Mission Statement
- To develop, multiply, and distribute a hardy breed of hair sheep for the creation of local flocks to supply pasture raised and grass fed lamb local markets.
- To use these businesses to build relationships and pride in the community, and to give opportunity to persons in need in rural areas. To brand this production system.
- To shepherd man and beast in the enterprise. To glorify God. Develop an educational center that is a retreat location and a quiet place of learning, contemplation, and healing.
Background and general hypothesis:
Our condition.
We believe the human condition reflects our design.
We are constantly seeking, curious, and in search of meaning.
We search for good things to fill the memory. We are active and yet we need rest and quiet.
We seek what is wholesome in life and what is truth. In fact, when found this is one of life’s treasures. Abundant life.
Local food production.
Local food production is immortal. It brings pride and self- sufficiency to the human community. It brings commerce and communication and facilitates people working together. High quality protein is desired by all humankind. A reasonable plane of nutrition brings health to all. Meat produced on grasslands provides the original and healthiest source available.
Locavore Concept
There is a major movement occurring in North America. The concept of a locavore or “eater of local products” is new,exciting, and growing exponentially. We all know carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore. Meet your locavore. Local food is fresh, not shipped long distances (requires little use of fossil fuels or preservatives in the meat), and will reflect sustainable models. This is the ultimate green anti-commodity business strategy. Markets are springing up everywhere. Up 283% since 2000.
Grassland pastures are ubiquitous in the Americas. Many are underutilized or used only for stocking cattle. Hairsheep can be pastured as individual flocks or cograzed with cattle to the benefit of both species. This strategy minimizes the use of wormers and herbicides. Each of the two species will consume plant species that the other does not favor.
Our thoughts about local production. …
Grassland is nature.
Grassland management produces better grasslands. Grassland management involves herbivores harvesting and treading the grassland and leaving behind organics that are part of the system. Nature is not monoculture. Grassland management is not monoculture. Nature is a pasture salad of forbes, browse, and grass.
It is the turn of the seasons and the turnover of carbon and nitrogen.
The pasture salad is green and the beast that grazes there is robust. Health abounds in all. The grass, the beast, the man that is steward to both …..the shepherd.
We know the shepherd. We know his brand and his dogs. We know his sheep and we know his lamb and his leather. Guardian dogs protect his sheep from predators. He is our neighbor. We live together in this community. We shake hands as we proudly interact with each other. We speak to each other. We work together in trust,faith, love, and in community. We shepherd each other. There is something primal ? basic ? in producing sustenance for another human being. People need to feed other people. We need to see it happening. It is integral to the human bond. Building enterprise. Building trust. Building community. Building faith. Cultures that prosper have a sense of community, faith in community, and include communities of faith.
It is without question that local production has other efficiencies. For World Shepherd Project they are welcome added benefits but not the main objective.
Sheep have been pastured to benefit man for thousands of years. The first ever “meat” animal domesticated . Pastoral and peaceful. The sheep need the shepherd and the guardians to overcome their vulnerability. The flock recognizes the shepherd’s voice. Lambs that trust the sound. Their entire life spent on pasture……..
Community.
World Shepherd Project believes that we are losing our sense of community.
There is something essential in face to face relationships.
Sharing and caring for each other is in decline as we are bombarded with media hyper input, exciting sights and sounds, and streams of meaningless facts.
A strong sense of community is the result of working together, learning together, eating together, doing for each other, and by the provision of good examples for others to follow, and by meaningful experiences shared.
A strong community is emboldened by certain truths. The love of God and the grace of God in each of our lives are the bricks and mortar that holds a community together.
Vision statement:
Build, refine, multiply, and distribute a balanced breed of meat sheep with low management input suitable for a pasture based extensive system using grassland and little or no human consumable grains. Make them available to the public.
World Shepherd currently has an integrated supply chain model in operation as a pilot location in Georgia. Breeding flocks, production flocks, an inspected outsourced local processing facility, an approved label and customers.
Two units comprise World Shepherd Project.
World Shepherd Project Genetics and Services.
Breed development. Flock Gifts. Sales of breeding stock genetics in three forms: livestock, semen, and embryos.
Provision of livestock consulting, and veterinary herd health and reproduction services to the small ruminant industry.
Preservation of heritage breed germplasm.
Harvest and clearance of embryos and semen for export.
World Shepherd Project Lamb Meat Production and Processing .
Pasture raised, grass fed, healthy, high quality lamb meat and leather to serve local markets. Pasture reared, sustainable, low impact produced and humanely slaughtered.
Sales to the public. Custom slaughter and individually wrapped products for customers who desire a relationship with their sources of supply.
