Four southeast Minnesota farms hosted the first annual Sheep and Fiber Farm Tour.
Organized by Fiber Folke, a group of nearly 30 fiber enthusiasts, the event promoted wool sheep breeds and fiber arts, such as felting, knitting and weaving and educated sheep owners that a niche market exists for wool used for fiber arts. It also gave people interested in raising sheep a chance to meet shepherds.
The tour included demonstrations and the sales of felting supplies, hand-painted yarns, raw fleeces, lamb pelts, breeding stock and finished fiber products. Also for sale was batting - a layer of wool used in felting, quilting or spinning - and roving, wool that has been prepared for hand spinning.
Participants were able to take an early tour of the Mary and Florian Kretzschmar's English Gardens Fiber Mill near Caledonia. The new mill won't be up and running until later this month, but participants were able to see some of its equipment. Its specialty is wool processing, but it will also work with other fibers. When open, the mill will offer washing, carding and spinning and produce batting, roving and semi-worsted yarns of all sizes.
Wiscoy Valley Farm, owned by Jean and Jerry, Muelller, has Shetland and Merino sheep. People were able to try their hand at a table loom during the tour and see demonstrations on an electric spinning wheel and a big floor loom.
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Donna Buckbee's farm near Rushford, Tarantula Arms, hosted felting demonstrations. Buckbee raises Corriedale sheep as well as goats, chickens and peacocks.
Kindred Spirit Farm of Spring Valley, is owned by Stacey York and Dennis Hoffman. Their tour stop included hand-painting yarns and carding fibers. The farm runs a community supported agriculture operation that provides members with fiber or yarn throughout the year. They focus on preserving endangered heritage sheep breeds like Lincoln Longwools and Leicester Longwools.
The farms included:
• English Gardens Fiber Mill, 9790 State 76, Caledonia. (507) 896-0427. www.englishgardenslambs.com .
• Wiscoy Valley Farm, 32741 County Road 17, Houston. (507) 896-2354.
• Tarantula Arms, 5853 Ferndale Road, Rushford. (507) 864-2632.
• Kindred Spirit Farm, 20232 121st Ave., Spring Valley. (507) 272-6401, www.kindredspiritfarm.com .
