The benefits include regular updates via the farm’s blog (www.fiberfarm.com/blog), and if you’re a Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/) member, interaction with other shareholders via the JMFVF (Juniper Moon Farm Virtual Flock) message boards. There’s also lambcam (accessible from the JMF website), where you can watch (and hear) the sheep and goats (and roosters), which is especially exciting during lambing season which runs through the end of April and early May.
The uber-benefit is the annual Shearing parties. Every Spring, the sheep and goats are shorn, and each Fall, the goats are done again. I’m sure to some of you, it doesn’t sound like much, but honestly? There’s no party like a JMF shearing party!
This year, Susie (owner of Juniper Moon Farm and Shepherdess Extraordinaire) decided on a Country Fair theme, and it was incredible! There were balloons, face painting, square dancing, contests for all manner of things (best crocheted item (I won 3rd!), best knitted item, best quilt, best handspun yarn, best pie), and FOOD!! Each person who attended was asked to bring a dish for the potluck. And bring dishes we did! There were so many amazing food choices! NOT TO MENTION the maple sugar cotton candy and the fresh popped popcorn. I have only 2 words to describe the best thing I ate – salted caramels. Homemade. Yes, you read that correctly -- salted caramels. And you absolutely can’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
There were all kinds of things for sale, too. “Mighty Skeins” of about 900 yards of beautiful aran weight pure Cormo wool yarn, dyed only with natural products. Loads and loads of JMF yarn in other lovely weights. Roving (fleece used to spin yarn) in gorgeous shades. Anna Branner of Anna Branner’s Cloth and Clay makes some of the most ADORABLE farm- and fiber- related pottery – yarn bowls with the JMF logo and a cute little scene from the farm on the other side, branded coffee mugs (for the awesome JMF Farmhouse Blend coffee!). From her own shop, sheep and chicken and cow banks, sheep figurines, lovely strong cups (I bought one for my crochet hooks), and just, well… look here:
Quite a few of these things are now mine.
There’s an aura of peace around the farm. Even with the hectic goings-on of Shearing Day, moments like these
are abundant.
And how can you not love someplace that looks like this?
The generosity and friendship I encountered was simply beautiful. I now have some of the most interesting and beautiful geranium cuttings and some lovely new variegated hosta, thanks to two women whom I’d never met in person before Shearing Day. I am honored to count them among my friends now. Anna, whose pottery I’ve already extolled the virtue of; Erin, who patiently taught me to use a drop spindle and told me my yarn wasn’t ugly, it was art (it is UGLY…TRUST ME!), Libby, who learned to spin with me (and made prettier yarn than me!); Judy, who makes a mean maple cotton candy and who is just lovely; Nancy, who yarnstorms those in need and untangles huge balls of yarn for fun; Muffinista, who shears sheep and also helped me learn to spin; Tonya, who tirelessly worked in the kitchen and gave us all a great laugh over asparagus (she makes a mean potato, too!); and there are so many others I haven’t mentioned.
And of course, Jenny and Susie, who put it all together and kept it all going. Without you, there's no us.
So with that all said, I have a lovely group of new friends, I’ve found a little bit of heaven on earth, and I am rested from simply absorbing the energy of the farm.
There’s a Fall Shearing Day coming up. I hope to be there to share with all my “Auntie” friends again. I miss y’all.
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