Sometimes the universe has a funny way of working things out. This is one of those instances. As some of you already know, earlier this year, The Living Farm in Paonia, Colorado named one of their spring lambs after me.
Longtime readers should be familiar with The Living Farm as I’ve written about it here on HeidiTown.com.
I was very honored by this gesture and was able to meet Heidi during my visit to Delta County at the end of July. She was a big four month old by then, not really a lamb, but more of a sheep, however, she still sat on my lap as if she’d known me her entire life.
Fast forward to two week ago when I got an email from Lynn Gillespie of The Living Farm, informing me that Heidi had been bought by a farm on the Front Range. As fate would have it, Heidi’s new home, SkyPilot Farm & Creamery (permanently closed) is just 25 minutes from my home. It seemed written in the stars that Heidi and I should meet again.
I arranged a visit to SkyPilot Farm & Creamery and arrived at the farm on a hot afternoon last week. Little did I know that this was more than just a chance to say “hi” to my favorite sheep, Heidi, this was a chance to meet two of the nicest farmers in Colorado.
An idea that started with Craig Scariot and Chloe Johnson’s desire to get out of loft living and onto property, has now grown into a full-fledged farm with more than 200 sheep, six dogs, some pigs, lots of chickens and a flock of ducks.
Upon arrival, I was exuberantly greeted by Maybelle and Whiskey, the farm’s two youngest dogs – I refer to them as “guard dogs in training.” Although they certainly weren’t very scary unless you are afraid of dog slobber, which I am not. As puppies they lived with the lambs this spring and the lambs seem to consider these puppies siblings.
While Chloe spent summers on her dad’s Oklahoma ranch, neither Scariot or Johnson grew up farming, but you’d never know it when you meet them. Farm life seems to suit them well, and their passion for the lifestyle and their love of their animals is palpable.
Heidi’s job at SkyPilot will be to be a good mamma and milker. Only having been at SkyPilot Farm a few days when I got there, she was a little skittish and there was no lap sitting on this visit, but I’m sure she’ll settled in quickly to her new Front Range digs.
Craig and Chloe still have a lot of work to do on the 40 acre, 100-year-old farm they purchased in Longmont last year. There are buildings that have to come down and others that must be renovated, including the farmhouse that they now call home. But the two are positive and enthusiastic about the future of SkyPilot Farm which will one day include an onsite creamery.
Sheep’s milk is highly sought after by cheese makers, and this will likely be their main consumer. They plan to make their own cheese as well.
Today, the farm offers pork, lamb and eggs to customers, many of whom love coming to the farm to pick up their goods.
If you’d like to check out SkyPilot Farm & Creamery, Craig and Chloe would love to host you. You can meet the SkyPilot animals and learn about the farm’s herd shares (think CSA, but with animal products instead of vegetables).
Thank you to Craig and Chloe for the farm tour and thank you for the lamb chops. We cooked them up this past weekend and had an amazing meal. I do believe that we are lamb converts.
Here’s how to connect with the farm:
970-581-0647
info@skypilotfarm.com
Permalink