This weekend, the annual Trailing of the Sheep festival celebrated various aspects of sheep cultures from across the world. We saw polish dancers, Scottish bagpipers, Peruvian singers, and of course, a fast moving herd of sheep running through the streets of Ketchum. Here’s a quick look at the weekend:

We started off on Friday evening with the Art and Lamb foodie fest.

We were lucky enough to be paired with Crristina’s.

She served up delicious lamb meatballs…

…and an enormous wheel of grana padano cheese.

We also were paired with local artist, Will Caldwell.

Saturday was the folklore fair, where we watched performances by Polish, Basque and Peruvian dancers,

as well as Scottish bagpipers.

Over at Quigley, we watched sheepdogs attempt to herd Lava Lake sheep.

It was not easy (check out this article).

Of course, finally the actual Trailing of the Sheep!

We took a few video clips from the weekend and hope to put together a short video to share with you soon!

The leaves are changing color and the sheep are on the move!

This weekend is Trailing of the Sheep in the Wood River Valley. Ranchers used to move their sheep from North to South by trailing them along the railroad tracks. When the rails were turned into trails, people were upset to find sheep on the bike path. John Peavey, of Flat Top ranch, says, “rather than fight it out…, we decided to invite people out to watch.” What started as an informal walk through town has turned into a large celebration of sheep, ranching culture and delicious lamb.

There are a number of events planned for the weekend. The first is a cooking class with Scott Mason, of Ketchum Grill from 1:00 to 2:30 pm today. He will be hosting a cooking class called Cooking with Lamb. Next there will be an Art and Lamb Foodie Fest. There will be free lamb tastings at a number of Ketchum restaurants, and each restaurant will also feature a local artist. We are fortunate enough to be paired with Christina’s. She’ll be serving up Lava Lake Lamb and the restaurant will be featuring art by Will Caldwell. You can also find lamb bites at the Roosevelt, CBG, the Sawtooth, Rasberry’s, nexStage and the Heritage and Ski Museum.

On Saturday, be sure to stop by the folklife fair from 10 am to 4 pm at Roberta McKercher park. See sheep shearing, sheep herding, sheep wagons, crafts, spinning and weaving demonstrations and performances by Peruvian, Basque, Scottish and Polish dancers and musicians. Lunch will also be for sale, featuring lamb prepared by chefs from around the valley. Try Lava Lake lamb ribs with apple buttermilk and blue cheese coleslaw, Chef Ken Sangha’s Tandoori Lava Lake Lamb wraps and Lava Lake Lamb Samosas from Full Moon Catering.

All day Saturday and Sunday, stop by the sheep dog trials at Quigley, where you can see some of the most talented handlers and border collies competing.

Also on Saturday, there will be a Lamb Dine-Around across the Valley. Lava Lake Lamb will be featured at Apple’s Bar and Grill, The Cellar Pub, CKs, Il Naso, Ketchum Grill, Papa Hemis, Perry’s, Sushi on Second and Rickshaw.

Finally on Sunday, check out the Trailing of the Sheep parade, followed by an authentic ranch-style barbecue in Ketchum.

Living in the Wood River Valley has many advantages. One is the high number of festivals various organizers manage to bring into the Valley throughout the year. Along with the chance to witness historic wagons round the corner onto main street, watch paragliders sail through the air and see outstanding artists perform, many of these events feature food. We dine well at the Sun Valley Wine Auction, Trailing of the Sheep Festival and this year at the retitled and refocused Sun Valley Harvest Festival (formerly the Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival).

This weekend, we look forward to joining in the celebration of Idaho’s wide array of sustainable and delicious food. The event will feature local food, wine and beer, as well as demos by chefs. Learn about dry rubs, canning and artisinal cocktail mixology from a variety of Idaho chefs. We’re particularly excited to see John Turene, who we’ve partnered with as part of the Green Cuisine initiative at St. Luke’s hospital. John will be presenting “Cook Once, Serve Twice, Satified Thrice! Enjoying the Gifts of the Season in Delicious, Healthful and Efficient Ways” at 11 am on Saturday at Dollar Mountain, and will be using Lava Lake Lamb.

You can see a full event calendar here. We hope to see you out and about at this weekend’s event!

I am getting married tomorrow.  Sara Sheehy, the creator of many images that have adorned these blog pages and I are back in New Hampshire preparing for our garden wedding and harbor side reception.  It is very nice to be back on the ocean for a few days and see all our friends and family, and not to mention the anticipation of marrying my perfect companion.

When we decided to get married back on the east coast there were a few elements of Idaho that we knew that we would have to bring back with us.  Sara is wearing cowgirl boots with her wedding dress and we are going to be serving Lava Lake Lamb at our reception.

I am picky and think that a sit down dinner tends to break up an event and confine people to their tables.  For our reception we threw out the plated dinner and the tables completely.  Passed hors d’oeuvres will be the order of the night.  Lava Lake Lamb will be part of the reception with Moroccan spiced lamb meatballs.  I am very excited to share the lamb with my family.

We can’t wait for our bit of Idaho wedding in New Hampshire.

We here at Lava Lake are very proud to announce that Lava Lake Lamb is now available in stores. It’s the same great 100% grass-fed lamb that you can order directly from us, but convenient enough to have a lamb dinner on a whim.

This weekend New Leaf Community Markets and Lava Lake Lamb are  teaming up for demos at four of their store locations.  Cheryl, our sales manager, will be at some of events serving up some delicious samples and talking about all things lamb.

If you are a New Leaf Shopper come by and say hello.  If you are in the bay area and haven’t been to New Leaf, there is no better time to stop in.

To plan your shopping, here is the schedule:

New Leaf Capitola
1210 41st Ave.
Capitola
11-2 on Friday 7/16
3-6 on Sunday 7/18

New Leaf Half Moon Bay
150 San Mateo Rd
Half Moon Bay
11-2 Friday 7/16
11-2 Saturday 7/17

New Leaf Downtown
1134 Pacific Ave.
Santa Cruz
3-6 on Friday 7/16
11-2 on Saturday 7/17

New Leaf Westside
1101 Fair Ave
Santa Cruz
11-2 Saturday 7/17
11-2 Sunday 7/18

Arsenio with a guard dog

Dogs play a huge role at Lava Lake. They help our herders move bands of sheep, protect lambs from predators, keep Cheryl in shape, and play with our kids.

photo by Sara Sheehy

Inspired by these wonderful animals, we decided to create Lava Lake Lamb pet treats. These treats are made from 100% grass-fed all-natural or certified organic lamb, along with all-natural potatoes and vegetables.

After passing out a few treats to some lucky pets, we’ve already heard that even the pickiest dogs go crazy for these Lava Lake Lamb pet treats. Our resident barn cats also love them.

What makes them so popular? We use only the finest natural ingredients; these treats are made without the use of hormones or antibiotics, and contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Learn more about these treats on the site, and try them out with your pet. We’re sure they will love them!