We’ve been preparing for lambs over the last few days. Ever-rounder ewes have warned us that it’s time to plan. These are some of our most ostentatiously pregnant ewes: We started by placing our order from Premier 1 Supplies. We bought fresh new bottles and nipples for the inevitable bottle lambs, smore syringes and needles,Continue reading “Lambs Arrive”
Author Archives: cloverworks
Target Dress Challenge…
…challenge accepted. If you are unfamiliar with the Target Dress Challenge, it’s worth reading about so that the rest of this entry will make sense to you. It all started when someone pointed out that a bunch of long dresses at Target look like “people just lost the farm after locusts ate their crops” butContinue reading “Target Dress Challenge…”
Shearing Day Arrives
Again, credit to Lee for distilling all of the good advice I’ve gotten about how to really share my farm with others into one useful phrase. We spent Wednesday evening setting up for shearing. We have learned that if we set up morning-of, the sheep get all nervous and suspicious. Nervous sheep do not goContinue reading “Shearing Day Arrives”
A Little Help from my Friends
There’s nothing better than a farm friend when you need one! January is conference season, even in a year where all conferences are virtual. I was lucky enough to attend a sheep chat hosted by Cornell discussing small ruminant management. While the content of the conference itself varied a bit, I was lucky enough toContinue reading “A Little Help from my Friends”
Fresh New Goodies!
Ready for some fun new Bobolink Products? What would you say to a gradient skein with great eye-appeal? We are now offering 2ply Fingering Coopworth in a gorgeous gradient ball. The base yarn is natural gray, so the rich colors will really stand out. Balls contain 200g/790 yards. This wool comes from friends in Hardwick,Continue reading “Fresh New Goodies!”
Lamb Open House – Y/N in 2021?
No matter how much I pet them, my sheep crave attention. I have several who will stop at nothing for shoulder-scritches, up to and including the yearling ewe from my last blog post who now will try to stand on your chest for attention. Needless to say, but we are training her not to doContinue reading “Lamb Open House – Y/N in 2021?”
Sheep Behaving Badly
I have some entertaining pictures of recent sheep activity. After 45 days in the barn, the ewes express their restlessness with weird stunts. Activity #1 – Fighting BFL 129 Amelia and Border Leicester 1736 go head to head, with our resident ram lamb goading them on. Sheep flocks have a hierarchy, and apparently these girlsContinue reading “Sheep Behaving Badly”
Walking
I’ve started taking a walk each day to try to battle my isolation fatigue. Typically, I begin by walking north. In a few steps past the end of the driveway, I am off our property and walking on the smooth, damp sand of the road. Throughout my walk, I must listen for approaching cars fromContinue reading “Walking”
Art, Comfort, Yarn
Today is Election Day in the US. Anticipation and stress fill the air as I’m driving to one of VT’s premier yarn shops to buff up their inventory of Bobolink Yarns. Winding through a small town, I see that political sign-wavers are out in force while voters slow traffic crossing in the crosswalks. November isContinue reading “Art, Comfort, Yarn”
Snow Too Soon
I’ll be the first to admit that we put off fixing the barn for too long. Though we have a wide-ranging array of skills, neither Matt nor I are woodworkers. Wood is a tricky medium – it warps, shrinks, grows and splits. Matt prefers metal, plastic and electronics, and I prefer spreadsheets and graphics. SoContinue reading “Snow Too Soon”