Producer
All Sorts Acres
Contact: Tim Fisher
Address: 312088 Highway 6 Ayton, , N0G 1C0
Phone: 226-203-2273
Website: www.allsortsacres.ca
About Us
Tim Fisher and Jennifer Osborn are the proud farmers of All Sorts Acre. A gift of two Shetland sheep started them on a journey they never could have anticipated. They would have never believed that 10 years later Tim & Jennifer would be milking a flock of sheep and making ice cream, cream cheese, and other sheep milk goodies.
Jennifer's lifelong involvment and education around animals, permaculture training and teaching, nature awareness, and art background have all contributed to her success as a shepherd. Tim's environmental Engineering, and large scale composting experience have really helped with soil stewardship of the land.
The on-going joke on the farm is that Jennifer manages the front end of the sheep, and Tim deals with the back end.
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT OUR ICE CREAM?
It all begins with the milk. We offer premium, hand crafted, small batch sheep milk ice cream using milk from our pastured sheep, and local, organic, and fair trade ingredients.Each batch fresh weekly and carefully hand packed in our on-farm approved facility. It goes from our farm to you!
KEEPING IT REAL. KEEPING IT SIMPLE
We personally source local produce from like-minded farmers and use fair-trade and organic ingredients. Simple, traditional handmade ice cream is what we make. What we make is delicious.
ABOUT SHEEP’S MILK
Sheep’s milk is also unique in its structure. Many of those who are lactose intolerant, and cannot drink cow or goat milk, can consume sheep’s milk. Sheep milk nutritionally out-performs goat & cow’s milk in almost all areas:
44% more Energy than cow’s milk
45% more Protein than cow’s milk
50% more Iron than cow or goat’s milk
38% more Calcium
90% more Folic Acid than goat’s milk (similar levels in cow’s milk)
50% more Vitamin B12 than cow’s milk
Higher levels of key vitamins A, D, E & C than both cow & goat’s milk
Many people who have an intolerance or sensitivities to cow’s milk find that they can consume sheep’s dairy products successfully because sheep milk contains higher levels of medium-short-chain fatty acids (MCT), which aids in the absorption of lactose. MCT also limits and/or inhibits cholesterol deposits.
From: http://nzsheepmilk.co.nz/nutritional-faqs/
Jennifer's lifelong involvment and education around animals, permaculture training and teaching, nature awareness, and art background have all contributed to her success as a shepherd. Tim's environmental Engineering, and large scale composting experience have really helped with soil stewardship of the land.
The on-going joke on the farm is that Jennifer manages the front end of the sheep, and Tim deals with the back end.
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT OUR ICE CREAM?
It all begins with the milk. We offer premium, hand crafted, small batch sheep milk ice cream using milk from our pastured sheep, and local, organic, and fair trade ingredients.Each batch fresh weekly and carefully hand packed in our on-farm approved facility. It goes from our farm to you!
KEEPING IT REAL. KEEPING IT SIMPLE
We personally source local produce from like-minded farmers and use fair-trade and organic ingredients. Simple, traditional handmade ice cream is what we make. What we make is delicious.
ABOUT SHEEP’S MILK
Sheep’s milk is also unique in its structure. Many of those who are lactose intolerant, and cannot drink cow or goat milk, can consume sheep’s milk. Sheep milk nutritionally out-performs goat & cow’s milk in almost all areas:
44% more Energy than cow’s milk
45% more Protein than cow’s milk
50% more Iron than cow or goat’s milk
38% more Calcium
90% more Folic Acid than goat’s milk (similar levels in cow’s milk)
50% more Vitamin B12 than cow’s milk
Higher levels of key vitamins A, D, E & C than both cow & goat’s milk
Many people who have an intolerance or sensitivities to cow’s milk find that they can consume sheep’s dairy products successfully because sheep milk contains higher levels of medium-short-chain fatty acids (MCT), which aids in the absorption of lactose. MCT also limits and/or inhibits cholesterol deposits.
From: http://nzsheepmilk.co.nz/nutritional-faqs/
Practices
What is Whole Animal Farming? It is what we feel we do here on our farm. We have never felt comfortable about raising animals just for meat. After practicing permaculture for so many years, we feel that each species we have here on the farm must preform more than one function. So our sheep not only provide lamb, but also give us wool, and milk for our delicious sheep milk ice cream. Our ducks provide us with eggs, meat, and ducklings. Our chickens give us eggs, manure, and provide the vital service of scratching up the duck area.
We like to raise animals that are balanced in the traits they have. We believe this provides us with a hardier, and healthier animals that is more suited to our climate, and management system.
Some of the regenerative and welfare based farming practices used at All Sorts Acre include:
- rotational grazing to prevent ovegrazing of the land
- not overstocking the land
- non-GMO feed
- keeping some areas of the farm specifically for wildlife such as grassland birds, pollinators, native plants, insects, and predators
- keeping native marshland intact to maintain water quality- the farm has a wonderful marsh that is resident to many species of animals. In many ways it's the pride and joy of the farm.
Our animal husbandry philosophy of farming is directed by the Five Freedoms. The five freedoms as currently expressed are:
- Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor
- Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
- Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
- Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind
- Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering
We like to raise animals that are balanced in the traits they have. We believe this provides us with a hardier, and healthier animals that is more suited to our climate, and management system.
Some of the regenerative and welfare based farming practices used at All Sorts Acre include:
- rotational grazing to prevent ovegrazing of the land
- not overstocking the land
- non-GMO feed
- keeping some areas of the farm specifically for wildlife such as grassland birds, pollinators, native plants, insects, and predators
- keeping native marshland intact to maintain water quality- the farm has a wonderful marsh that is resident to many species of animals. In many ways it's the pride and joy of the farm.
Our animal husbandry philosophy of farming is directed by the Five Freedoms. The five freedoms as currently expressed are:
- Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor
- Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
- Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
- Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind
- Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering