Welcome to the Cove Fields
Raising the American Jacob Sheep in the Southern Appalachians of North Carolina
Welcome to the Cove Fields. We are located in Tuckasegee, NC on the east fork of the Tuckasegee River, an hour south of Asheville. Over 100 years ago this was an Appalachian farmstead. Today it is where we raise a heritage breed of sheep, the Jacob.
We are still reclaiming the land. The old rock walls and beautiful beech trees run through with barbed wire are the only remnants of the past. We are 30 minutes from the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The Cherokee called this land home, and so have we. For generations our families have lived and farmed these mountains.
We chose the Jacob sheep because like the Appalachian people, they are hardy and stubborn and self reliant.
Our farm has been able to obtain bloodlines from across the U.S., and it is our goal to maintain the genetic diversity that continues to exist in the American Jacob. This has been afforded to us by the hard work and high standards of past and existing breeders. We only hope to contribute as much to this beautiful breed as they have.
History of the Jacob Sheep Breed
The Jacob is a very ancient breed of sheep and their actual origins are not known, but it is thought to have originated in what we now know as Syria, almost 3000 years ago. Some claim that the Jacob sheep are related to Moorish sheep, which came from Spain or Africa. By far the most popular origins are Genesis 30: 35 which tells how Jacob took every speckled and spotted sheep from Laban’s flock.
Jacob Sheep Breeders Association Flock # 2311USDA
Voluntary Scrapie Flock Certification Program # 0990008 USDA
Famacha Trained