Hidden Gems: Meet Kimberly Ritchie of Firefly Hollow Farm

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Ritchie.

Hi Kimberly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the mother of three with a background in education and yoga. I never expected I’d be teaching my daughters to care for a flock of fifty registered Icelandic sheep. It’s been ten years since a year-long sabbatical in Costa Rica and my certification in Kundalini yoga led our family into a deep discussion on universal energy, knowing where our food comes from, and the health and happiness of the planet, animals, and ourselves. Slowly some of us transitioned to vegetarians and the rest to eating only meat we raised ourselves. Immediately we felt better, in every way.

We had the acreage, so it was natural to start producing for others to share. Has it been easy? Not always, there is a steep learning curve to raising sheep in the Midwest and South (my experience with sheep goes back to my childhood in Colorado where raising them was much easier) The heat, humidity, and resulting parasites are challenges, especially for a breed that originated in Iceland and only arrived in North America in the mid-1990s, but Icelandic lamb meat is unlike any lamb I’d ever tasted. I’d grown up not liking lamb, but the mild Icelandic lamb is a delicacy in Iceland for a reason. It’s absolutely delicious. The meat has a high proportion of Omega-3 fatty acids. This factor became extremely personal when a family member was diagnosed with myocarditis after having Covid. A strict diet was prescribed that included only grass-fed meat. Thankfully we had a freezer full of Icelandic lamb. We credit much of his recovery to eating an anti-inflammatory diet that included grass-fed meat, and in this case, Icelandic lamb. When you factor in that Icelandics are a triple-purpose breed, which means they produce meat, milk, and wool, they are the perfect choice for homesteaders wishing to establish a more independent food source. It also helps that they’re stunningly beautiful, intelligent, and hardy.

In August, this journey led us from outside Chicago to Bon Aqua, Tennessee. Our good friends Brian and Sally Oxley, who own the Johnny Cash farm, visited in May and met our flock of Icelandic sheep. They were captivated and interested in having their own flock.

Considering that the farm https://www.storytellershideawayfarm.com in Bon Aqua is over 100 acres it was a possibility worth discussing. A month later the Winding Stair Farm in Franklin, North Carolina was looking for a new ram. Soon we were discussing a ram swap between two Icelandic rams named Amadeus and Huckleberry. But where to meet? I was coming from Illinois and they were coming from south of Asheville. The rams involved were a grandson of a ram still in Iceland and a ram with a rare color pattern.

Both were eye-catching, well built, and about to descend on the farm that Johnny Cash called his refuge. Brian and Sally Oxley took hospitality to a new level when they graciously said, ‘sure! bring your ram!’ It was all the encouragement I needed. I brought along a solar-powered electro-net fence, as well as Amadeus’s buddy named Rainbow, and we found a beautiful hill with a wide tree to make a home for the weekend. The Hideaway Farm in Bon Aqua was more than I ever expected! Located a short drive west of Nashville on I-40, this was the place Johnny Cash used to escape from public life. Now the Storytellers Hideaway Farm and Museum is sharing a piece of Johnny Cash that is breathtakingly up close and personal. We listened to Johnny’s nephew sing, met countless people inspired by Johnny’s legacy, and breathed in the peaceful tranquility of Bon Aqua. The Oxleys are shepherds of a magical place and we spent time discussing sustainable agriculture and heritage breeds. It is yet to be determined if Icelandic sheep will grace Johnny’s farm in the future, but the gracious welcome that Amadeus received was priceless.

It allowed my daughter, husband, and I to explore Nashville. The replica of the Parthenon was impressive. I had no idea it was there and the sunken gardens surrounding it were lovely. Truthfully, I wasn’t fully prepared for downtown to remind me quite so much of Cabo Spring Break 1995, and I still don’t understand how no one falls off the bicycle bars cruising down the street! But I suppose that shall remain a great mystery of Broadway, the Honky Tonk Highway. French Boots was a fun stop before we splurged on incredible oysters at The Southern Steak and Oyster, followed by the John Anderson tribute show at the Grand Ol’ Opry. We returned to Johnny Cash’s farm and checked on the sheep under the stars. There is a dreamlike quality to Hideaway Farm in the moonlight.

By Monday, the Winding Stair, a certified naturally grown farm located in the mountains of Western North Carolina, was there to swap their impressive ram Huckleberry who had originally come from Vermont. They raise their sheep, poultry, and vegetables along the Nantahala River, offering tours, camping, and glamping www.windingstairfarm.com. They had been a pleasure to communicate with and I was looking forward to meeting them. With the help of my teenage daughter and their 12-year-old daughter, we smoothly swapped two large-horned rams.

I can understand why the Hideaway Farm was so precious to Johnny Cash. I can’t help but think if he was looking down during the iconic Icelandic ram swap, that took place outside his front door, he would have had a good chuckle. Neither ram was named Sue, but then again, no ram is perfect. Thanks for a great trip Tennessee! Thank you for the hospitality Hideaway Farm! We’ll certainly be back!

For anyone interested in learning more about Icelandic sheep go to the Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America https://isbona.com. You can stay in touch with us at Firefly Hollow Farm at https://www.fireflyhollowfarm.com or reach me with any questions at [email protected].

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Learning to raise your own food, no matter what it is, is a challenge. So many of us are distanced from the work and knowledge required to provide for ourselves. There’s this fantasy of a self-reliant homestead, and there’s the reality of watching things not thrive despite your best efforts. This is compounded by the fact that usually there is another career, or job, or school, or motherhood, or…. fill in the blank, so you are constantly juggling responsibilities to achieve that ‘dream’. The good part is that it gets easier! Whether it’s a large garden, orchard, sheep, chickens, or another project, you do gain ground every year. Your methods get more solid, your ground becomes more fertile as you tend it,
your animals get hardier under your care,, and it does get easier.

Of course, success will bring questions like, do we grow? can we break even? can we make a profit? are we still enjoying all this? If the answer is yes, then connect with your community and market what you have to share. Large swaths of this country need to de-stigmatize agricultural pursuits. We need to offer an alternative for those looking to source their meat, produce, and other items locally.

One of our greatest challenges has been remaining committed to natural methods. We only sell lamb that is entirely grass-fed, no grain will ever be consumed. Our lamb is hormone and antibiotic-free. We avoid the chemicals that have become standard practice on many farms. We grow our own hay (that’s a challenge in and of itself!) and are committed to regenerative grazing methods that keep our soil and animals healthy. Yes, these are all challenges, but they’re also the foundation of everything we do. A grass-fed operation is only as strong as its grass. Every year we try to incorporate one more improvement.

This year we have researched old shepherding methods involving herbs. I believe by introducing them into our pastures that we can strengthen our flock’s immunity and improve their growth rates and wool quality. I’m excited to introduce another natural method with the help of knowledgeable mentors.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are proud to sell grass-fed Icelandic lamb, luxuriously thick sheepskins, and wool products ranging from roving to yarn, to lopi. We love our flock and are dedicated to raising happy, well-cared-for animals, using natural methods that are beneficial to the flock as well as the environment. We hope to return to offering more aerial yoga and farm & fiber classes in the upcoming year.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
I grew up in western Colorado and attended CU in Boulder. Most of my childhood memories revolve around the outdoors. I grew up in a large family, the oldest of eight children, and my parents were always finding ways to stay active. Many Saturdays were spent hiking and scrambling over red slick rock and surmounting mountain passes. I was fortunate to learn to ride young and horses have always been a part of my life.

When I was around ten years old a Greek family, who ranged sheep over thousands of Rocky Mountain acres, gifted us ‘bummer lambs’. These are lambs that for whatever reason the mother cannot care for. They require bottles every three hours for the first weeks of their lives. This is something that is dauntingly exhausting to me now, but at that age, it was a deeply enriching experience. I credit my love of sheep to those early Greek shepherds who continued to nurture our shepherding as I joined 4-H and began to show and promote sheep.

When I left for college and then moved to Los Angelos I never expected to own a flock again! It’s amazing how life can surprise us, and if we can stay open to experiences, it can provide us ways of returning to things that gave us great joy as children. It’s been a blessing to be able to teach my children the old-world skills of shepherding.

One of my favorite parts is the deep seasonal cadence it provides in our lives. There is a rhythm to shepherding that requires the shepherdess to slow down and appreciate each season. I love that! It connects me with so many childhood memories rooted in nature and family.

Contact Info:

• Website: Fireflyhollowfarm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyhollowfarm/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fireflyhollowfarm/