Not far outside Tatamagouche, overlooking the Northumberland Strait, you’ll find Juliet and Martin tending their livestock at Linc Farm. Their path to farming together began when they met at university in Austria. Both have specializations in animal welfare and a passion for improving the living conditions of farm animals. After finishing their studies, they had an opportunity to operate an existing farm in Ontario, where they spent several years directly marketing lamb, beef, pork, and eggs.

When they began searching for a place to build their dream farm, they thought about areas where they had family connections like Ontario and British Columbia. Neither Juliet nor Martin had existing connections in Nova Scotia. Then, a farm with all the features they were looking for came up. They flew out to see it —it was the right place at the right time. They quickly decided it would become their new home.

The location of Linc Farm offers some wonderful advantages. Juliet shares, “It’s a beautiful place to raise sheep. There’s a great breeze that’s consistently coming off the water, keeping everyone healthy and cool in summer, and moderating the temperatures in the winter. The grass just grows and grows—and so do the lambs.”

In their first year at Linc Farm, they grew their flock of sheep from 150 breeding ewes to around 500. The farm is now home to about 600 ewes across four separate flocks, including several breeds such as Rambouillet, Finnsheep, North Country Cheviot, and Rideau.

You’ll also find 10 Speckle Park beef cattle (a modern Canadian breed), several chickens, a few ducks, and a hardworking group of livestock guardian dogs, along with Henry the cattle dog. The guardian dogs—Great Pyrenees—are kind, loyal, and take their roles seriously. Each flock of sheep is cared for by members of this dedicated canine team. In early 2025, one of the dogs had a litter of puppies, and three of those pups are now in the fields, training with the older dogs. These dogs stay with the sheep day and night to protect them from predators.

While not trained to herd, the sheep know and trust the guardian dogs so well that they’ll often follow them when needed. Martin and Juliet raise their sheep using an intensive rotational grazing system, which means their flocks are regularly moved from one pasture section to another. This approach requires more fencing, but it ensures the sheep always have fresh grass to graze and reduces the use of parasite medications.

The sheep know what’s coming when Juliet opens a gate between pastures—they happily rush to their fresh new section of field. Juliet says they’re aiming to produce a 100% grass-fed product, and they’re continually working to improve both their management practices and the health of their pastures to reach that goal. It’s a practice that benefits both the animals and the land: rotational grazing gives grasses time to rest and regrow, helping to develop deep root systems that store carbon and improve resilience during dry conditions.

Martin, Juliet, and the whole range of animals on the farm have settled into their new barns, new routines, and their new community. They’ve appreciated the support from the local farm community as they settled in, and the new relationships they’re forming.