The birth of lambs
When Nature Slows Down and Milk Belongs to the Lambs
At Podere Il Casale, November is a special month. It’s the time of year when nature shifts its rhythm, becoming slower, quieter, and more introspective. The days grow shorter, the air turns crisp, and the pastures prepare for their winter rest. Our farm follows this same natural movement: it’s the moment when cheese production is reduced to a minimum.
Why is cheese production lower during this period?
The answer is simple: it’s the lambing season. Our sheep are busy nursing their newborns, and all the milk they produce is left entirely to them, ensuring each lamb grows strong, healthy, and naturally.
This is a choice rooted in respect for the rhythm of the herd and the wellbeing of our animals—principles that have always guided our work.
Limiting production in November is not a renunciation, but an act of consistency and love for what we do. It’s following nature rather than forcing it, accepting slowing down as an essential part of a cycle that repeats itself every year. The sheep nurse the lambs for about 4-5 weeks for proper growth, after which the mothers are taken to another part of the farmhouse to be milked again for cheese production. Currently, 50 sheep are already in milkable condition, and around Christmas they will be supplemented with another 20 sheep that have completed their lactation journey.
The lambing period: a time full of emotion
The first weeks of a lamb’s life are intense and delicate. Each day brings a small miracle:
- newborns take their first steps;
- they recognize their mothers by sound and scent;
- they begin exploring, curious and lively;
- the first bonds form as little groups of lambs start to play together.
Our role is to accompany this process with attention and constant presence. Lambing requires a safe, warm and clean environment. Most of the time, the ewes give birth on their own, just as nature intended; at other times, we step in gently to ensure the wellbeing of both mother and baby.
A slow and respectful way of working
During this period, the farm’s priority is not production but care:
- checking that every lamb is feeding well;
- monitoring the health of the mothers;
- keeping the barns protected and comfortable;
- maintaining a calm, stress-free environment.
It’s a daily work made of small gestures, patience, observation, and quiet dedication.
It is also an invitation to slow down—just like the winter season itself.
A winter that prepares for spring
The slowdown of November and the winter months is not an idle time but a moment of preparation. The sheep rear their young, the herd regains strength, and we focus on caring for the animals, maintaining the farm, and planning for the year ahead.
When spring returns and the lambs have grown, we will begin milking again, and cheese production will resume—bringing with it the quality that can only come from respecting nature’s cycles.
