by cloverworks 
…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” but in the pandemic world. And this is where it … Read More Target Dress Challenge…
by cloverworks
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 go into pens willingly. So we set up the pens … Read More Shearing Day Arrives
by cloverworks
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 to meet Lee, who runs a dairy and multi-species meat … Read More A Little Help from my Friends
by cloverworks
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, VT. We are now offering local sock yarn! Settlement … Read More Fresh New Goodies!
+ Farm Economics, Farm Photos, Hard truth, open-source shepherd, Rural Life, Sheep, Uncategorized, Vermont
by cloverworks
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 do that. We have a little over a month of … Read More Lamb Open House – Y/N in 2021?
by cloverworks
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 from either direction. Pedestrians are not that common on our … Read More Walking
by cloverworks
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 is already a stressful time of year generally on the … Read More Art, Comfort, Yarn
+ bluefaced leicester, Hard truth, open-source shepherd, Other Farm Life, Rural Life, Sheep, Uncategorized
by cloverworks
I felt grateful for a morning full of sunshine this morning. We’re well past our first frost and we know that snow is right around the corner, so it wasn’t surprising to step out to 35F temperatures and a crisp wind. I usually get started by filling the water tank in the bucket of the tractor. We recently replaced our old Ford with a … Read More Running of the Rams
by cloverworks
It hasn’t been easy to translate my love of wool into yarn that fibercrafters will want. When I am handling good wool and deciding whether to buy it, I am always thinking about whether or not it will be soft enough for people who are used to Merino yarn and similar offerings. I admit I spent some time panicking about whether I’ve spent money … Read More Falling in Love with a Yarn
by cloverworks
Two day’s worth of preparation went in to getting 35 lambs shorn in an organized manner, but it was worth the effort for a smooth and pleasant experience. First, a bit about why we shear lambs in the fall:Last year, we fall-sheared lambs who would be “getting on the truck,” as it were. We ended up shearing a few Border Leicester ewe lambs who, … Read More Lamb Shearing Day
by cloverworks
I was lucky enough to visit Settlement Farm in Underhill today. After months of not-visiting other farms and sheep, I felt really ready to have a socially-distanced meetup with another shepherd. I ostensibly went to buy some wool for Bobolink Yarns, but I stayed for some special shepherd-time. David Martin raises Montadale cross sheep on a vast and lush acreage. The rich grass shows … Read More Visiting Settlement Farm – A Vermont Yarn Economy
by cloverworks
What a year for us to have decided to focus on getting more visitors on the farm, eh? We’ve given a lot of thought to the risk factors in having farm visitors this year. Matt has risk factors, so we know we need to be careful. But that said, visitors will be walking outdoors with masks on in a context where remaining 6 feet … Read More Excited for the Great Northern Yarn Haul