Superior Farms is an American lamb purveyor that provides pasture raised, all-natural lamb products with no added hormones. The farm is dedicated to sustainability throughout their operation. In the following article, Superior Farms provides an overview of the Sheep Discovery Center, a new operation, which opened in April 2022, as well as a look at the facility’s innovations, sustainability aspects, and environmental impacts.
The Sheep Discovery Center utilizes state-of-the-art technologies and practices to pave the way forward for a new way to breed and rear farm-to-table American lamb. They aim to provide the best welfare possible for their livestock, as well as maintain a reduced environmental footprint.
Superior Farms discusses more about the innovations of the Sheep Discovery Center below.
Superior Farms Supports Sheep Welfare
Support at Each Stage of Growth
The welfare of the livestock is at the heart of everything that the Sheep Discovery Center does. This is primarily centered around making sure that the sheep have everything that they need at each stage of their growth and development.
Superior Farms explains that when lambs are born, they are kept with their mothers in special crib pens to allow them the best start in life possible. From there, they are able to socialize with other lambs and explore both the comfort of the purpose-built barns and the pasture space.
Formulated Feed
Superior Farms says that the center also works with veterinarians and nutritionists to ensure that the sheep have the best feed options possible. Gestating ewes have their own formulation, as well as those that are lactating. Depending upon the age of the lamb, their feed will also be tailored to provide the optimum nutrients for each stage of development.
Technological Innovation
The Sheep Discovery Center uses Flock 54 technology to test the genetic makeup of their livestock. Superior Farms says that this allows them to check for health concerns, but also mark the positive traits and lines that are resistant to various diseases.
Information is gathered on every single animal in the care of the farm through the use of electronic identification tags (EIDs). This provides monitoring of the individual lambs so the farm can tailor health care and any other interventions that the sheep may need.
Using the collective information gathered automatically by electronic software epurposed from the dairy industry, informed decisions can then be made for future generations of the flock.
Superior Farms says that the Sheep Discovery Center also leverages IoT (Internet of Things) technology when it comes to the lighting system used in the barns. Brightness and timing can be customized remotely, leading to less disturbance of the flock, while providing the perfect environment for them. This in turn optimizes the lambing cycles for the ewes.
Environmental Impact
Year-Round Breeding
The Sheep Discovery Center minimizes the impact of power, energy, and resource spikes that traditional farms experience by breeding their ewes year-round, thanks to their IoT-powered LED lighting system. This means that the farms’ energy output is consistent and can be more easily managed both on and off site.
Sustainable Feed
Superior Farms explains that not only is the supplemental feed optimized for maximum nutritional benefit, but it is also created and dispensed in a sustainable way.
The feed contains microgreens that are grown hydroponically which cuts down on the water needed for their production. This can be a reduction of up to 99% compared to traditionally grown and irrigated fodder supplies.
The prepared feed is then distributed via an automatic bunk feeding system which means that each sheep gets exactly the type and quantity of feed that they need. Delivering the food in this way means that less food is spilled or wasted.
Managing Waste
Superior Farms explains that the quality of the manure produced by the flock at the Sheep Discovery Center is closely monitored to not only assess the health of the sheep but also how it will benefit the soil when used as fertilizer.
To do this, the Sheep Discovery Center works with an agronomist to assess the effects on the soil. The used straw and fresh manure are then sold to local farms for use on their fields, which in turn helps to produce more hay for the center.
Future Sustainability
The future for the Sheep Discovery Center is to reach carbon neutrality with their lamb production and be able to offer American lamb all year round. Their meat is shipped within the US, resulting in a carbon footprint that’s significantly less than that of imported lamb operations.
The center is expected to reach full capacity by 2024, employing 25 staff members and providing a boost of $6,000,000 to the local economy in Utah each year.
