This Wasn’t the Plan. It Turned Out Better.
When Gwen and her family left their five-acre hobby farm near Airdrie in search of more space, they weren’t looking for an operational u-pick. They were looking for room: room for their three boys to grow up, room to raise animals with purpose, and room to build something that was more than just a weekend project.
What they found north of Sherwood Park was all of that and more. Lamberry Ranch sits on a property that includes a saskatoon berry u-pick, a sour cherry orchard, and 45 acres of forested land threaded with mowed walking paths. They’ve been here two and a half years. In that time, they’ve turned a piece of Alberta land into something quietly remarkable.
Sheep in the Bush
Most people picture sheep in open pasture. At Lamberry Ranch, they’re in the trees.
About five acres of the forested area is currently fenced into rotating paddocks where Gwen’s sheep graze through the underbrush each summer. The goal is practical and purposeful: sheep are efficient grazers that clear native grasses, alfalfa, clover, and underbrush naturally – reducing the fuel load that could feed a grassfire if one ever came through. No mechanical mowing. No chemicals. Just sheep doing what sheep do.
“Our key to sustainability is raising small numbers of high quality lamb instead of raising so many that there isn’t anything left to eat,” Gwen says. Knowing when to rotate is everything. Push a paddock too hard and it takes longer to bounce back. Get the timing right and the land stays productive, the sheep stay healthy, and the cycle continues.
Coyotes, deer, moose, prairie chickens, and pileated woodpeckers all move through the property. The mowed paths that wind through the forest — originally built by the previous owner for nature walks – serve double duty now as future alleyways to move the flock between paddocks as the operation expands. Every fence post, every gate, every paddock is part of a longer plan Gwen and her family are building one season at a time.
More Than Berries
The u-pick is what many visitors come for first. Saskatoon berries are typically ready mid-July through early August, and in most years there are still berries to pick during Open Farm Days weekend. If the fresh season has wrapped, frozen saskatoons and preserves are available year-round.
The sour cherry orchard ripens in mid-August, though the timing shifts year to year. Last summer they were ready at the start of the month.
Then there are the chickens – and this is where most visitors do a double-take.
Lamberry Ranch uses chicken tractors: moveable shelters that let the birds graze outside safely, protected from predators, without roaming freely across the property. The tractors move every single day. It sounds like a lot of work until Gwen points out the alternative: hunting for eggs across a six-acre orchard. Beyond the logistics, the chickens are quietly doing something important — fertilizing the orchard soil naturally, every day, one patch at a time.
A Working Farm, Not a Petting Zoo
Gwen is warm and welcoming, but she’s also clear about what Lamberry Ranch is: an operational farm, not an attraction built around animal interaction.
Livestock at Lamberry Ranch have jobs. They’re raised to be food or to provide food, and keeping them healthy is a point of professional pride. That means a no-pets policy and biosecurity protocols that apply to everyone, including the family themselves, who change their shoes when they leave the property to avoid carrying anything back in.
“If a guest has visited another farm, they might carry something on their shoes or clothing,” Gwen explains. It’s not a restriction meant to distance visitors from the experience. It’s the opposite – it’s what makes the experience real. This is how a working farm actually operates.
Visitors during Open Farm Days will be able to see the sheep in their paddock beside the orchard, explore the u-pick, pick berries if the season allows, and get a close look at the saskatoon harvester. Questions are not just welcome – they’re Gwen’s favourite part.
Growing More Than Food
Two and a half years in, Lamberry Ranch is still very much a work in progress. The fenced grazing area will expand. The operation will grow. But the foundation of what they’re building is already clear: a farm that feeds people, cares for the land, and invites the community in to see how it all connects.
“At Lamberry Ranch, we’re growing more than just food – we’re growing a connection to the land. Come join us for Open Farm Days 2026. Leave your pets at home, but bring all of your curiosity.” — The Lamberry Ranch Family
Visit Lamberry Ranch during Alberta Open Farm Days, August 15–16, 2026.
51220 Range Road 213, Sherwood Park, AB
Find them on Facebook: facebook.com/LamberryRanchAB
Instagram: instagram.com/lamberryranch/