Retiree Takes on Her Hobby For a Second Career

 A small hobby farm was the perfect venue for me when I retired.  As long as I can remember, I have considered myself the penultimate craftsperson--knitting, sewing, cross stitching--to include  pattern design, gifts, and more challenging projects such as smocking.  My  house always sported a great garden, sometimes at the expense of a "normal" yard.  And, in cold winters with short days, I took up baking my grandmother's recipes.  As soon as I could, I bought a small farm in Wisconsin so that I could be near my grandchildren and pass on my love for my hobbies.  

 I chose to breed Icelandic sheep because their wool was scarce in the US and for years the classic lopi yarn was my favorite.  I added Nigerian Dwarf goats, dairy sheep and of course chickens so that I would have plenty of fresh milk and eggs for my baking and for making tasty, hard-to-get cheeses and much more like homemade ice cream. 

 I love my animals and treat all of them like pets giving them individual attention and training. They are raised holistically by grazing and feeding on fresh high quality grass hay with managed grazing and pasture rotation to minimize parasite exposure, by including kelp in the diet to enhance immunity, aid digestion, decrease stress, and enhance coat quality, and by using natural products such as diatomaceous earth for pest control.  I currently have professional help shearing the sheep twice a year but otherwise manage the entire farm with help from my son.   

 I currently sell yarn from Icelandic sheep.  Some of the fleeces are sold after skirting and some are sold to hand spinners but most are brought to a mill to be custom processed for my Etsy shop and for selling from my home.