John and Sukey Jamison are not sheepish about sharing their passion for lamb. Call these proprietors of Jamison Farm, in Latrobe, "accidental farmers," or, as Sukey more precisely puts it, "providential" lamb producers. "It's weird," she says, "how one thing leads to another."

And so things did. In 1976, looking for an old country house, they bought one that incidentally came with a 65-acre farm – perfect for grazing a few sheep to support Sukey's small catering business. In 1985, with an increasing herd-size and hard-earned lamb-raising experience, they relocated to their current 210-acre farm.

Today, Jamison Farm processes about 5,000 animals a year, providing meat and prepared foods to both retail customers and top chefs coast to coast. Not surprisingly, David Kamp singles out this "boutique purveyor of natural lamb" in his recently published The Food Snob's Dictionary: An Essential Lexicon of Gastronomical Knowledge.

John and Sukey regularly attract publicity raves. But it wasn't always so. In the early years of their business, lamb was not an easy sell in America. A turning point came in 1987, when the late, great, France-born chef Jean-Louis Palladin tasted and fell in love with their lamb. He spread the word, and soon other star chefs placed orders. Jamison's client roster grew to include such chef luminaries as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud, Terrence Brennan, Eric Ripert, Bill Telepan, Frank Stitt, Dan Barber ... and the list goes on.

Intermingling with so many unique and talented personalities, the Jamisons' vibrant life yields as many tales as tails.

Sukey recalls working with Jean-Louis on his Mama's Stew recipe, designed to utilize lamb shoulder: the secret ingredient turned out to be V-8 juice.

Perfectly mimicking Jean-Louis' accent, John describes one of the chef's visits to the farm. Surveying the flocks, Jean-Louis asked: "How many mommies are there?" "400," John replied. "How many daddies?" Four. Whistling, Jean-Louis registered an "Ooh-la-la!"

The Jamison's also have stories about their friend, the late Julia Child, who once, when she couldn't locate her coffee-making equipment, served them a Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine for a 10:30 a.m. breakfast. And they've had endless odd or difficult requests – Alain Ducasse wanting a particular lamb's neck muscle for a dish; Mario Batali needing 400 to 500 lamb's tongues per week for his famous salad.

"Artisanal," "all-natural" and "sustainable" before the terms became fashionable, Jamison Farm is a true agricultural and culinary icon. Reared free of herbicides, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics, pastured sheep and lambs roam outdoors, munching bluegrass and white clover all year long. Only in frigid winter, when nothing grows, are they hand-fed hay and corn. Grass-fed lamb tastes like lamb, John explains. Corn-fed lamb tastes more like beef.

The farm is also Certified Humane, meaning the animals are treated well from their moment of arrival until their ultimate departure at the nearby Jamison-owned USDA-inspected processing plant. As John paraphrases the adage: "A happy lamb is a tender lamb."

The Jamisons diligently manage all business details, while maintaining a remarkably generous spirit. Both happily reflect on America's fresh appreciation of lamb. "Twenty years ago I couldn't sell a lamb shank," explains John. "Now I can't keep up with the demand."

Of course the farm's very busy this season. Spring lamb – an outmoded concept, since birthing goes on year round – is still a long-held and welcome tradition. To order, visit www.jamisonfarm.com or call 800-237-5262. Select Giant Eagle stores also carry the meat, soup and Sukey's award-winning lamb pies. Local restaurants offering Jamison lamb include: Legume, Point Brugge, Lidia's, Six Penn Kitchen and Le Pommier.

On June 21, Jamison Farm will host the annual Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation picnic. As last year, it will be a sumptuous feast featuring star chefs and luscious lamb. For more information, visit www.jlpfoundation.org.

Shepherd's Pie

An accomplished cook, Sukey offers her recipe for Shepherd's Pie.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 cup baby carrots, half-inch slices
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/3 cup red wine
• ¼ cup lamb or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed thyme

Mashed potato topping:

• 2 pounds red potato
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¾-1 cup buttermilk
• salt and pepper to taste

In skillet, sauté onion in butter for 2 minutes. Add lamb to onions, brown and crumble lamb for about 5 minutes. Add carrots, salt, pepper, thyme. Add tomato paste, red wine and simmer 2 minutes. Add stock and simmer another 2 minutes until sauce has thickened. If too thick, add more stock.

Assemble pie in oven-proof dish by covering lamb filling with potato topping and bake for 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Can be made ahead and then reheated for 45-50 minutes.