Fiber Project 2010

For 2010, I am participating in a year long Fiber Project at Feederbrook Farm in Freeland, Maryland. I have a share in half of a sheep, kind of like a wool CSA (community supported agriculture).

My sheep's name is Maggie. She is a young and pretty Bluefaced Leicester. She is very friendly and loves animal crackers. Her fleece is white and very soft. It will be really great for hand spinning and knitting.

During 2010, we will be doing many interesting things on the farm including bottle feeding lambs, washing, carding and spinning wool, learning about the care and training of sheep, and learning about which plants to use for natural dying. We will also receive quarterly newsletters from the farm. At the end of the year, we get to keep some of the wool from our sheep.

During the January meeting, we met and chose our ewe for the year. When Lisa, the shepherdess, called the sheep, a herd of tiny sheep came racing around the barn! What fun! Lisa showed us how to look at the fleece and let us pet the ewes. We also met the rams, who we got to pet through the fence. Rams cane be dangerous, so we were safer outside their pasture. Wiley is particularly friendly and handsome 3 year old Shetland ram.

Lisa gave us a tour of the farm. Besides the sheep, there are llamas, alpacas, peacocks, guinea fowl, dogs, cats, tiny goats, a pot belly pig and honey bees.. Wild geese love the farm's large pond.

In March we will get to see our ewes being sheared.


Feederbrook offers several programs and classes throughout the year.
You can find out more about Feederbrook at:

http://www.feederbrook.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/feederbrook
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Feederbrook
http://www.ravelry.com/ go to the forums area