Leo Tammi– Virginia

Leo Tammi with his wife Judy and son Aaron operate a family farm in western Virginia. On Shamoka Run Farm, they currently keep several hundred Polypay ewes and grow hay and pasture on several hundred owned and rented acres concentrating on production efficiency with an emphasis on forage.
Leo has held positions of responsibility on state and national livestock and forage organizations. He has earned distinction for his innovative forage and conservation practices. In the 1970’s, he was utilizing intensive rotational grazing before he knew it had a name.
In 1990, Leo helped establish and led the innovative Virginia Lamb Cooperative, a producer owned enterprise that sold a branded lamb product to upscale restaurants and grocery stores. This business model was ahead of its time because buying local was not trendy then.
Growing up on a small diversified farm in Delaware, his job was to care for the sheep. That instilled a habit he couldn’t quit. Except for a stint in the military, he can’t remember a time without sheep.
Leo dreamt of mountain and valley pastures enhanced with sheep. The Shenandoah Valley became the landscape for that vision, if not the carefree state of mind the dream promised.
After earning a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics from the University of Delaware, Leo acquired a post graduate education in endurance raising cattle, sheep and goats.
He taught animal science to vet tech students at Blue Ridge Community College for several years.
Judy keeps a few horses to add a touch of romance.

 

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