Learn about Lamb Shoppe

The Lamb Shoppe, owned by husband-and-wife team Connie Karstens and Doug Rathke, has raised grass-fed meat for over 25 years. On their 180-acre farm in Hutchinson, Minn., flocks spend their days grazing the pastures of grasses, clovers, and various herbs along the winding Crow River.

In addition to offering lamb to local co-ops, Lamb Shoppe is a farm, meat-cutting facility, and retail shop that offers classes on health and wellness. The couple leans on their expertise—Doug as prized sheep shearer and Connie as biologist, former nutrition professor and herbalist—to manage their farm using a holistic method.

Get Unmatched Quality from Local, Small-Scale Farms

Today, the Lamb Shoppe is home to over 500 sheep and other livestock—including a flock of about 350 Dorset ewes. At the Lamb Shoppe, they are involved with their sheep at every step, from beginning to end.

In 2017 owner Doug told Twin Cities Co-op Partners, “We know everything about our animals. We’re with them every day. We know if they’re getting too big or too fat. And we don’t force feed the grain to them.” Lamp Shoppe sheep typically graze from April through December, Minnesota weather permitting. Even through the coldest winter months, the sheep are fed wet-wrapped hay to continue to provide a diet of high levels of omega-3 fatty acids from fresh grass feed. The commitment to prairie grazing and grass diet results in healthy sheep and great tasting lamb.

Stewards of the Land

Keeping age-old traditions of nurturing the land alive, they believe that caring for the earth from the soil up ensures healthy plants for their animals. Since 1988, Connie and Doug have practiced intensive grazing techniques that they learned while traveling in New Zealand and brought to their own farm. From their learning in New Zealand and Connie’s background in biology, Lamb Shoppe’s biological farming selects the best sheep to produce self-sufficient, reliable flocks of Dorsets that play a role in soil life, which they balance with minerals. Lamb Shoppe’s holistic approach to farming and their grazing techniques not only yield high-quality lamb, but foster an environment for both land and animals to flourish.

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Lamb Burger Recipe

Watch as co-op staff member, Addie, uses ground lamb from Lamb Shoppe to make a tasty burger topped with Tzatziki Sauce.

See Full Recipe