Breed and Supplementation Influence on Consumer Ratings of Ground Meat from Pasture-Raised Lamb

Consumer acceptance of pasture-raised hair sheep lamb was investigated. Food hub participants (n = 284) from Richmond, Virginia, were recruited to receive ground lamb and provide product quality ratings before and after product preparation. Over 96% of survey respondents specified that they would purchase local ground lamb if available, 35% indicated that they would purchase it at least once a month, and 43% indicated that they would pay a premium for it. Animal management pertaining to breed and supplementation had little effect on consumer ratings. The findings suggest that ground meat from hair sheep lambs could provide an opportunity to enhance profitability for small-scale producers in Virginia. Extension educators may be able to apply the findings in assisting sheep producers with lamb marketing