From the Pastures: Keeping you warm

The rain in late October and early November is not a favorite of farmers. For my pastures, the rain has given them extra life. The sheep should be able to get enough grass until the end of November with only a little supplement.

This weekend I need to stop procrastinating and pull out the winter buckets. They need to be cleaned and plugged in to be sure they are working. Every year I think it is not going to get cold yet. Then all of a sudden it is 10 degrees. If the weather cooperates one more weekend, there is a little more in the barn to take out and spread on the field. We have finished all other cold weather projects and the barn is ready.

The mill has been really busy with a lot of different kinds of fiber. We have worked with Icelandic wool, different colors of alpaca, Romney wool and some Cotswold. They all spin a little differently, but have turned into nice yarn. It is always interesting to see how the fiber from different breeds turns into unique yarn. A customer asked for their wool to be dyed in earth tones. We used a darker green and a bronze brown. The colors look just like they are from nature.

The colder weather is a good time to turn to wool garments. Wool is a unique fiber. Because of the structure of wool, moisture is moved away from your skin towards the outside of the wool fiber. This keeps your skin dry. Wool also has insulating properties which holds in the warmth. Warm and dry is perfect for the cold weather. Wool socks are a good example.

We are excited and grateful to welcome a new granddaughter to the family. Blakely Lorraine, welcome to the family. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.