While sheep have been prized for their milk and meat for thousands of years, one of the most high-yielding breeds, the Assaf, is only 60 years old. The product of early agricultural experimentation in 1950s Israel, the Assaf has the Israeli Agricultural Research Organization to thank for its existence. Researchers there originally set out to improve the fertility of the then-favorite Awassi breed, an ancient Israeli-Egyptian sheep with an especially long lactation period. They crossed the animal with one of the world\u2019s best milk-producing breeds, the hardy German East Friesian, resulting in the Assaf, a sheep with very high milk yield.<\/p>\n
The breed grew popular first in Israel, then in Spain, Portugal, Chile, and Peru. And in early 2015, true Assaf sheep were born from imported Awassi and East Friesian embryos on Karras Farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina\u2014the first Assaf lambs born on United States soil, according to owner and breeder Andy Karras.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese animals will be the future dairy sheep of the United States,\u201d Karras says. Due to their resiliency and docile nature, the sheep are a good choice for both commercial dairy operations and beginning homesteaders, he adds.<\/p>\n
The Assaf retains traits from both of its parent breeds. It has long Awassi ears, which means more skin surface area to dissipate the heat of sultry Middle Eastern and Mediterranean climates\u2014or, of US regions previously thought too hot for sheep to live in, such as New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. East Friesian genes give the Assaf its predominantly white wool coat (red accents appear on the breed\u2019s ears and face). Assaf sheep are calm around people, affable, and easy to milk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re hardy, disease- and wormresistant, low-maintenance animals,\u201d says Karras, noting that his operation has sold the animals to every state in the country, including Hawaii.<\/p>\n
Sheep\u2019s milk is higher in fat and protein than both cow\u2019s and goat\u2019s milk. With a high percentage of both nutrients, Assaf sheep\u2019s milk is a no-brainer for cheesemaking, but Karras uses it for yogurt and ice cream, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made a peach ice cream that was simply magnificent,\u201d he says. As the breed\u2019s popularity accelerates, Karras predicts that more cheeses will be made using Assaf milk, particularly traditional cheeses like feta.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New to the United States, Assaf sheep\u2014with their calm temperaments and rich milk\u2014just might be the next big thing in American cheesemaking<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":20779,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[106],"coauthors":[715],"class_list":["post-20778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-farm-animal","tag-sheep"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n