Remembering Fred Groverman

I was honored to be asked to speak at the Celebration of Life for Fred Groverman on April 23. I wanted to share a bit more about Fred's legacy in the sheep world.

In his outstanding essay, “Let the Farm Judge,” Wendell Berry writes:

“What does it mean that an island [England] not much bigger than Kansas… should have developed 60 or so breeds of sheep? It means that many thousands of farmers were paying the most discriminating attention, not only to their sheep, but also to the nature of their local landscapes and economies for a long time…. The result, when such an effort is carried on by enough intelligent farmers in the same region for a long time, is the development of a distinct breed that fits regional needs. Such local adaptation is the most important requirement for agriculture, wherever it occurs.”

Fred’s beloved Shropshire sheep are the result of “many thousands of farmers” paying attention to local conditions for a long time. More importantly, I think, Fred is the epitome of a wise farmer working in the same region for a long time. He’ll be missed. He is missed.

I was introduced to Fred – as many of us in the greater sheep world were, I suspect – by Cody Heimke. We were trying to rebuild our small sheep flock following the last big drought, and Cody thought Fred’s Shropshire genetics would be a great compliment to our Cheviot mules. And was Cody ever right.

If you ever bought sheep from Fred, you’ll know that it wasn’t just a matter of showing up and loading your sheep. Fred wanted to be sure that you also knew about his management system. He made sure you saw his pastures and his barns – and the rest of his sheep. You were buying sheep, but Fred forced you to look deeper – to see the importance not only of his genetics but of his approach to raising sheep. I learned something every time I visited Fred.

Several years ago, after buying the last set of rams I’d buy from him, I had the opportunity to interview Fred for a weekly podcast I produce with fellow shepherd Ryan Mahoney and Dr. Rosie Busch, our extension sheep and goat veterinarian. I listened to it again as I was thinking about what to say today – what a treat to hear Fred’s voice!

During our conversation, Fred joked that he was proud to have raised twenty-five feet of children – that he was proud to be the shortest man in his family. We talked about his family’s history in northern California (and in Petaluma specifically), about milking cows and caring for chickens as a kid, about going to vet school, and about the Shropshire genetics his father imported from the UK. But the three things I most loved about our conversation were these:

1. We talked about his lifelong love of learning. “Keep asking questions,” he told me. “There’s so much to be curious about.”
2. I asked him what he would tell a young person who wanted to get started in sheep. “Find someone to help you – find a mentor.” Fred was a mentor to many, including me.
3. I asked him how he responded when someone told him, “Sheep are stupid.” He said, “I’d say, ‘You haven’t spent enough time watching them.’” I suspect there were few things Fred enjoyed more than watching his sheep.

Our first set of lambs this year was born several days after Fred’s passing in mid-February – a spectacular set of Shropshire twins out of a daughter of the ewes we bought from Fred in 2015. As I watched these first lambs of 2022 stand on wobbly legs and start looking for the teat, I couldn’t help but feel Fred smiling down at us – sheep and shepherd alike.