Since January is about to fly by and it’s -10 degrees outside, I figured it was a good time to review what has happened in the last six months of 2018. Well, it was a challenging time for us! Our shearer decided to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot, so she left for Utah. Kristen is doing very well and we are happy for her. That one was just a blip in what was to come. Unfortunately, due to all the rain, our second hay harvest was a disaster. In addition, the one week we could possibly cut hay, our farmer friend was out-of-town. We tried to cut the hay with our sickle mower; however, the grass was way too long and the ground was still too wet. Despite several turns with our wheel rake, the hay remained to wet and the bales never dried. Of course, we now have compost! Then our bees who swarmed so many times this past season decided to abscond. Sigh…..Now we are on a list to get two nucs in the spring. We are hoping the bees will do better since they are raised in our area. Fingers crossed!
After we reflected on what happened this year, we decided to view the experiences as lessons rather than just stay angry. So, we bought a new to us haybine so we can cut our own hay. Hopefully, it arrives before our first cutting this year. Despite many tries, transport has been a challenge; the weather has not cooperated, either.
Our new intention is to cut, turn and bale our own hay on our own terms!
On a positive note, lots of fleece got washed over the summer and some went to the Gurdy Run Fiber Mill in Halifax, PA. If you are looking for a great fiber mill, we highly recommend Gurdy Run. Hopefully, in the near future we will have our website up and running and fiber available for sale.
In the October 20th American Sheep Industry Weekly, I read a headline titled “Women Shearers Featured in Vogue“. I was surprised to see an article about shearing in Vogue. At the same time, I was thinking….this is awesome!
Of course, I clicked on the link and read the article; the featured shearers share their stories, passion, dedication and unexpected rewards obtain through shearing. Hopefully, anyone who reads the article will gain a new appreciation for all of their dedication and work and gain a better understanding of the process from sheep to yarn.
In the Winter 2017 Spin Off, I found an article called “Homespun Heritage”. The article highlighted the 1975 documentary film “Homespun” by Sharon and Tom Hudgins; they filmed local folks from the southern Appalachian Mountains shearing sheep, washing, carding spinning, dyeing and weaving wool. Now, thanks to the National Archives , the film is available via YouTube. Take a look!
We were very nervous about our first shearing day. Thankfully, everything went well. Kristen Rosser did a great job! And a special thank you to Mother Nature who gave us a chilly day rather than a wet, snowy day as first predicted.
This past Sunday we spent the afternoon at Feederbrook Farm for shearing day. We also met Roland, a Shetland sheep, who will be joining our little flock along with Abner. If the weather cooperates and the ground thaws, we should be next on the list to having our fencing installed.
Today, 16 ewes and our Lil Abner got sheared! This is Lil Abner’s first time getting sheared and he did very well. In addition, he received his CD&T vaccination (protects against overeating and tetanus) and his hooves trimmed. But upon his return to the barnyard, Lil Abner decided to take a detour and run around the farm first. Thankfully, he saw the barn door was open and returned on his own.
Emily Chamelin skillfully sheared all 17 sheep; she has been shearing for 10 years. While shearing, Emily explained that Shetland Sheep are considered a primitive breed that naturally begins to shed between the second week of March through the first week of May. The shedding process is called rooing. It causes a weak spot or break in their fleece.
We are looking forward to processing Lil Abner’s fleece, especially since this is his first shearing.
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