The Adventure Begins
Sign up for a new class or event here at the farm and enjoy a day with the sheep and shepherds
Lambs fleece reservation and processing
$300.00
Reserve your lambs wool fleece for the fall.
Have you wanted to become more connected with your fiber, knowing the animal who grew it, learning about how to take it from the animal and turn it into a finished product? This fleece reservation allows you to do just that. You can select a time to come visit the lambs, or have a virtual tour and selection, where you can pick out the fleece you would like for the fall. Once the fall or late summer shearing is here, you will be welcomed to come to shear day and hold your new fleece. If you are not able to make it to shear day, we can set up a virtual opportunity or I can take pictures and videos. After shearing I will teach you how to skirt your fleece, wash it, and finally process it. You will have the opportunity to wash here at the farm if you would like or I can wash it for you. You will also have the opportunity to have me process it into roving, batting, or handspun yarn (for an additional fee) or you can use my small picker, carder, and a loaner spinning wheel. If you are not in my area and are unable to make it to the farm, I will send pictures of your fleece as it is processed if you wish, or I can send the raw or washed fleece to you.
This is a great opportunity to get to know the animal who grew your clothes, as well as to gain the skills to process fleeces in the future.
Spin with Ewe at the farm
$50.00
Only a few left!
Grab your drop spindle or spinning wheel and come spend a Sunday spinning wool with two shepherds and the sheep, on our farm. This small intimate event will feature a “roving flight” of various rovings milled at the Bentz Farm Mill, that you can spin during the event and discuss with your fellow spinners and the millers and shepherds. We will spin atop our hill overlooking the beautiful Cannon River Valley, while a select number of ewes and lambs sweetly nibble grass. Bring your own snacks and drinks and enjoy a lovely Sunday, reconnecting with your fiber community and the amazing animals that bring you their wool.
This event will occur at either the Bentz Farm or the A Woolen Forest farm. We can only accommodate 10 spinners, and request you are vaccinated if you want to remove your mask. Each spinner will be a socially distant space apart, which gives enough room for the sheep to move between you as you spin. Feel free to bring apple treats for the sheep.
Spin with Ewe will take place at the Bentz farm from 11am- 2pm.
30700 Northfield Blvd
Northfield MN 55057
Wool classing and skirting class
$50.00
Calling all fiber artists!
Have you wanted to learn how to select and skirt a raw fleece, but feel intimidated by the learning curve? Do you want to learn how to skirt your fleeces to ensure better results at the wool mill? Do you want to learn how to check if a fleece is sound, and how to tell if it is a good fleece? This would be the class for you!
Come spend a few hours with two shepherds with decades of experience working wool and fleece, one shepherd is a certified wool classer. We will pull raw fleeces out and toss them on the skirting tables, and will discuss how to check for soundness, and quality. We will teach you how to properly skirt a fleece, which will make processing a breeze. We will have two large skirting tables set up and one smaller table, students will be able to touch a variety of raw fibers and we will discuss the unique qualities of each breed. Students will also have a chance to use their new classing skills to identify what is wrong with a fleece. The shepherds will also give a short talk about the American wool and textile industry, and issues facing wool producers. We will also tell the story of the fleeces we selected for skirting, as well as our background as shepherds.
This will be a fun, tactile experience. Grab your mud boots, overalls, and beverage/food and come spend the day at the farm diving into wool!
Spin with Ewe - Holly Ridge Farm 9/12
$50.00
Only a few left!
Spin with Ewe is going on the road! Grab your drop spindle or spinning wheel and come spend a Sunday spinning wool with shepherds and the sheep, at Holly Ridge Farm in Wisconsin where Patti and Rick Dougherty raise Leicester Longwool Sheep.
This small intimate event will feature a “roving flight” of various rovings from heritage breed sheep milled at the Bentz Farm Mill, that you can spin during the event and discuss with your fellow spinners and the millers and shepherds. We will spin in an idyllic heirloom apple orchard as the sheep graze in a nearby pasture and chickens meander through the garden. Bring your own snacks and drinks and enjoy a lovely Sunday, reconnecting with your fiber community and the amazing animals that bring you their wool.
Spin with Ewe will take place at Holly Ridge Farm from 11am-2pm on Sunday September 12th.
N4324 410th St
Ellsworth, WI 54011
Holly Ridge Farm is a fellow member of the Three Rivers Fibershed.
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