Beth and I began our journey into the wonderful world of sheep and wool while we lived in Colorado. At that time we were both working in computer manufacturing and needed an outlet from the stress of such a fast paced environment. We looked into many different home based cottage industries but when we were introduced to the wonder of these beautiful animals we were hooked. We decided to raise longwool sheep because we knew that the value add that the wool would give us made more sence than simply raising the sheep simply for their meat. Once we began working with the fleece and wool we could not believe how wonderful it was to work with. Both Beth and I learned to spin, Beth with a drop spindle and then with a single tredle Louet spinning wheel. Once she became more proficient then she started to teach me on the spinning wheel. Once I got the hang of it I found it to be very relaxing and watching the fibers turning into yarn right before your eyes was almost hypnotising. It took me to another place, away from the everyday hussle and bussle of the manufacturing lifestyle. Our initial flock consisted of Icelandic, we found the ease of raising these sheep perfect for the new herdsman. They are very hardy and can withstand all types of weather conditions and are very easy breeders and excellant mothers. The lambs are quick to get up after birth and a very lively and quick to nurse. The colors are wonderful and the wool is very tough and warm. Once we began raising the Icelandic we then found other breeds which had their own unique characteristics. We were attracted to a breed of sheep that originally came from the British Isles. These were Border Leicester, these sheep were one the first sheep introduced to the United States and were the breed that originally made up most of Thomas Jeffersons flock. We truly fell in love with the long ringlet curls of the Border Leicester and Beth especially loved the fact that she could spin yarn from the fleece which gave the yarn a distinctive appearance with all the curls and tails that stood out once it was spun. Because it wasn't a dual coated sheep the resulting yarn was not quite as fuzzy as the Icelandic and since the wool is softer even tho it is still considered a coarse wool sheep it was softer to the touch. In 2003 we moved our farm from the dry desert conditions of Colorado to the lush green fields of Eastern Nebraska, where our growing flock could enjoy more days on pasture without the worry of overgrazing the grass. We also wanted a more readily available supply of good quality alfalfa hay to feed during the winter months. Once we were established in Nebraska we expanded our flock to include the CVM/Romaldale breed. Again we were looking to improve the fleece quality of our flock and as a result improve the yarn quality we were producing. The Romaldale was the perfect answer for us. Not only are the colors spectacular but the softness of the fleece is unbelieveable. We purchased our first ram from Roy and Myrtle Dow in Colorado and and we crossed him on our very best Border Leicester ewes. The results have been nothing but amazing. Not only are we getting a more uniform fleece but the added crimp and softness has given us a wool which when spun into yarn can be worn next to the skin without any problems with itchiness. Plus the colors are really coming through and our diversity of natural colored wool is giving us the opportunity to offer natural colored yarns to our customers which we weren't able to offer in the past. Along with the improvement of the wool we are finding we are getting wonderful highbred vigor and the resulting offspring are fast growing with a lot of muscling and excellant meatyness. We are looking to expand our Romaldale flock this coming year and will continue to cross breed our young stock to move closer to a 100% Romaldale blood stock. We see the importance of furthering this breed and building a larger base from which the breed can expand. The CVM/Romaldale is one of the most endangered breeds in the world and we feel it is our duty as shepherds to help prevent the loss of this beautiful animal.

It is a new year and time for new plans. We reopened our ETSY STORE so everyone needs to check it out we have many new yarns and scarves to choose from. I have also begun to get back into silversmithing and also have begun to establish my own line of wire wrapped jewelry all of my pieces are in our ETSY STORE.
Beth has been working on her own line of jewelry combining wire wrapping and Paper Beads which she rolls by hand. She has made some of the most beautiful pieces you can imagine and the paper beads are just amazing. Also check out Beth's jewelry in our ETSY STORE .
We are continuing to look for ways to add value to what we produce here. Many families are looking for a fun destination that they can visit on a weekend jaunt. We welcome bus tours, families, and individuals to share in the beauty of rural living by visiting us. Locally grown fruits, vegetables, as well as clean lamb and poultry are becoming more important as we see illness and recalls from foods sourced from distant places and from comglomerate farming. We can provide some of these things to you.
Last Spring we planted our pastures to alfalfa in hopes of not needing to buy in hay for our sheep. Unfortunately with the drought there was much of the crop that did not make it so we fall seeded again and hope that spring rains will provide enough moisture to get the crop going.
As always we still sell our gentle essential oil soaps made for you right here on the farm. But this year we are adding perfume scented soaps to our line. We can get just about any imposter perfume that you could want. There are all the tried and true scents like honeysuckle, lilac, and lilly of the valley. But if you have a favorite perfume you wear and would like soaps, lotions and bath salts to match, email me. Seriously you can't believe how many imposter oils there are on the market for you to choose from. We will be posting what we have available on our website soon. Need a gift that really says how much you care? We can ship gift sets to your loved ones as per your instructions. Each one will be shipped in its own basket, wrapped in clear celophane, and packed in a box to safely arrive at its destination.

We just recently started a Facebook page and invite you to join us there. All our newest creations are posted to Facebook as we add them to our Etsy Store.