From the Pastures: Plan for retirement

Hooray, it is summer. I always love this time of year even though it is a busy time. We do find time to relax on the back porch and enjoy the sunshine or have a campfire. Summer is such a great time to enjoy nature.

All the ewes are done lambing now. We have more ewe lambs than ram lambs, which is great. This is the year of the black lambs. We have two black ewes and two black rams. Each has some white on their face or body, so may not be true black. I am OK if they turn to a nice gray color. The ewe with twins did not end up having any milk, so after feeding the twins for a couple of days, I gave them away. I just did not have the time to raise bottle lambs. The family that took them was so excited and sent me pictures recently. The lambs are doing great.

Recently after sending letters to all our customers, we made an important announcement about the business: After 17 wonderful years, we’ve made the heartfelt decision to sell Illinois Wool & Fiber Mill and The Complete Sheep Shoppe. It’s time for us to begin a new chapter and enjoy more time with our growing family, especially our grandkids.

We are incredibly grateful for the love, support and friendships we’ve built with so many amazing fiber enthusiasts over the years. It’s been an unforgettable journey, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Email — jane@ilwoolfibermill.com — is the best way to contact us. For serious parties interested in the business we can provide a list of equipment, terms and pricing.

We are still processing current fiber orders with the same care and commitment to quality as always. We’re just beginning the process of finding the right buyer and don’t yet know how long the transition will take. We promise to keep you updated every step of the way.

I still think and feel that I am too young to retire, but time moves on. We really want to spend more time with the grandchildren. Two live in Georgia, which means more traveling.

It has been a pleasure to work with so many people in the sheep and fiber industry.