Spring-time on the farm means lots of care for the animals. One of the great parts of having a small flock of sheep is the spring shearing. Each winter the sheep grow a thick wool coat to help them stay warm through the cold months in upstate New York. When spring arrives it is time to harvest the wool for yarn. The shearing is not painful and the sheep get used to the routine…in fact they would really be hot if we left them with the hair all summer.
Once the wool is cut, we let it dry for a few days in the barn. Then it is spread out on a tarp and any matted or ugly wool is culled. Finally the wool is bagged and sent to the spinner to be washed, teased and spun into yarn. The wool cut in May will be ready to sell as yarn in July. This is one of the sustainable aspect of Handsome Brook Farm where sheep are able to produce ecologically friendly products all year round!