When you drive onto Quarter Acre Woods Ranch south of Erskine, it's quickly apparent that the land isn't used to raise cattle or grow crops.
The distinct aura associated with cattle is absent, but it's more the mostly-white, fuzz-dotted fields that give away what's raised there.
James Nibourg and his wife Lori-Anne simply couldn't be attracted to raise cattle. The two simply fell in love with raising sheep.
When the Nibourgs bought the property about 15 years ago, it was rather overgrown, James Nibourg said. They bought a few "lawnmower" sheep to deal with the issue.
From there, the couple never looked back. It was just a matter of maximizing the profit they could make from their sheep, so they could finance the ranching they had come to love. They needed a breed that was hardy and able to adapt to Canada's winters, could make use of the small land area, and bring the most profit per head.
It was in 2012 when the pair began raising sheep, and at first, they raised the North Country Cheviot and the Blue-Faced Lester (BFL). Today, they mostly raise only BFLs, though they have a few Cheviots and cross-breeds on the farm.
"Some breeds are prone to multi-births," James Nibourg explained. "I mean three or four lambs at a time. We didn't want that – we're a bit more laid back."
The BFL ewes have single or double-births, which is much more manageable for him and Lori-Anne, he said.
The sheep breeds they raise "don't like to be pets," meaning that the Nibourgs don't have to spend a great deal of time mothering them, but they're not so independent that they don't get along with the farm's cats, dog, and humans.
"They're also great mothering sheep," James Nibourg said. "The lambs aren't abandoned and they're well-cared for."
The Nibourgs don't raise their sheep for meat, but instead for the yarny fleece that grows up on their backs. While some have been cross-bred to more meaty-types of sheep, almost all are BFLs or what the Nibourgs refer to as the UK mule, a cross-breed from a BFL ram and a hill-breed ewe.
The wool that comes from the Nibourg's sheep fetches a pretty penny, as it's high-quality and a more rare type.
"It's a long, fine wool," James Nibourg said. "Hand-spinners want that."
He said that the average sheep-shorn fleece can bring in about $1 a pound, the BFL fleece nets him anywhere from $10-$20 a pound. He's even had a few sell for more.
There's been some learning curves for the family.
"I thought my fences were good enough," James Nibourg said with a laugh. "I learned differently."
He spent a lot of time in those early days rebuilding and reinforcing fences, as well as chasing down sheep-on-the-loose. In fact, his first piece of advice to those contemplating raising sheep is about fences:
"Have good fences," he said. "You will enjoy your sheep much more if you have good fences."
Over the past four years, the Nibourgs have found that with proper management, pound-for-pound the sheep have come to be more profitable than cattle.
With only 45 per cent of the sheep consumed in Canada, there's plenty of space in the market for new producers.
Sheep producers in Canada have limited markets for exporting lamb, as when BSE struck Alberta years ago, sheep were also blacklisted for export.
While cattle export doors eventually reopened, those doors on sheep remain firmly closed.
The recent repudiation by the United States of COOL legislation removed country of origin label requirements for meat products – except for sheep.
With a strong market for Canadian lamb products, though, the restrictions aren't as harmful as they could be, Nibourg said. It doesn't affect him since he doesn't sell meat, just fleece.
The pair said they'd like to expand their sheep farm, but the cost of land has been a hurdle they've yet to overcome.
"We just can't afford the land," he said.