Michigan farmers raise sheep for both meat and wool. Michigan lamb is a lean and healthy source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and Michigan wool is a durable, warm and comfortable fiber.
Click the button to download our fact sheet and find out when you can find the freshest locally grown products!
Michigan Lamb Facts
- Lamb is the term for the meat of a young domestic sheep less than one year old. Sheep will generally have lambs by the time they are one year of age.
- There are approximately 2,000 sheep producers in Michigan
- There are an estimated 87,000 head of sheep and lambs in Michigan
- 24,000 of these are market sheep and lambs, sold for wool and meat. 63,000 of them are breeding sheep.
- In 2021, the number of Michigan sheep and lambs shorn was 63,000
- Michigan farmers shorn 4370,000 pounds of wool in 2021
- The total value of Michigan wool is $200,000
Nutrition
- On average, a 3-ounce serving of lamb has only 175 calories and meets the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) definition of lean
- The leanest cuts of lamb include the loin, shank and cuts from the leg
- Lamb is an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12, niacin, zinc and selenium
Lamb is a good source of iron and riboflavin