Harrowsmith – September 2019

Harrowsmith Fall 2019 | 239

A cuppa tea is the key,

reckons Adam MacLean.

The bootstrapping shepherd,

taking a cue from generations

of past farmers, has relied

on good neighbourly

relations to start his farm,

Wildwind Pastures. Shortly

after moving to the rural

community of South Melville,

Prince Edward Island,

MacLean successfully

secured funding for his first

100 pregnant sheep, who

arrived in the dead of

winter 2017.

“Perhaps it was foolhardy,

launching into business with so

many sheep, but what was really

wild was doing it without owning

any land,” recalls MacLean. The

shepherd set about meeting his

new neighbours, connecting

with those who might have land

available to graze. One short year

later, his flock had grown to over

200 sheep. They were happily

grazing almost 300 acres of

land across eight properties,

eating grass pastures and fitting

into a neighbouring farmer’s

crop rotation.

On the Lamb

at Wildwind

Pastures

Meet Adam MacLean,

a bootstrapping shepherd

in South Melville, P.E.I.

BY SHANNON COURTNEY

SHANNON COURTNEY