Marr Haven Wool Farm of Allegan, MI will host a FELT UNITED event October 3, 2009 from noon until 4 :00 pm.
A large tent will be placed in front of the farm shop for felt makers to exhibit (and sell if you have a Michigan sales tax license). Suzanne Higgs of Hooked On Felt will demonstrate simple felt making for the public and will have several of her stunning felt hats available.
We are inviting all felt makers in our area to participate by making a felt item in the Felt United color theme of red, orange and yellow. A combination of the 3 colors or one of the 3 colors may be used according to the Felt United guidelines with no more than 3% added colors. Photos will be submitted to Felt United for their online exhibit as well as in a multimedia presentation. More information regarding the felt pieces are on the Felt United website.
Please contact me as soon as possible if you are interested in participating so I can include you in the news releases which I would like to send out by next Monday Sept. 7.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Rainy Days and Hand Dyed Wool Yarn
Looks like there could be a pretty good late season cutting of hay this year with all the rain we have had lately. As I have said before, I like cooler weather which the rain brought back so I am happy!!!
Did some more dyeing of yarn,
This is Cheery Grape
and Woodlea.
Both show my head is into fall already.
Did some more dyeing of yarn,
This is Cheery Grape and Woodlea.
Both show my head is into fall already.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Probably too long, but please read.
I am not an alarmist and I try to be objective when new ideas or issues are introduced. Especially since there seem to be more changes in our lives the longer we live.
However, there are some things happening in our country that don't seem to get media attention yet can have some far reaching ramifications to life styles. The American Sheep Industry Association Weekly Newsletter arrived today (August 21, 2009) with items that bothered me. I hope you will become more aware of these types of things. With the permission of ASI, I am quoting part of a couple of these items.
(1) "Conservationists won a battle with the federal government over information they say will help improve a program aimed at returning the Mexican gray wolf to the Southwest.
A judge ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services (WS) to release information on the locations of conflicts between livestock and the Mexican gray wolves in New Mexico and Arizona.
WS turned over the documents but not information that would have shown the specific locations of livestock-wolf conflicts. The agency cited concerns for landowner privacy. Reprinted in part from firstamendmentcenter.org "
(my edit: Why should you care? Local governments have lost control to protect their residents, the residents have lost their privacy along with earlier losses of their rights to protect their farm animals.)
(2) "Every spring, farmers in Chandler and Casa Grande, Ariz., move thousands of sheep out of the heat into northern Arizona for the summer and return them south in the fall. Some sheep are trucked part way, others are herded.
Now, an environmental group, the Western Watersheds Project, is suing to block their route, charging that herding the sheep through forests threatens the wild bighorn sheep. The anti-livestock group has filed a federal court lawsuit in Phoenix challenging a decision by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to allow domestic sheep to run across two forests. "
(my edit: The environmental group claim the bighorn sheep will mix with the domestic sheep and possibly catch disease and the domestic sheep will eat too much and create a food shortage for the bighorn sheep.)
"Mark Pedersen, a manager at Sheep Springs, said environmentalists are comparing apples and oranges. He said their data comes from intermingling of bighorns and domestic sheep in the same pastures over months at a time. In contrast, he said, his sheep are in a bighorn area only a couple of days, the domestic sheep are vaccinated, are kept in a tight band and bighorns do not venture into the herd.
He pays the USFS every year for a permit to trail his sheep through the forest.
"The sheep are staying in a tight band with bells on them; there are dogs and a herder riding a horse," Pedersen said. "You can't tell me that wild bighorn sheep are going to run down and run into your (domestic) sheep. It's just highly unlikely."
Environmentalists are not convinced and want the USFS to do an environmental impact study. USFS spokeswoman Paige Rockett said a study has begun.
Meanwhile, the anti-livestock group is considering filing a request for a temporary restraining order to prevent the sheep run this fall. Reprinted in part from The Arizona Republic "
With the economy still tight, I find it hard to believe common sense couldn't settle this faster and cheaper than a federal government study. Also I have read studies in the past reporting how the domestic sheep help protect forests by reducing undergrowth which feed forest fires, at the same time improving the ground with their droppings.
These may seem like little things and far removed from you but there are folks who do not believe we should "own" animals for meat or fiber. In my 20+ years of raising sheep and being aware of these 'little' things I see how the organized groups are winning many little battles and I fear the end of this war.
However, there are some things happening in our country that don't seem to get media attention yet can have some far reaching ramifications to life styles. The American Sheep Industry Association Weekly Newsletter arrived today (August 21, 2009) with items that bothered me. I hope you will become more aware of these types of things. With the permission of ASI, I am quoting part of a couple of these items.
(1) "Conservationists won a battle with the federal government over information they say will help improve a program aimed at returning the Mexican gray wolf to the Southwest.
A judge ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services (WS) to release information on the locations of conflicts between livestock and the Mexican gray wolves in New Mexico and Arizona.
WS turned over the documents but not information that would have shown the specific locations of livestock-wolf conflicts. The agency cited concerns for landowner privacy. Reprinted in part from firstamendmentcenter.org "
(my edit: Why should you care? Local governments have lost control to protect their residents, the residents have lost their privacy along with earlier losses of their rights to protect their farm animals.)
(2) "Every spring, farmers in Chandler and Casa Grande, Ariz., move thousands of sheep out of the heat into northern Arizona for the summer and return them south in the fall. Some sheep are trucked part way, others are herded.
Now, an environmental group, the Western Watersheds Project, is suing to block their route, charging that herding the sheep through forests threatens the wild bighorn sheep. The anti-livestock group has filed a federal court lawsuit in Phoenix challenging a decision by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to allow domestic sheep to run across two forests. "
(my edit: The environmental group claim the bighorn sheep will mix with the domestic sheep and possibly catch disease and the domestic sheep will eat too much and create a food shortage for the bighorn sheep.)
"Mark Pedersen, a manager at Sheep Springs, said environmentalists are comparing apples and oranges. He said their data comes from intermingling of bighorns and domestic sheep in the same pastures over months at a time. In contrast, he said, his sheep are in a bighorn area only a couple of days, the domestic sheep are vaccinated, are kept in a tight band and bighorns do not venture into the herd.
He pays the USFS every year for a permit to trail his sheep through the forest.
"The sheep are staying in a tight band with bells on them; there are dogs and a herder riding a horse," Pedersen said. "You can't tell me that wild bighorn sheep are going to run down and run into your (domestic) sheep. It's just highly unlikely."
Environmentalists are not convinced and want the USFS to do an environmental impact study. USFS spokeswoman Paige Rockett said a study has begun.
Meanwhile, the anti-livestock group is considering filing a request for a temporary restraining order to prevent the sheep run this fall. Reprinted in part from The Arizona Republic "
With the economy still tight, I find it hard to believe common sense couldn't settle this faster and cheaper than a federal government study. Also I have read studies in the past reporting how the domestic sheep help protect forests by reducing undergrowth which feed forest fires, at the same time improving the ground with their droppings.
These may seem like little things and far removed from you but there are folks who do not believe we should "own" animals for meat or fiber. In my 20+ years of raising sheep and being aware of these 'little' things I see how the organized groups are winning many little battles and I fear the end of this war.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Nuno or Laminated Silk Scarves
It took a week but August proved to be what most people call summer - hot & humid. I probably have said before that I loved our summer so much this year because it had been cool, I guess others need to have what they prefer as well.
It did give me a good reason to stay inside to make some nuno scarves for the shop.
These are 3 of them. You can view a close up of them.
The day temps.are back to 80's which is much better for this weekend's Fiber Festival. I have already met some who are here early for classes and came to the farm shop.
It did give me a good reason to stay inside to make some nuno scarves for the shop.
These are 3 of them. You can view a close up of them.
The day temps.are back to 80's which is much better for this weekend's Fiber Festival. I have already met some who are here early for classes and came to the farm shop.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Michigan Fiber Festival
Wow, only two more weekends before the Michigan Fiber Festival. Last year at this time I was having real withdrawal pains since that was the first year I didn't have a booth at the festival. I am so proud of what the Michigan fiber enthusiasts have created with this event and to think I was one of the original 9. It is almost like watching a child grow up.
Again this year, the farm shop will be open each day the week before festival weekend - open August 10 through the 14th. The shop will be closed for the weekend - 15th and 16th so I can attend. If you haven't been to the farm shop before, we are 7 miles southwest of Allegan. Here are maps and written directions if you need them. Hope to see many of you at the festival and/or here at the farm.
Again this year, the farm shop will be open each day the week before festival weekend - open August 10 through the 14th. The shop will be closed for the weekend - 15th and 16th so I can attend. If you haven't been to the farm shop before, we are 7 miles southwest of Allegan. Here are maps and written directions if you need them. Hope to see many of you at the festival and/or here at the farm.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Barb's Hand Dye on Marr Haven Lilac Heather
I am still having fun over dyeing our heather colors. The two colorways shown here are dyed with Jacquard on our Lilac Heather. The first shown I call Black & Browns, pretty descriptive name - you think.
The second one, MacIntosh Apple has the Lilac color included in the colorway. If you are familiar with all the Michigan orchards, you know Mac apples have a unique color change during their ripening.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
A New Hand Dyed Yarn from Our Customer
This is a new color from Christine Kern of hippy pippy called "king kandy".
It is dyed on Marr Haven Light Grey. She has this colorway and more available now on her website.
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