From lambing to caring for the sheep to shearing to preparing the fiber for yarn, the book includes stories and practical tips on operating an organic fiber farm.
SHELBURNE –For Barbara N. Parry, a shepherd and textile artisan, her passion for fiber arts, and raising sheep are conjoined.
They were “kindled simultaneously” by a former neighbor and teaching colleague, Jean Willmann, who raised sheep and did everything from scratch. “It was inspiring,” Parry recalled. She helped Willmann care for her sheep, and eventually adopted two lambs from her flock to raise in her backyard when she lived in South Deerfield.
Those interests have grown, and now Parry’s passions are evident in her new book, “Adventures in Yarn Farming: Four Seasons on a New England Fiber Farm.”
Life for Parry revolves around her husband, Mike, and two golden retrievers, along with the sheep, llama, donkeys and goat who live at the 220-acre Springdelle Farm in Shelburne. Her book encompasses a year of activities at the artisanal farm.
From lambing to caring for the sheep to shearing to preparing the fiber for yarn, the book includes stories and practical tips on operating an organic fiber farm. It also includes recipes, knitting projects and techniques for spinning and dyeing natural fibers.
Parry’s collection of essays takes readers through life with sheep in all seasons, and relates tales of the challenges and triumphs of farming.
Parry, who also writes, weaves, knits and gardens, is a consultant to start-up fiber farms and teaches fiber arts skills. She writes a blog at SheepGal.com.
“Adventures in Yarn Farming: Four Seasons on a New England Fiber Farm” was published in November by Roost Books. Ben Barnart, a free-lance commercial and editorial photographer living in Conway, and Parry took the more than 100 photos in the book.
The essays about keeping sheep and stories of the farm are the backbone of the book.
“Since we are primarily a ‘yarn farm,’ I've included projects for making yarn from scratch, starting with the sheep. The recipes - -inspired by my kitchen garden -- and farm-based craft projects round out the book. The projects and recipes make the book more relevant to people who don't knit or handspin, but enjoy reading about rural life and sheep,” she said.
More and more sheep are being raised on small farms practicing sustainable agriculture rather than on large ranches for new and emerging specialty markets like locally grown food, high quality cheese and specialty wools.
“Growing public awareness of supporting small independent farms, and caring about how their food and fiber are produced, comes at a critical time, as many farms in our area, and elsewhere struggle to remain viable,” Parry said.
“Discerning consumers have caught on. If you like looking at farms and open land, support the farmers who make a living from that land and whose work keeps it open.”
She called sheep a sensible choice of livestock on many levels: small size, easy on the land, provide food and fiber for clothing. She works with shepherds, who have purchased sheep from her farm, on successfully managing a flock for fiber production.
Parry enjoys sharing the land with livestock.
“Working with them day in and day out deepens that bond, but in New England, that's full of challenges,” she said.
Like any other form of farming, hers is at the mercy of the elements: wet summers that make harvesting hay impossible; winter storms that knock out power at the farm, which means trucking water in; frozen water pipes.
There also are non-weather threats: a difficult lamb birthing, predator strikes, noxious plants in the pasture.
“Farming forces you to loosen up and go with the flow because, really, what choice do you have?” she said.
On her farm there are 60 sheep, one goat, three llamas and three miniature donkeys. The sheep provide wool for the yarns Parry markets under her yarn label Foxfire Fiber & Designs. They also provide replacement stock, and lamb for the table. The llamas are guardians for the sheep.
“The goat provides mohair and mischief,” she said. “The donkeys are adorable but useless.”
Also available from the farm are Sheep Shares, a CSA for yarn and fiber begun a few years ago.
“Instead of veggies, our shareholders receive a spring and fall share of yarn or fiber,” Parry said.
There are special events at the farm for shareholders and their guests: "Shearing Day" in spring; the "Strolling of the Lambs" in June, so everyone can meet the new lambs; and "Fiber, Foliage and Friends" in October. This year there was a yarn painting party in her dye studio too.
Parry’s 320-page, full-color, hardcover book lists for $27.95. Order a signed copy at www.foxfirefiber.com/book.html for $33.95 ($27.95 plus $6 shipping via priority mail).