ARRIVAL AND DIRECTIONS
The address is 131 Route 526, Allentown, New Jersey. The farm is located at the end of a very long gravel driveway that runs parallel to a single-story warehouse. Continue all the way down the driveway. When you reach the fork at the end, turn RIGHT.
There are two houses at the end of the driveway. Our farmhouse is on the right-hand side, next to the two red barns. You can’t miss it once you reach the end of the driveway. Again, we are on the right-hand side. Parking is limited, but there should be enough room. We will help direct you when you arrive.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I ATTEND?
To attend, simply email us at SheepyHollowFarms@icloud.com or message Sheepy Hollow Farms on Facebook. Please include the date you would like to attend and the total number of people in your group. We will reply to confirm your reservation or let you know if that workshop is full.
IS THERE A SET SCHEDULE?
There is no formal schedule. The workshop lasts approximately 90 minutes and will be interactive. We will spend most of our time out on the pasture discussing how we raise sheep, pigs, and chickens. We will demonstrate how we move, feed, and care for our animals and how we raise them ethically on pasture. We currently have 12 sheep and four pigs on the farm. Our chickens have already been processed for the season, but we will still explain how we raise them, show you our chicken tractors and equipment, and share what we have learned from raising poultry on pasture.
ARE CHILDREN ALLOWED?
Yes, children are welcome. However, this is a working farm, and children must be carefully supervised at all times. Our sheep can weigh more than 200 pounds. We also have pigs, electrified fencing, a creek, a pond, and uneven ground. Children must not chase the animals, enter animal enclosures, touch the fencing, or wander away from their parents or guardians.
WILL THERE BE HANDS-ON ANIMAL HANDLING?
You will be in the pasture and in close proximity to our sheep, pigs, pet ducks/Geese. Our sheep are very friendly, and you may have an opportunity to pet them - they are very curious. The pigs, which are still young (maybe 45lbs) will always be behing electric.
We will also provide a live demonstration of moving the sheep from one pasture area to another. Before the demonstration begins, we will turn off the electric fencing and explain how we safely relocate the flock. We will not grab, restrain, or wrangle any animals, they simply follow up. The experience is intended to let you observe the animals closely, spend time with them on pasture, and see how we manage their daily movement and care. We will also demonstrate how we move our pigs.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Boots or sturdy, closed-toe shoes are strongly recommended. Even if the weather is sunny, the grass will be wet from summer morning dew. Please expect your shoes and feet to get wet if you do not wear waterproof footwear.
Wear comfortable clothing suitable for walking through a pasture. We also recommend bringing bug spray and water.
WHAT TIME DOES THE WORKSHOP START?
The workshop begins at 10:00 a.m. If you arrive after 10:00, that is okay. We may already be out in the pasture, so look for us in the field.
WILL THERE BE PHOTOGRAPHY OR RECORDING?
Portions of the workshop may be photographed or recorded. By attending, you understand that you may appear in someone else’s photograph or recording.
You are also welcome to take photographs or recordings for personal use. Please be respectful of the other attendees and the animals.
WILL ANY ANIMALS BE PROCESSED DURING THE WORKSHOP?
No animals will be processed during the workshop.
We will show you our processing setup and discuss both on-farm processing and preparing animals for transportation to an off-farm processor.
WHAT WILL THE WORKSHOP COVER?
Topics will include:
• Rotational grazing with sheep and pigs
• Moving, feeding, and caring for livestock
• Training pigs and sheep to electric fencing
• Electric mesh, permanent, and electric-wire fencing
• Water systems and pasture management
• Chicken tractors and pasture-raised poultry equipment
• Ethical and humane animal care
• On-farm processing setups and transporting animals to an off-farm processor
The workshop is intended to be practical and interactive. Questions are encouraged throughout the session.
ABOUT THE FARMERS
We are Brian and Tina Clayton, and together with our two children we have farmed this property for a little over eight years. Our farming journey began with chickens about eleven years ago and has grown into a family passion alongside Brian’s corporate day job.
Over the years, we have raised sheep, pigs, ducks, turkeys, chickens, geese, quail, and goats. We have raised goats for about eight years, ducks and geese for about seven years, pigs for about five years, and sheep for about three years.
Sheepy Hollow Farms is just under 30 acres, with approximately 18 acres dedicated to or available for pasture and rotational grazing.
Our goal is to provide our family with food that has been raised ethically and humanely, with a limited supply also available to our local community. We try our best to avoid factory-raised meat because we want to know how the animals feeding our family lived and were cared for. Borrowing an idea inspired by pasture-farming teacher Joel Salatin, we like to say that our animals have “one bad day”: processing day. Until then, we work to give them rich, wholesome lives with fresh air, pasture, natural behavior, attentive care, and respect.
Education is also an important part of our mission. We want to help build awareness about ethically raised animals, pasture-raised and regenerative farming, and the realities of producing food responsibly.
Whether you hope to raise animals yourself or simply want to understand more about where your food can come from, we are happy to share what has worked for us, what has challenged us, and what we are still learning. We hope our experience can help others as they begin or continue their own farming journey.