Fiber at Common Ground 2022
Common Ground Country Fair, sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener Association, was held September 23-25, 2022. Because of the pandemic, this was the first time the Fair welcomed …
Farming
Working farms—with producers raising cashmere, alpaca, wool, angora, mohair, and more—are an important part of Maine’s fiber community. Here are farm-related stories.
Planting Garlic
I’m a tad late for planting garlic in Maine’s Midcoast during early November, but we had a four-day stretch of 68 degree weather, and I was ready to go. Allium …
Hatchtown Dye Day
Our spinning group meets once per month at a different person’s home. Pam Child of Hatchtown Farm in Bristol decided to host our group in August and to organize a …
Fiber in Western Maine – Part II
Continuing our journey through Western Maine to learn of teaching resources for our new Learning Guide, we left Rangeley and made our way back towards Maine Fiberarts in Topsham with …
Traveling our Fiber Arts Mini Tour
In August, several of us spent three days traveling along Maine’s midcoast using Maine Fiberarts’ newly-printed Fiber Arts Mini Tour. This is what we saw and did: First, we toured …
Anne Cox: Artwork and Gardens
This place is fun! Hedgerow is owned and operated by Anne Cox and her partner Julie Wortman near the tip of the St. George Peninsula in Tenants Harbor situated between Thomaston …
Shearing Day at Hatchtown Farm
Hatchtown Farm in Bristol, Maine, held its shearing early in April and several stalwart friends braved a very cold day to help with the harvest of wool. Farm owners Pam …
Maine Ag Trades Show Walk-Through
The 75th Maine Agricultural Trades Show took place January 12-14, 2016 in Augusta and I visited the show to see what’s up. Booths on gardening, maple syrup, farm equipment, composting, …
A Trip to Rhinebeck
Six spinning friends rented a house in Rhinebeck, NY this October to tour the New York Sheep & Wool Festival. Thousands upon thousands of people attended and we saw some …
Spring Shearing at Ruit Farm
Several friends gathered at Ruit Farm in Bristol, home of Nina and John Ruit and their herd of goats, several sheep, watchful llama, loud donkey, and whomever else wandered by. …
Island Retreat
This summer, a few members of Salt Bay Treadlers—a group that meets in Damariscotta to spin one Wednesday evening per month—took a retreat on a beautiful Maine island. The idea …
Sheep Dairy Farm Visit
In August, the Emerging Maine Sheep Entrepreneurs visited a sheep farm in Dedham, Maine. Northern Exposure Farm—just east of Bangor—is run by Jim and Janet Weber who have been producing …
Shearing time
A scene from Ruit Farm North in Bristol where Emily, the shearer, is clipping Coopworth fleece. Several shearers came to help for the day. Shared, luncheon. Click image for a …