Let me tell you about lambing season. It has been quite an intense time. Things got off to a rolicking start a full week earlier than expected and the pace is only now starting to ease up. I’m coming up for air to give you the run down. Papaya kicked off the season with an easy-peasy, “look, Barb, I don’t need your help” birthing of a strapping single ram lamb. A string of smooth deliveries followed: a darling single ewe born to Blaze (her first lamb!); lovely pairs of Cormo lambs to Aberdeen, Chloe, Corona and Dune. Add a pair
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Archives for sheep
First Lamb!
Meet our first lamb of the season, a singleton ram born early this afternoon to Cormo ewe Papaya. I came home from the grocery story to find him in the barn, on his feet, all cleaned up and sturdily nursing. Lamb is tuckered out and Papaya is worrying over him, licking him up and down. She’s still having contractions, trying to pass the placenta so she’s constantlyt blatting. I expect to find it when I head back to the barn in a minute for afternoon chores. Just wanted to share the news. Thanks for the great name suggestions. This little
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Contest – Name the Lambs
COMMENTS FOR THIS POST ARE NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT SUGGESTIONS. CHECK BACK ON SUNDAY TO SEE OUR SELECTION. Spring has sprung. Sort of. Here in the hillls a sheet of sleet and slush marked its arrival. Which made my morning drive to the barn rather interesting. We are on the brink of lambing season. I’m keeping close watch on the flock now, as our lambs should be arriving very soon. The sweet face above is a lamb from a former year. I’m tingling with anticipation of this year’s arrivals. You might remember we took year off from
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More Shearing Day Scenes
I had way too many photos for one post. Here’s another round of pics showing moments throughout the day. We stopped mid morning to celebrate our shearer Andy Rice’s birthday with a delicious cake baked by Sheep Share member Pat Philbin. ( I think we were shy a few candles on the cake!). Many thanks again to all. Photos here provided courtesy of Lisa McGuire.
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As the Wool Flies – Shearing Day, Part 1
Yesterday was our Sheep Shares CSA member shearing day. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer group of helpers, better weather or prettier fleeces. Mike and I thank everyone who came to pitch in. We accomplished so much in one morning – fourteen sheep shorn and about 90 lbs of wool boxed and ready to ship! You guys are awesome. Here are some scenes from the day: Thank you to Lisa McGuire for taking these photos. For more pics of Shearing Day action, visit our Facebook group: Foxfire Fiber Friends.
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Wild and Windy
The farm’s survived the wild and snowy night. By mid morning today we had patches of blue sky and everyone came outside to stand in the sun. But warmth – not so much. That didn’t stop me from taking a break mid chores to show the sheep how to make snow angels They were absolutely mystified, especially Sol, the llama – who doesn’t approve of any changes in routine. For a brutally windy night, the snow accumulation here wasn’t nearly as much as we had expected – maybe a foot. It’s hard to say, since we have so much drifting.
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GIVEAWAY – Adventures In Yarn Farming Celebration
Entries for this GIVEAWAY are now closed. Congratulations to our Givewaway winner, Sara, who posted on November 12 at 8:25 a.m. – she is the lucky winner of a Sheep Shares CSA 2014 Yarn Sampler (natural) membership. Thank you to everyone who posted – and for all your kind words on the launch of my new book. I can’t believe it’s almost that time. The official publication date for my new book, Adventures in Yarn Farming is next week – is November 12th! On that date, my book will be available everywhere. I’m celebrating the official publication this month by
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Evening Chores
Just back to the farm after a weekend vending and book signing at the Fiber Festival of New England at the Eastern States Exposition. Thanks everyone who stopped by my booth to scoop up skeins of Cormo yarn and to be among the first to acquire a copy of Adventures in Yarn Farming. I’m really flattered to hear the positive, warm responses from those of you who had purchased copies at Rhinebeck two weeks ago – and have already finished reading it. Wow, and wow. You made my day. Writing a book is like working in a bubble. It’s wonderful,
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Fiber, Foliage & Friends – Scenes from the Day
Last Saturday a group of intrepid Sheep Shares CSA members braved the threat of showers and the back roads of western Franklin county to join us for a special afternoon. Fiber, Foliage & Friends is an annual tradition here for our Sheep Shares CSA members. The event is a celebration – with knitterly camaraderie, home-baked apple crisps and pumpkin snickerdoodles, sheep antics, donkey pats, yarn painting and some jaw-droppingly gorgeous finished projects knit from our spring share yarn – all against a glorious autumnal backdrop. Thank you to everyone who joined us. For those of you who couldn’t, here’s a
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Hay Scene
This was the scene in the hayfield on Sunday afternoon. Norm was mopping up the last windrows with the round baler. Zoe and Farley cavorted through the behomoth round bales and chewed on stubble. It’s been a tricky summer haywise. June’s monsoons flooded our fields like rice paddies. Haymaking has happened in the sporadic dry intervals amidst the off and on showery weather. We’ve yet to get all of first cut off the fields which means our second cut will be close to nil this year. Second cut is what we feed our sheep in winter. Lord knows where that
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