Looking for an owner

I currently live in in Illinois but I rent a house. I am looking to work with a traditional farmer to learn how to farm like my grandparents did. The old ways have so much to teach us and I would like to learn. Along side this opportunity I am trying to lease an acre from this farmer to incorporate raising sheep to turn a profit. Which I plan to pay the farmer to do all of the above.

Hello Becca,

I too live in Southern Illinois.  SI is a relatively large place.  Could you narrow down approximately where you live just to give an idea (don't worry, I certainly don't want a street address)?

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Hello Becca,

I too live in Southern Illinois.  SI is a relatively large place.  Could you narrow down approximately where you live just to give an idea (don't worry, I certainly don't want a street address)?

Eric

I currently live in the Madison county area so anywhere within a hour drive

Ok, so St. Louis Metro area.  

There is lot of very nice land within an hour drive of Madison County, though that is not the area with which I am intimately familiar.  For my purposes, Southern Illinois is much farther south, but that’s just my idiosyncrasy.

Eric

The best place to met farmers is at the local feed store.  

At one of mine the local farmes get together to have coffee and tell tall tales. so morning are when you find them.

Finding one that already raise sheep would be a plus as the farmer might give you tips about raising sheep.

Not sure how you would raise sheep to turn a profit on only an acre?  Would you be selling the lambs, shearing for wool?  I've raised a few sheep and goats over the years in various numbers from a couple to maybe 10 max.  You might be able to raise a couple of lambs on an acre if it was in good condition, but any more than that you would be supplementing a lot, especially in the winter time.  I've only ever raised them for meat, and grass control, and once had a wool sheep sheared for yarn.  With goats I had a deal for a few years with a drum maker who wanted the fresh skins...

Instead of paying the farmer to teach you, what about getting a job as a farm hand for a farmer who has sheep?
I don't know anything about Southern Illinois sheep farmers, but in Southern Idaho there are lots of big outfits with many thousands of sheep. Quite often I see ads in the paper for farm hands.