Morgan Springer has worked full time at This Old Farm for the past 2 years. He found This Old Farm in 2010 when he was looking for sheep processors and found that we were hiring after we rebuilt after the fire. He started working for us during his summers in high school when we were at the farmers markets at Eli Lilly and Traders Point Creamery. Morgan is a 10-year 4-H’er who raised and showed Suffolk and Polypay sheep breeds. He was raised on a hobby farm dedicated to keeping enough lamb in the freezer for the winter and a little more to sell on the side. After high school Morgan went to college to study and work in the culinary industry. He loves to create new recipes and his favorite lamb recipe is Adobe Crusted Lamb Chops (see lamb recipes in August Specials).
Morgan supervises operations at This Old Farm’s 88 acre farm where he lives and cares for 150 Katahdin ewes, working around the clock in lambing season, December through March. This summer Morgan went to the Grazing 102 Program sponsored by Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center (SIPAC). Grazing 102 was a program designed to help producers understand important concepts needed to make a management intensive grazing program work in their operation. The program focused on production components such as plant growth and development, fencing systems, soil fertility, forage identification and use, watering systems, forage economies, extending the grazing season, and determining forage needs.
Morgan came back from training knowing better how to ensure grazable grasses, identify good and bad weeds, and include enough legumes like Clover, Hickory, and Timothy with higher nutrient value. We have always used rotational grazing practices, but have been working hard on pasture improvement and management standards for our growing flock and we are seeing great results in the crop of lambs. Yesterday we sorted off those over 80 lbs and had several over 100 lbs in 6 months on grass alone! This is a good mark for the Katahdin breed. Our goal is to raise 300 ewes as we put more fence in and more pasture in. Call us if you want to take a tour of our farm during lambing season or learn more about our exciting 5-10 year plans for growth as we recently purchased 5 acres around the facility.
Morgan also assists Adam, our Value-Added Butcher, in the kitchen with our smoked meats, slicing bacon and ham and has also been training with Kerry, our Head Butcher learning whole animal butchery and how to breakdown sides of hanging beef and pork into various cuts of meats. In the long term one of his goals is to develop more recipes and more variety, through creating pre-seasoned, ready to cook meats, packaged with seasonings and sauces ready for easy preparation at home! Check out several of Morgan’s delicious lamb recipes in August Specials!