Sun Raised Foods — Local services in Cornelius

For nearly 1/2 of my life I had yet to ever enjoy eating lamb. We'd show up to a family holiday din, who thought we loved lamb and force eat what was always an overcooked and under seasoned leg or lamb roast. Baked to smithereens, tough, gamey and most unenjoyable!

Years later, we were served "lamb lollipops" at a neighbors......Cooked perfectly medium rare, bone-in and delectable. Yet, they were TINY! Still, we then sourced these tiny lil' tidbits from New Zealand lamb racks sold at Costco. Tasty ONE-BITE morsels that one could hardly fill up on.

Then, one day I decided to try something different at a Matthews Community Farmers Market vendor booth, "Sun Raised Foods".

Oh My. Life changing moment for a foodie. I bought a few cuts, some salami and then mentioned seeing something about a "Farm Dinner" in an email some time ago. Turns out, the Sun Raised Foods Spring Farm Dinner was THAT evening, they'd just had a last minute cancellation and I was in the right place at the right time.

It was one of the most enjoyable date nights I can recall. What an incredibly well organized, fascinating farm tour, complete with a happy hour social and a lovely walk and tractor-tram ride through the interesting nooks and crannies of the Montgomery Sheep Farm. Delightful!...............All amongst the sheep's many acres smorgasbord of succulent green grass and clover that thrives beneath the 1,000's of panels on the largest solar array in the state of North Carolina!

Who woulda known?

Then came the 4 course lamb dinner to relish, paired with a variety of outstanding wines we sampled and enjoyed throughout the evening. Made some new friends and had a delightful evening to remember. Understated.

I have since purchased a variety of lamb cuts and products from Brooks at the Matthews Community Farmers Market nearly weekly ever since the farm dinner. Their products are like nothing I've ever enjoyed more. And the "lamb lollipops" are FAR from tiny! It's simply a completely different food than store bought and industrially produced.

Unlike a "factory" sheep, oftentimes raised indoors like factory hogs and chickens, these happy, wooly creatures live in an animal paradise, are well cared for, un-medicated, feed from the best salad bar any animal could hope for and.........I guess we could say they just have one bad (yet humanely) day in the course of life, the gift of their existence making the lives of others infinitely healthier and a tremendously more enjoyable one in celebrating life through food (& Wine!).

The annual spring and fall FARM TOURS & 4 Course dinners are simply NOT TO MISS! So...

This farm to table experience was the second one we've enjoyed at the Montgomery Sheep Farm and, quite simply, along with our first time here, this was the best. From beginning to end we enjoyed ourselves tremendously and had a fantastic time throughout the afternoon and evening! Everything was very well organized and planned out to make sure the entire group was going to have a great experience. Right from the start, Tonje served us, along with our guests, a welcoming strawberry margarita, and her conversation made us feel as though we had been their friends and neighbors for our entire lives. Brooks and Joel then guided the group on a tour of the lambing barn as well as a very informative tour of the solar farm. We were so impressed with the eco-friendly and sustainable nature of the entire operation. Finally settling into the meal which we enjoyed indoors this time around due to the chilly weather, the food, from the first course to the last, was delicious, expertly prepared, and the wine pairing was perfect for every dish. The charcuterie board consisting of lamb specialties was followed by a delicious gyro made from lamb shoulder and both were excellent. The main entree however, was grilled lamb loin chops and they were the best any of us had ever had. Dessert was also locally made from fresh strawberries just in season and was the perfect compliment to an outstanding dinner. The service provided by all was impeccable and very timely and contributed greatly to a wonderful evening. As noted at the beginning of this review, this was our second trip to The Farm, and it will not be our last. Driving several hours just to get there, we invited some friends and neighbors to join us this time around and the topic of conversation all the way back home was how tremendous the food, the farm, and the people are. We have already recommended this experience to many of our other friends and we suspect it won't be too long before many of them enjoy the hospitality of Joel, Tonje, Brooks and the entire staff as we have. We...

A Truly Magical Evening at Montgomery Sheep Farms! My wife, daughter and I recently had the opportunity to have the best farm-to-table dinner ever at Montgomery Sheep Farms. From the moment we got there, we felt like we were home, the heart and soul that goes into every part of this beautiful place is spectacular! The setting was peaceful and breathtaking — rolling fields, friendly faces, and that unmistakable sense of community that makes you feel right at home.

One of the highlights for all of us (especially our daughter, Gracyn!) was seeing two baby lambs born and taking their first breathes and moments of life, which is stuff you can’t really pay for. It was something we’ll never forget and such a special experience that really set the tone for the evening. And of course, meeting PJ, the Great Pyrenees, stole everyone’s heart! He was only one of the pack that looks after the Herd, but he took an instant liking to my daughter, and she to him as well. She was trying to sneak him in the car home! LOL!

The dinner itself was incredible! Four courses, and each one incredible on its own! The Chef did an amazing job preparing the food to perfection, and served with love, and if you can imagine a 7-year old with picky tastes, Ha, there was not one thing she did not eat! She enjoyed it so much, I was not getting out of there with you bringing some of the amazing meat home to cook on our own smoker. Special thanks to Brooks, Joel and Tonje and the entire staff for making it an evening we will never forget. It is memories like these that I cherish with my wife and daughter more than breathe itself!

We left with full hearts, happy bellies, and memories we’ll cherish that will last beyond our lifetime. Thank you again to everyone at Montgomery Sheep Farms for the hospitality and treating us like family — we can’t wait to come back! Also, I do not see “PJ” in our future as a companion for our Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepard pup “River” but maybe one of his pups!

— The...