Their fleece might not be golden, but Narrow Gate Farm’s dorper sheep have brought home the gold medal several times over the past few years.
Nestled just between Warren and DeKalb counties, Narrow Gate Farm is home to national award-winning registered dorper and white dorper sheep. The farm got its start in 1948 with Danny Jones’ grandparents, Ike and Gelaska Adcock, and was later continued by his parents, Burton and Lena Jones. When it became Jones’ and his wife Penny’s operation in 2008, it took on new life under the name Narrow Gate Farm for the scripture Matthew 7:13-14.
“I thought it was a neat reference to something that is used on the farm, such as a gate, and meaningful scripture,” Jones said.
Dorper sheep – the farm’s main staple – are marked with a black face and varying degrees of black markings while white dorper sheep are entirely white. The two varieties are an outcross from the Dorset Horn and Blackheaded Persian sheep breeds, resulting in a meat sheep which is low maintenance and boasts great productivity.
“We had good success with raising lambs even during cold weather and that was a big plus for us,” landowner and founder of Narrow Gate Farm Danny Jones said. “We discovered we didn’t lose very many lambs due to the cold, whereas we often would with the wool breeds. That was a huge plus.”
Most sheep retain their coats and must be sheared to remove the wool, but this is not the case for Dorper sheep. These sheep, which are originally from South Africa and considered a “hair” breed, shed their coats naturally and do not often need to be sheared unlike traditional wool breeds.
The farm has been host to a wide assortment of animals over the years – cattle, hogs, horses and other varieties of sheep – but is now primarily dedicated to sustaining the farm’s some-350-head flock of dorper and white dorper sheep. A handful of cattle, ponies, a donkey, livestock guardian dogs and hard-working barn cats make up the rest of the farm’s inhabitants. These days, Jones and his family, including his son Dillon, keep the farm running on a day-to-day basis.
Jones explained keeping a farm is hard work, but the tradition of a good worth ethic and passion has been passed down through the generations – eventually continuing with his grandson, Brimley, who is 4 years old.
“He says he doesn’t play anymore, all he does is work,” Jones said with a laugh. “He brings his toy excavator and dump trucks to the barn and is constantly moving something with them. Brimley tells us he’s always got work to do.”
The family’s hard work has paid off and Narrow Gate Farm has become a premier producer of registered dorper sheep seedstock, which is sheep used to supplement or create a flock. Jones’ sheep are purchased by clients all over the United States and have locked in wins at shows on all levels.
Recently, an ewe owned by Narrow Gate Farm - named Queen B - was the winner of the National Champion White Dorper ewe at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky. That is not to diminish the additional accolades received by other members of Jones’ flock, however, as they have picked up titles at the Tennessee State Fair, too. These distinctions even earned Narrow Gate Farm a mention in Co-op’s monthly magazine The Cooperator.
“What we have accomplished has been a blessing and we are so excited,” Jones said. “But I think the most rewarding part of it all is sharing this passion with my family, from generation to generation.”
