Becoming Carrico.
Daniel and Katie Carrico were both raised in Kentucky, a fact for which they hold much pride. Katie grew up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, and Daniel comes from a small town in Central Kentucky. They met while attending the University of Kentucky. Although Katie was an education major and Daniel was an engineering major, it was the agriculture community that brought them together. He was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho, an agriculture fraternity, and she lived in an Ag dorm.
Becoming Farmers.
Even in a town of only 4,000 people, it didn’t take long for apartment living to feel claustrophobic.
They visited countless houses and farms before this old cattle farm came on the market. God gave them confirmation that it would be theirs, but it took an entire year of price drops and negotiations before His plan proved true.
It was a bit of a fixer-upper, having rough exterior fence, little interior fence, and no barn or house. She was, however, a blank canvas. One that Katie and Daniel felt compelled to fill.
Becoming Lost Oak.
Assuming they would eventually have beef cattle like his family, Daniel and Katie bought a small flock of sheep on a whim. They were cheaper, easier on the land, and easier to handle than cattle.
It took very little time to notice the subtle qualities of sheep. They are curious, headstrong, protective, funny, comforting. Katie and Daniel grew to love the time they spent with them each evening. Over time, they began to reimagine their farm as one dedicated to sheep.
Called Lost Oak for its resemblance to an Oak leaf, this farm is home to Katahdin hair sheep. Daniel and Katie raise both commercial and registered lambs for both breeding and meat.