Stock Up on Local Lamb at the Southern Illinois Sheep Festival

Monroe County Sheep Producers

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Need a boneless leg of lamb for Easter dinner? Or are you feeling the need to frolic with sweet baby lambs in the spring sunshine? Either way, head to Waterloo, Illinois this Saturday for the 25th Annual Southern Illinois Sheep and Craft Festival. The event's hosted by the Monroe County Sheep Producers.

Organizers aren't straying from the formula that's worked for them in the past: demos of sheep farming techniques, lamb cooking demos and samples throughout the day, a lamb lunch, and plenty of local meat for sale.

The lunch runs from 11 - 2 and features lamb brats, leg, shaved lamb, and lamb burgers, prepared by members of the Monroe County Sheep Producers.

Farmers will be selling local lamb vacuum-sealed for stocking the freezer. Boneless legs cost $5.25 a pound, loin chops are $6.50 a pound, and ground lamb will be $3.25 a pound. They'll also have frozen ribs, bratwurst, and stew meat as well as fresh sausage and smokies. Product's limited, but you can place an advance order with Tricia Lutman at 618-458-8552.

If you'd rather be entertained by the sheep instead of eating their young, there are shearing demonstrations, sheep bingo, and breed displays all day. Sheep dog exhibitions being at 10, and the Sheep Olympics start at 1:30.

It'll be like cute Internet animal videos, only in person. And with tasty meat.

25th Annual Southern Illinois Sheep Festival
Saturday, April 9, 2011
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Monroe County Fairgrounds
Illinois Route 156, 1 mile west of Illinois Route 3
Waterloo, IL