Comments on: Lambing in 2009 – Week 1

By: Faye Chilson

Faye Chilson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:38:15 +0000

Hi,
Just pulled your card from a stack of mail and was thinking about our impromptu visit about a month ago. My husband and I stopped in after seeing Cave Point and Whitefish Bay beach(we were on our way back to Green Bay when we discovered you)He mostly took pictures of your sheep and I watched you spinning and talked about my moving to Wis 2 years ago from Ca. Also enjoyed going upstairs and seeing all the art. Just read your blog and looked at and read all the various sites. So interesting. I am in awe of how you manage at lambing time. I remember my aunt near Eugene, Wash. telling me how she got up every 2 hours during lambing season to check on hers. I think I told you she had 100 sheep????kind.
Anyway I am impressed and applaud you for what you are doing. Am going to see about spending a night with you at your Bed and Breakfast. You told me about your good breakfast meals and had my mouth watering. Such a great menu. Have a great rest of the summer season.

By: Dick

Dick — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:16:30 +0000

Hej aija,

I am glad that you are enjoying the blogging efforts. It has been fun so far (and sometimes a bit difficult to keep up!)

Over the years we have not seen a stronger or lesser interest (at least based on sales) in our white fleeces compared to our coloreds. Once we seemed to establish a good sales base, both types sell out in almost the same time. We do notice that there are fads over the years, probably based on articles in such places as Spin-Off or active internet groups. When dyeing is “hot”, white and lighter gray fleeces sell faster. Other years the demand for pure black is insatiable. I also think that their are more quality white fleeces available compared to quality colored fleeces. Therefore the market for white may be a bit more saturated. In my humble opinion, quality sells and lack of quality quickly shrivels up a fleece producer’s return customer base.

Back to the barn for a baby check!

By: aija

aija — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:58:35 +0000

I really enjoy your farm blog! I’m curious– do you find that interest in white fleeces is as strong as it is for colored? I went to a single-fleece wool auction recently and was surprised at the brisk bidding for colored fleeces (and lack of interest in whites).

Excited to read more when yall have time to catch a breath again

By: Claire

Claire — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:31:18 +0000

Gretchen and Dick,
glad to hear you are holding your own as you are truly out numbered now!
thank you for the updates on the birds and the babes! nice to know things are going pretty smooth for everyone so far.

staying warm wrapped in my beautiful wool blanket from the farm….
Claire

By: M.J.

M.J. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:52:02 +0000

Just a quick bird up-date; on a pond in Middleton (just outside the WI capital city of Madison) this morning, the loons are here!!! What a wonderful surprise to see open water and that wonderful black and white shape diving and then waiting. . . waiting. . . waiting to see where it would resurface. The “season” for loons is so fleeting here.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:55:38 +0000

Sounds like a nice change to have warm weather for lambing!! Sorry that I’m not there to do your grocery shopping this year. R. (P.S. what about Wellington and Waterloo???)