasons on our working landscape.

A Living Legacy on the Land

When you visit Merck Forest & Farmland Center, our flock of approximately 30 Romney sheep isn't just a picture-perfect pastoral scene—they're active participants in our mission to inspire curiosity, love, and responsibility for natural and working lands. As you hike through our trails in summer, look for the distinctive dark green patches across our hillsides—natural evidence of our sustainable winter feeding practices, where our sheep have enriched the soil without the need for heavy equipment or artificial fertilizers.

From Breeding to Lambing: The Cycle of Seasons

Fall brings the start of breeding season, when our ewes meet our ram, Bill. If you've ever wondered how we keep track of breeding dates, look for Bill's special harness with a wax crayon that marks the ewes—a simple, traditional method that helps us predict when spring lambs will arrive after the 147-day gestation period.

Spring transforms our farm into a place of new beginnings, especially during our popular Meet the Lambs event. Visitors of all ages delight in seeing newborn lambs take their first wobbly steps, while learning about sustainable farming practices that have sustained rural communities for generations. This year's keeper lambs follow our "Snack Foods" theme—keep an eye out for lambs named after your favorite treats like Cheez-It or Cheeto!

Education Through Engagement

Throughout the year, our sheep play starring roles in our educational programming. Summer campers learn about animal care and fiber arts while developing a tangible connection to our agricultural heritage. School groups discover the importance of working landscapes through hands-on experiences with our flock, gaining insights into the wool-to-textile process and sustainable meat production.

Our flock structure itself offers lessons in animal husbandry and farm management. We maintain two distinct groups—our breeding ewes with our ram during breeding season, and our non-breeding group including young lambs, retired ewes, and companion wethers who keep Bill company when breeding season ends.

More Than Just Livestock

The Romney breed, with its origins in England and introduction to America in 1904, represents an important piece of agricultural heritage. Recognized by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, our Romneys contribute to preserving genetic diversity while demonstrating the practical benefits of dual-purpose livestock—producing both exceptional wool with long, lustrous fibers perfect for spinning and dyeing, and lean, flavorful meat raised entirely on pasture.

When you visit Merck Forest & Farmland Center, our Romney sheep offer more than a glimpse of traditional farming—they provide a living connection to sustainable agricultural practices that honor the past while building toward a responsible future. Whether you're watching lambs frolic in spring, observing grazing patterns in summer, or learning about breeding in fall, our flock embodies our commitment to teaching through experience and inspiring responsible stewardship of working lands.

Come visit us soon to meet the flock and discover how these remarkable animals contribute to our 3,500-acre landscape of forest and farmland, where every season brings new opportunities for discovery and connection.