Speaking of New Zealand,
"There are more sheep than people."
It is said that sheep are one of the symbols that represents New Zealand.
In addition to lamb meat, sheepskin and wool products are also exported overseas.
Today we will bring you some "sheep art" from a sheep farm!
A farmer who was tired of feeding his cattle had an idea
The video was filmed on Coleman's farm in Hawke's Bay, a popular wine producing region.
The daughter, who was doing a doctoral program in animal science at Massey University (I'd like to say the same university as the author, but there are only seven universities in NZ, so there's a high chance that we overlap), returned home during the lockdown and found her father, a farm owner, writing this idea down in the kitchen.
Lucy worked with her father, a farmer, to create this piece of sheep art.
A lack of rain in Hawke's Bay meant the sheep didn't have enough grass to graze, so Coleman had to give them extra food to keep them healthy.
Using this feeding method, they guide the sheep while scattering the food. Lucy took a video (apparently without using a drone!) from a high point on the farm, and by speeding it up, the movements of the flock of sheep perfectly formed the shapes of smiley faces and kiwis!
History of New Zealand sheep
May 24th is Rum Day in New Zealand every year. This year, a video on the history of Rum in New Zealand was released on YouTube.
In 1969, Captain James Cook, commanding the HMS Endeavour, landed in New Zealand on a British Admiralty expedition to the South Pacific.
After this first landing, Captain Cook visited New Zealand twice, and on his second landing in 1773 he brought a bull and a ram from South Africa. These are said to be the first sheep in New Zealand. However, unfortunately, these two died in an instant...
It was not until 1814 that sheep began to be bred as livestock in New Zealand, and they went on to develop into a major industry.
The big turning point came on February 15, 1882, when the first frozen lamb left New Zealand for the UK, arriving in London on May 24. To celebrate this day, May 24 is now Lamb Day.
In the 1900s, the supply of lamb increased and it began to appear on the tables of ordinary New Zealand households. In particular, Sunday Roast, which is roasted lamb and eaten on Sundays, is a favorite of all Kiwis. It is also common to make a large amount and eat the leftovers on Mondays.
In the 1930s, exports to overseas countries accelerated further. In the UK, the recipe book for New Zealand lamb became so popular that it sold 5 million copies.
Quality control was implemented more thoroughly in the 1990s, and the product remains a favorite on dinner tables around the world today.
Sheep numbers declining, but production remains the same
"There are more sheep than people."
This is something that is said, half-jokingly, by people not only in Japan but all over the world.
However, in fact, compared to the peak of 70 million in 1982, the population has actually decreased significantly to 27.4 million in 2019.
At its peak, there were 22 sheep per New Zealander; today there are fewer than six.
This is said to be because pastures meant for sheep are being converted into urban areas or into other fields such as dairy farms, vineyards and kiwifruit fields.
Despite this, the amount of lamb produced in New Zealand has only decreased by 5% because farmers have made an effort to raise better sheep.
The numbers of lamb sent for sale, improvements in pastures and the resulting increase in lamb weights are the result of many years of research and improvements.
bonus
New Zealand's human population recently surpassed 5 million!
At Bokumo , owned by the website's founder and sommelier Iwasu, the lamb chop steak is a popular menu item. And lamb and red wine go perfectly together!
Following the lifting of the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Bokumo is gradually resuming in-store dining. Business hours have been shortened, seating is limited, and the menu is also limited for the time being, but the lamb chop steak is on the select menu! (*Subject to change depending on the day)
Eating out may not be encouraged for the time being, but once things have settled down a bit, please come and enjoy some lamb at Bokumo.
