WASHINGTON CO., N.Y. — Since the early 1800’s, Washington County was a hub for wool and fiber production. Join us as we celebrate the 30th annual Washington County Fiber Tour — April 29-30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, and learn how fiber farms raise high quality livestock and contribute to the region’s agricultural diversity. This self-guided tour of ten farms and a fiber mill is free and open to the public.
Visitors can see sheep, goats, alpacas, and rabbits; learn about fiber arts from small scale to commercial operations; and try their hand at various fibercraft techniques. Most farms offer educational demonstrations throughout the weekend, showcasing a variety of farming practices and fiber arts suitable for children and adults alike. Demonstrations include sheep shearing, sheepdog herding, felting, dyeing, spinning, weaving, and more.
For visitors who want to buy local, the on-farm shops, studios, fiber mill store, and pop-up sales tents all sell quality products. Fleeces, roving, and yarns, as well as many finished articles, are available at most locations along the tour; and several farms have livestock for sale, as well.
New to the Washington County Fiber Tour this year is Caer Luna Farm in Cambridge. Owner Katie Hondrogen and family raise registered Icelandic sheep. An older breed, sometimes referred to as Viking sheep, Icelandics have a double coated fleece responsible for the beautiful lopapeysa sweaters from Iceland. Caer Luna Farm is also home to Nigerian Dwarf goats and a variety of chickens. During the tour, the farm store will be stocked with yarn, felted goods, lanolin-based salves, goats milk soap, chicken, eggs, and more.
Fiber Kingdom in Salem, the only continuous participant on the Tour since the Washington County Fiber Tour began in 1992, will be open again this year. Fiber Kingdom’s owner, and Fiber Tour co-founder, Sylvia Graham specializes in raising Angora rabbits. Sylvia also offers a wide range of equipment and supplies for spinning, weaving and knitting in her fiber studio and workshop. She says, “We will have on-going demonstrations both days of bunny clipping, spinning and weaving.”
Returning to the tour this year is Simple Pleasures Yarn, Fiber and Fleece in Hebron, which has been producing wool and wool blend yarns for over 22 years, using the wool from their small flock of Romney sheep. The locally-milled yarn is left natural or hand-dyed at the farm. In addition to yarns, Simple Pleasures also sells roving, raw fleeces and hand- woven rugs.
Georgie and Joe Hamilton will be welcoming visitors again this year to their Eagle Eye Lane Farm in Cambridge. They will be hosting hands-on activities for kids led by youth from the local 4-H sheep club. The Hamilton’s raise commercial dual-purpose sheep that can be used for both fiber and meat. Wool breeds currently represented on the farm include Romney, Wensleydale, Cotswold, and Scottish Blackface. Joe, a well-known local sheep shearer, will be giving shearing demonstrations. The farm will have skirting and spinning demos and local vendors selling yarn. Georgie says, “We look forward to sharing our sheep knowledge with you!”
Another family-friendly Washington County Fiber Tour stop is Four E’s Farm, also in Cambridge. Visitors will have a chance to learn about the farm’s Angora Bunnies, Cashmere Goats, Alpacas and Llama; and to see the tools used in making yarn on this small family farm. There will be fiber and goat handling demonstrations.
Wedding Hill Farm in Greenwich will be open both days of the Tour. Owners Phil Gitlen and Mel Mackenzie pasture-raise registered Romney sheep for wool, meat and breeding stock. Their flock includes about 100 breeding ewes, yearlings and breeding rams.
Dancing Ewe Farm in Granville, a sheep dairy producing Tuscan-style cheeses and offering seasonal gourmet dining is also part of the Tour. They will have blankets and knitting yarn from their flock of 120 East Freisian-cross ewes, woolcraft and sheepdog demonstrations, and lunch – by reservation only.
Other farms returning to the Washington County Fiber Tour for 2023 include Alpacas of Haven Hill Farm near Greenwich, which will be showcasing their friendly flock of alpacas; and two other area alpaca farms. Quarry Ridge Alpacas north of Salem features award-winning alpacas, including two machos (male alpacas) who have won 24 Championships between them. Dandy Gander Farm in Granville, began as a small homestead and now has 40 alpacas in addition to sheep, ducks, geese, and chickens.
At one time there were thirteen fiber mills along the Battenkill River; now there is only one – New York State’s largest carding and spinning mill, Battenkill Fibers. Guided tours will provide visitors a rare behind-the-scenes view of the operations of a commercial fiber processing facility. The factory store will be open, offering a wide selection mill ends, hand knitting and weaving yarns, and fiber for spinning and felting. Weaver Lilly Marsh will have a her homegoods, woven fabrics, and fashion accessories in the shop both days of the Washington County Fiber Tour.
The Fiber Tour takes place rain or shine and visitors should dress for the weather. Visit www.washingtoncountyfibertour.org for details about the farms, driving directions, and specific activities being offered. Announcements about the Tour are also posted on the Tour’s Facebook and Instagram.
–Washington County Fiber Tour
