CT Sheep, Wool And Fiber Festival

The 102nd Annual Connecticut Sheep, Wool & Fiber Festival is Saturday, April 30, rain or shine, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tolland Agricultural Center, Route 30, Vernon/Rockville.

Kevin Woolam (above) and Cathy Andresen co-chair the event.

Yarn, roving, sheep, exhibits, shearing and spinning demonstrations. Fleece sale, educational lectures; wool skirting, sheep dog trial, fleece to shawl contest, kids’ corner, knitting instruction, food, vendors, festival logo shirts, music, family fun. Kevin Woolam and Cathy Andresen co-chair the annual event.

National Natural Colored Wools Show

The 2009 National Natural Colored Woolgrowers Show is at the Eastern States Exposition (Big E), Sunday, Sept. 27, 2 p.m.

Judge is Tor Sorenson. Sheep events are held in the Mallory complex. The National show will be divided into three divisions: Fine, Medium and Long/Course wool animals.

Sheep breeds featured in the first week included Cheviot, Dorset, Hampshire, Pure Horned Dorset, Montadale, Oxford, Shropshire, Southdown, Suffolk. For the second week: Border Leicester, Columbia, Corriedale, Cotswold, Lincoln, Merino, Natural Colored Medium and Fine, AOB Wool/Hair Sheep Show, Rambouillet, Romney, and Tunis.

For details about the sheep dog trials or shearing demonstrations visit http://www.thebige.com/agriculture/ag_premium_book.html

People, Exhibits, Ideas, Network At NOFA CT

That's Elaine Frost of Frostfire Farm located in Goshen, talking about Connecticut Women's Agricultural Network (CT WAgN) at the recent NOFA CT conference in Windsor.

CT WAgN is a network for women who farm, have an agriculturally-related business, or want to have one. (This includes producers of specialty goods, fiber, yarn and wool, wine, flowers, herbs, etc. Artisans, entrepreneurs, chefs, farm market participants and others are welcome to network and learn.)

Wayne Young of High Hill Orchards (located on a gorgeous farm that really is perched atop a high hill with the backdrop of Beseck Mountain in Meriden) offered sliced samples of his apples and talked about the winter CSA his farm offers. (A CSA is "community-supported agriculture" - in this case participants can choose a full share for four months worth of local organic fruits, vegetables/greens, and fresh cider . . . or just the fruit portion). For details or more information about the farm and orchard, call Young at (203) 294-0276.

Centennial for Sheep, Wool, Border Collies

There's nothing quite like quality yarn.

This spring, the 100th Annual Connecticut Sheep, Wool, and Fiber Festival is Saturday April 25 at Tolland Agricultural Center, 24 Hyde Avenue (Route 30), Vernon. Featuring working border collies, sheep shearing, spinning, weaving, there's something for everyone. Meet the animals that produce the fiber - from sheep to llamas and alpaca. Watch the fleece to shawl contest, try your hand at spinning, or just enjoy the color and critters. Admission is $3 for parking; call (860) 526-3883 for details.

In 2008, the 20th Annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival offered up a feast of fiber - naturally dyed cotton, hemp, wool, and blends. Exotics. On display were all things to create beauty from fibers - from spinning wheels, drum carders, spindles and knitting accessories. There was raw fleece, rovings, homegrown millspun yarn, handspun yarn, hand-knit creations for people and dogs.

And then there was the working dog demonstrations, featuring Border collies, expertly herding sheep. Beauty in motion.


This year's Vermont festival will be held October 3 and 4, at Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VT. For more information contact Kat Smith, (802) 446-3325.