The pandemic caused many people to reconsider what they wanted out of life. And for some, like Yvette Lanneaux, that introspective moment inspired dramatic change.

After years of working as a lawyer, “I’m not practicing anymore,” said Ms. Lanneaux, 58. “I’m now a shepherd.”

Her journey began in the summer of 2020 when she was stuck at home in Princeton, N.J., with her husband, Michael Nissan, 69; her two grown children from a previous marriage, who had returned home; and Ms. Lanneaux’s mother.

Thinking about her next move, she became intrigued by sheep. Specifically, “I decided I had to have a Babydoll Southdown lamb,” Ms. Lanneaux said. “They look like a stuffed animal come to life. They’re adorable. I thought it would be a really nice pet.”

She had never worked with farm animals, but she was suddenly determined to learn and enrolled in online classes from providers such as the Cornell Small Farms Program, University of Vermont Extension and Michigan State University Extension.