Today we visited the sheep farm that houses The Shire film set from The Lord of the Rings. The farm manages to care for thousands of sheep and support one of the most popular tourism destinations in the country. The Shire set was a construction of several dozen hobbit-holes dug into hillsides. Because the hobbits were farmers in the films, the surrounding farmlands today are used to help replenish the supplies placed throughout the Shire to maintain a realistic look. Being able to see how the owners have adapted their farm to sustain both the sheep and the tourism was very special. Of course, visiting a real piece of Middle Earth was something that I’ll never forget. Studying New Zealand farming practices on top of that only added to my enjoyment.
-Jared
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