KNOX COUNTY, Ohio – Stephen and Judy Jagger are clear about their mission, which is premium lamb. Their retail operation, ranging from whole animals to individual cuts sold online and at local farmers markets, is a prime example of how modern farmers create added value and connect directly with their consumers.

The Farm at Five Corners, primarily a commercial sheep operation, has been in the same spot since 1971. “We are at an intersection in Knox County that is known as Five Corners,” Judy said.

But for Stephen, the name is less about a map and more about a memory. “His mother had dementia, and when he was coming home from work, he would talk to her and constantly say, ‘Mom, I’m at the farm at Five Corners.’ That’s how the name came to be,” Judy said.

Sheep weren’t the first residents on the Farm at Five Corners. “We actually had hogs before the sheep,” Judy recalled. “We had hogs for about 10 years while all the kids were young and at home. Then we switched over to sheep, which has worked out much better for us.”

The Jaggers currently run about 150 ewes, producing lambs for nearly half the year. “Normally, we are lambing from January until the end of June,” Judy said. This year was different because they pulled the buck out early, leaving several ewes unbred. It gave them a breather through March – a “reprieve,” as Judy calls it – that they aren’t used to seeing.

While The Farm at Five Corners is mainly a commercial lamb operation, they also sell some club lambs and attend farmers markets. “We sell a few club lambs, but that’s not a big part of our business,” Stephen explained. “Mostly, we’re selling the lambs commercially. The farmers markets are just a way to get a little more value out of what we have.”

The flock is mostly Hampshires, with a few Katahdins mixed in. “They aren’t purebred; they are crossbred with Hampshire characteristics,” Stephen noted.

While sheep come with wool, don’t expect it to pay the bills. Stephen was quick to dismiss it as a revenue stream. “Wool is useless,” he said bluntly. “There’s no money in it. We sell it just to get it out of our way. It’s actually kind of funny – wool is about a nickel a pound, and you get maybe five pounds per ewe. It costs significantly more to have them shorn than what the wool is worth.”

The biggest headache for Stephen is one many farmers share: space. “You always need more barn,” he said. The early January lambs must stay inside, and Stephen feeds them there once they are weaned, while the ewes head back out to the pasture.

It’s a straightforward operation: strictly sheep and grass, with some hay harvested on neighboring land. They keep their rams on-site and use artificial insemination for about 10 ewes a year. “That’s mainly so the grandkids can get some project lambs and so I can get a buck or two every year,” Stephen said.

That family connection is the essence of the farm. Stephen and Judy raised six children, and almost all of them participated in 4-H with hogs and lambs. Now, out of 19 grandchildren, three are still active in 4-H, taking Jaggers-bred lambs to the Knox County Fair, the Hartford Independent Fair and the Ohio State Fair.

The couple’s commitment to young people doesn’t stop with their own family. They’ve run the “Animals R Us” 4-H group for 37 years. “This year, we have just shy of 70 kids,” Judy said. “They meet for safety talks and demonstrations, but they let the kids run the show.”

The results speak for themselves. “We’ve won the carcass show over at Hartford the last two years,” Stephen said. Winning a carcass show is about more than the award; it’s about proving superior muscling and ideal fat cover. In 2025, they took the Grand Champion spot at the Hartford Independent Fair, with 11 of the top 25 lambs coming directly from their farm.

While lamb lags in popularity compared to beef or pork, Stephen sees the tide turning. “The market is building a little more every year for us,” he said. To help that along, the Jaggers offer a product focused on a traditional use for lamb. “We have a very good recipe for gyro-seasoned ground lamb that is a great seller,” Judy said. “It’s easy to fix. You just brown it. Our recipe comes from a man we’ve known for a long time over at Delaware Meats. It’s gluten-free with no fillers, which people really appreciate,” The mix is simple: lamb, nonfat dried milk, and a blend of spices, salt, garlic and onion powder.

Farming wasn’t always the primary focus for the Jaggers. Stephen spent his career as a meat cutter before retiring eight years ago, and Judy dedicated 17 years to the Abercrombie & Fitch warehouse. Today, they’ve traded those roles for the personal touch of the farmers market. This year, the Jaggers can be found at the Westerville and New Albany farmers markets.