Caroline Reese Nelson had what might have been considered by other creatives a good career. By 2013 she had released two country-folk solo albums, ‘Indian River’ in 2010 and ‘Slow Code’ in 2013, and was a working, touring musician. Yet life on the road took a heavy toll and Caroline knew something had to change.

Then, four years ago, she left Philadelphia and moved to Townsend, Montana for a break. But what started out as a short summer getaway turned into a full-blown lifestyle change, when Caroline acquired four Icelandic sheep off Facebook Marketplace and slowly started building her own ranch.

She now has around 50 sheep and in this video gives us a glimpse into her daily duties and routine, to share what it’s really been like to start a sheep farm with no prior experience.

“Ranching is not like a typical job – there’s no real start or end to your day,” Caroline explains. “It’s just an endless list of tasks and it makes it hard to leave. So you have to know that this is what you want to do.

“Sometimes I joke with my husband that that’s why I wanted to get the sheep – so that I never could leave because I love it here.”

Ultimately, Caroline’s goal is to build a sustainable, regenerative grazing operation, prioritising native grass and forage. Working in partnership with her husband, the pair recently launched a direct-to-consumer pasture-raised beef and grass-fed lamb business, shipping to customers nationwide.

View the original video here.

Good Living is the Cyprus Mail’s portal of curated content from across the internet, showcasing local and global ideas, cultural highlights, and scientific and technological developments to inspire a sustainable life.