As passionate about the sheep that they shepard as they are about their “family” at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, Cindy and Mark Mackenzie of Observatory Hill Farm are a vendor that you will not want to miss.
Observatory Hill Farm has been at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market since its first season, and they truly feel they are part of a greater community. They contrasted the MSFM with other markets that can often feel impersonal or sterile.
“I love [the MSFM], it’s just got such a homey vibe,” Cindy said. “People come from the whole neighborhood around there, you see the same faces every week and it starts to feel like a big family. It’s got a great feel to it,” Mark added.
When explaining why they love farming, the couple pointed to the name used for farmers in Mark’s native country of Australia -- “primary producers.” They both were attracted to the idea of being a producer rather than a consumer.
“I’m at the origin of things. I’m hoping to put food on people’s tables and create wool that helps people to keep those original homemaking skills alive -- that is what I find fulfilling about it,” Cindy said. “When I sell fleece to a customer and I know that they are taking that wool and turning it into yarn and knitting it into some garments, it's very fulfilling for me to know that I provided them with that.”
Mark also explained where his love for farming stems from, “when I was growing up we always had a small farm with cattle on it, and one of the things I learned was that there was always something to do and I really like exercising my brain to do that. I love solving issues and constructing things, and there’s always plenty of things to do like that on the farm.”
Cindy and Mark met in Fiji while she was serving on the Peace Corps and he was on an overseas assignment. Engaged within six weeks, they lived in Australia for a few years before returning to the United States so that Cindy could attend graduate school at UW-Madison.
Cindy always had the “crazy idea of having a farm,” and indoctrinated Mark into her plans, and the two decided that Madison would be the perfect place to make their dreams come true.
“Madison is a really forward moving environment with lots of opportunities around, it’s a pretty high tech place,” Mark explained. “The whole progressive nature of Madison is where we wanted to be, so we were thrilled to find this property and think ‘wow, we could actually settle here!’” Cindy added.
After buying the land that would become Observatory Hill Farm, Cindy and Mark spent the next ten years preparing for their farm, which they truly “built from scratch.” In fact, the ten year anniversary of their farm is coming up this August.
“We’ve been learning through trial and error because it’s really hard to find a sheep school that you can go through,” Cindy jokingly explained. “It’s been a lot of joys, sorrows, blood, sweat and tears, and just learning everyday as the years have gone on.”
Growing up, Cindy would visit her relatives’ farms in Iowa and always felt envious of their lifestyle. She knew early on that when she was older she wanted to have a farm of her own. After learning how to spin the raw fleece of a sheep, she decided she wanted to “get even closer to the land” -- which is why they chose to work with sheep.
Now, they couldn’t imagine their lives without their sheep.
“I just love these sheep… everyday I feel deprived if I haven’t had my time,” Cindy said. “Honestly, I really enjoy being around them. They’re kinda like big dogs, which is really important to us.”
Their love of their animals shows itself in the care they provide for them. Cindy explained that there is an old adage among sheep farmers that a sick sheep is a dead sheep. To these shepherds, it’s a myth.
“We have a higher standard of care for our animals than I’ve seen on other sheep farms,” Cindy explained. “For other people I understand it is just a money making venture but for us we really love our sheep and we want to do the best we can by them.”
At the market, Observatory Hill Farm provides “everything [their] sheep can give,” which includes cuts of lamb, brats, hand-spun yarn and lamb skins in a variety of colors.
Make sure to shop at the Monroe Street Farmers Market on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Edgewood High School in Madison, Wisconsin.
For more information on Observatory Hill Farm, visit their website: http://observatoryhillfarm.com/wp/