July Farm Newsletter
July Farm Newsletter
The sun has finally returned, slowly drying up the barnyard and lower acres, but we continue to be thankful for some rain each week to keep the pastures healthy. Above is a picture of Jills Daughter From Last Year (yep that’s her name, she is 4 now…) walking through the woods in the lower acres. The lush vegetation has allowed the sheep to grow fat, and to grow a nice fleece so far. We are already looking forward to shearing in the late summer, excited to see the wool and how the crosses worked out. We are quickly approaching midsummer, which means the work is never quite done and the days are hot and slowly getting shorter. This summer has been quite cool thus far, the sheep are happy for that, as is the grass which grows well in this weather.
The lambs are growing fast, some are now larger than their mothers, and have such lovely fleeces on them. When little Nickles comes to visit us I take full advantage and feel up his fleece, and check out the colors in it. Our summers are typically quiet here on the farm, our other farmer friends are busy with harvest while we have a chance to work on projects or spend time exploring nearby areas hunting for mushrooms. Our first large harvest came early in this month when we said goodbye to our pals the chickens, they are now safely tucked away in our freezers. We also harvested some sheep to be turned into brats, which we will have available in the coming weeks. Our hay field looks great, so we will most likely cut that again before the days start to get cooler and shorter. The last days of summer are so busy for us as we harvest wool and lambs, and prepare the sheep for breeding and the cycle starts again.
In our downtime we will refurbish a small retro camper to become a mobile yarn store, this will be so exciting and I can’t wait to share more about that next month when we have a chance to dig into it! For now, I will enjoy the mild weather, the mushroom hunting, the sounds of sheep in the woods, and the delightful sunsets. Thank you Canadian wildfires.
A Word From The Flock
What are ewe looking at? Me?! Who me?! Oh yeah I guess this is what we do at this farm… I forgot.. See I was living on a different farm not too long ago, and now I am back home here. When I was at this other farm the lady who dyes the wool and yarn pretty colors and her children enjoyed trying to pet me. Ha ha ha silly two-legged sheep! I am Icelandic, I am a Viking sheep! I am too independent for cuddling! Unless you have some treats, I will allow a scratch if you have a treat. But that is it!!!
The two-legged sheep that dyes yarn pretty colors got other sheep that were not as vivacious as us Icelandic sheep, and decided she didn’t want to fear the wrath of the Icelandic ewe any longer so she sent me back to my homeland to be free once again. I do miss the treats. And the scratches, but don’t tell her…But I am back with my sister ewes, for I come from the long, proud line of sheep from the “Jill” clan! My great-great-great-grandmother Jill is the third sheep to come to this land, and she has given birth to many strong ewes that continue to thrive on the Get Bentz Farm. My mother is the one they call “Jill’s Daughter From Last Year”, the length of her name shows her value and status among the other sheep with much shorter names. Our clan is second only to the Billy clan, the one they say is named after an Ikea bookshelf. I do not know what this land of Ikea is, but to be named after a bookshelf must be a high, high honor.
Since returning to my homeland I found my sister ewes and took off to the woods to explore the lands of my youth. The rich grass has already filled my belly and given me strength to slowly roo this coat, you can find pieces of my winter wool on many low branches in the woods. I have even tasted the fresh veggies from the lands of Open Hands Farm, and enjoyed my first beet in a long time. Ah, ‘tis good to be back in my homelands, but yet I miss the children and the scratches. But don’t tell them…
Inspiration
Watching kids smash blueberries at a 4th of July event sparked the inspiration for the above skein of yarn, which has given me some much-needed spinning mojo and I am creating many new yarns in the coming weeks that will follow similar themes and inspirations. I am so thankful that I can follow my artistic vision when creating yarn, and that I am not always bound to a schedule and repeating yarns. The only downside to the way I make yarn is that I often do not repeat batches, so once something is gone it is gone. I often encourage people to gobble up as much as they want because they might not ever see this again. And maybe that is the way we should experience an agricultural product. Enjoying it while it is in season, knowing it will change from year to year and never be the same as it was at this moment.
I also made a “Breed it or Blend it” kit, many spinners ask about this class and now they can explore it at home or in a group. This kit contains two breeds, their blend, and their cross, and you get to decide if you think it should be bred or blended. If you haven’t played around with this, you should grab a kit and give it a try.
You will also notice that we have added dyestuff for sale on the website! Maddy has been busy in the garden growing lovely flowers and now has some that are harvested and ready for your dye pots! Sold by the ounce, and perfect for your next natural dyeing adventure. We hope to add more felted products next month now that they are getting comfortable with the new felting machines. Watch for updates! And heck take 14% off your next order with BIRTHDAY14 to celebrate my Birthday which happens to be July 14th!
Last month Jake and I traveled to Salt Lake City to pick up a large needle felter as well as a wet felting machine. Maddy has been busy learning this new machine and taking some batts I made out of meat breed sheep, and turning it into different products. We are excited to get started on making more products with the felting machines and developing a wool landscape fabric. I added some of Maddy’s newest items to the website, including wool sponges, scrubies, and trivet/hot pads. Make sure to check them out, they are pretty amazing. I’ve been using the wool sponges on my dishes and to clean with (the scrubbing power they have is amazing!), and a scrubby to scrub off grease and dirt after I clean the machines. I added quick links below to all the new items to make it easier, belive me website design is not my favorite thing to do.
Natural dye stuff
Maddy has been busy growing some lovely flowers in the flower garden, and has some extra flowers that they would love to get into the hands of dyers! Dye plants are sold by the oz, picked and fresh or dried (depending on choice) and ready for your next project.
$10.00
Breed it or blend it
Explore a Spin with Ewe in the comfort of your own home with this Breed it or Blend it kit. This kit explores cross breeding vs blending fibers and which one you prefer. This kit comes with 4 1 oz balls of roving, which include the Icelandic and Corriedale breeds, and their blended and crossed combination. The kit also comes with information about the breeds, so you can learn more about the different wool types.
Grab this lovely kit before it is gone, I only got one of the cross fleeces and oh boy is it delightful!
$25.00
Smashed blueberry
This is one fun yarn! I was watching kids smash blueberries during a 4th of July celebration and it sparked inspiration. This yarn is a lovely blend of wool and Alpaca that was dyed by my pal at Twisted Oak Farmstead, with drops of recycled indigo yarn scraps added to give the skein little pops of blue. Each skein is 250 yards of Worsted woolen weight.
$30.00
Wool felted trivets/hot pads
These wool felted sheets are pretty bomb for anything. You can use them for oven mitts, trivets, ironing pads, you name it! These are needle felted which means they have a lovely amount of air and squish.
Best part about it is that it’s wool! Which means it’s anti microbial and antibacterial, and when you are done just put it in the soil of a houseplant and let the wool decompose and turn into nitrogen. Amazing right?!
$25.00
Wool sponge
Yep you heard that correctly! We have wool sponges now! These sponges are made of a blend of wool that is resistant to wet felting, which means you can use them over and over again and they won’t really shrink. These sponges are great for dishes, cleaning (like a teenagers bathroom) and using in the shower. Best part about it is that it’s wool! Which means it’s anti microbial and antibacterial, and when you are done just put it in the soil of a houseplant and let the wool decompose and turn into nitrogen. Amazing right?!
$6.00
Wool scrub
Yep you heard that correctly! We have wool scrubbies now! These scrubbies are made of 100% wool and are wet felted to perfection. These scrubbies are perfect for getting the grease off of hard working hands. Best part about it is that it’s wool! Which means it’s anti microbial and antibacterial, and when you are done just put it in the soil of a houseplant and let the wool decompose and turn into nitrogen. Amazing right?!
$10.00
Where to find us!
July Dates
Knit and Brew with Ewe
July 20th at Surly Brewing 2-4pm
July 27
Mill City Farmers Market from 9-1
July 28th
Linden Hills Farmers Market 10-1
Upick will be August 3rd.
This is a bit of a shorter newsletter, that is because my coworkers are all sheep and we don’t talk often ha ha! Or because I am one year older and my brain is mush. But not mush enough to not find the beautiful mushrooms in the woods that are just waiting for me to pick them and put them on a pizza! Also, we just opened our whole/half lamb share for the upcoming fall. The lambs go in at the end of October, and this is the perfect time to secure your meat for the whole winter. You can find the order form on the website.
Thank you,
The Bentz Family, the sheep, nickles, the turkeys that now sleep in the yard where the chickens were, you should come to see them they are pretty cute.
PS, did you find the discount code????
August Newsletter
August Farm Newsletter
I have no idea where time has gone….
Where did August go? Or July? Heck did June even happen? What is this September and fall stuff?! I am still firmly set in my summer mind, early summer that is, when the sun lasts forever and the days are long. Unfortunately, this is not reality, and as I look out on the valley and see the changes in the colors I know that we are speeding towards the fall. But what about summer?! Let’s face the facts, summer is rapidly fading into the sunsets, which seem to come earlier and earlier each day. For those of you who are not in the Northern states, you might not understand this change in daylight and how we hold on to every moment of sun as it slips through our fingers until it starts to return again. In the North Country, our days lengthen after the winter solstice and start to shorten after the summer solstice. When the deep parts of winter arrive we watch the sunset at 4 pm, such a sad moment, and rise at about 8am…. As the seasons start to change and the days begin to get shorter it signals other changes in our north country world, such as the cooler weather, it gets slightly wetter (and if we are graced with a hot day it feels like a dank bathroom), and the color of the leaves start to change. This change also signals changes in animals, breeding season arrives in the fall so the animals can give birth in the spring. This cycle allows their young to eat the nutrient-rich foods of early spring. As the ewes prepare for breeding season they consume nutrient-dense foods to prepare their bodies for pregnancy. We as humans delight in the rich foods of the fall, such as squash, root veggies, and harvested meats. I am already excited about a roasted leg of lamb with roasted veggies and fresh bread… but I hold on to the fleeting moments of summer as it slowly slips away..
Where have we been? August was a whirlwind for us on the farm, with new projects and adventures. We snuck away towards the end of the month for an entire week to see some old friends and explore some amazing places. We didn’t plan to see the full moon rise over the ocean while camping on an Island outside of Ventura California, but that is where life put us! I have always had a deep connection with the moon, and full blue supermoons are always special, so I was thrilled when I realized they happened to collide with our escape. If you ever get the chance to go to the Channel Islands National Park, please take that opportunity and soak up all the Island has to offer. We camped for two nights, and three days at Scorpian bay, we hiked at least 10 miles each day, found beautiful beaches, and enjoyed life without internet and electricity. The water is crystal clear, with a beautiful blue/green color, perfect for swimming in and the island has many amazing hiking trails to get lost in. I realized on this trip that no matter how far I get away from sheep and wool, it always finds me! We visited this park when our oldest was 4, so before living on the farm, we read the island's history but through the lens of a non-farmer. Returning over a decade later we learned that the Island was once home to sheep! and lots of them! And that they would shear and export the wool! Looking at the pictures of the sheep, I reckon they were Corriedale sheep… but I could be wrong. The sheep grazed on the Islands along with cows, and pigs, and unfortunately did not improve the land but stressed the natural resources, so now that they are removed the conservation has begun and the native plants and wildlife are doing well again. The fox on this Island are dwarfed and about the size of a house cat, all the more reason to visit! If you ever get a moment to visit this beautiful place, let me know so we can nerd out about it!
A Word From The Flock? Gobble!
Pardon me, may I have your attention please… ahem…. My good sir, please take note… For I am the turkey Jake, the largest of the Jake turkeys… I guess that makes me the king? Perhaps? Well yes, it does, gobble!!! I am king! You can see I am king by my beautiful red head, which turns blue and pale white when I am displaying my valor and strength to the young hens, and perhaps to my own reflection in your car hubcaps…
I have just started to find my most distinguished voice, I have grown into jakehood, and soon will reach my full growth when I become a Tom. I live my life much like all turkeys do. I eat, I sleep, and I make sure to defecate on as many objects as I can, I particularly enjoy doing this on the picnic tables. I delight in my accomplishments while watching the feather-less lady try to brush and clean off the tables! Little does she know I will come back and defecate in the same spot again! Some mornings I become annoyed with the feather-less birds that roost in the big square building, as they do not feed me my pellets when I so desire them, which happens to be when the white rooster crows. Perhaps they feel they deserve to sleep in? Or perhaps they do not know that the sun is just starting to rise over the valley because the box they roost in only has so many viewing spots? Either way it does not matter, when they do not feed me I make sure to gobble on the porch, leaving evidence of my displeasure at their doorstep.
The feather-less birds who feed us and admire our gobble have a fond admiration for a particular turkey hen they have named Brunhilda. This hen is about as stupid as a chicken! I frequently watch the humans admire this poor stupid bird as she struggles to get over the gutter downspouts, or has forgotten how to exit an open gate. The one with curly feathers on her head often says how hard it will be when Brunhilda is Thanksgiving. I do not understand what this “Thanksgiving” is but I believe I should become Thanksgiving, not stupid Brunhilda…. but I digress into the petty squabbles between the younger, less dignified Jakes, and hens. The day is getting short and I must find my spot on the swing bench that the feather-less humans have placed here, below the branches of a tree, for us turkey to use. Quite kind of them to do so.
Farmer lady here, that swing bench was a spot that I once enjoyed swinging and knitting in, until the turkeys made it their home and shit all over it!
Dear turkeys, please move into the lean-to shed so I can have my yard back again. Your pal, the feather-less lady.
WOAD
Sometimes we do cool things on this farm that I forget to tell people about. Sorry about that! The past few weeks we have been thrilled to have two student interns from Carleton College, who have been studying Woad! The students (Ruby (she/her) and Helen (they/them) both amazing in every way, have been busy trying different techniques and recipes to turn the green leaves of the woad plant into blue dye. So far they have been able to get some blue, and one really pretty pink skein. The students have had an opportunity to learn about farming, growing dye-specific plants, and exploring different methods in extracting color. They also have been able to use our fiber processing tools, to comb locks and spin wool into yarn, and to dye different natural fabrics. If you come to our open farm day, we will have what they have dyed out for you to see! And heck! Use the code WOAD to get 10% off everything on the website, or hollar it at us in person at one of the many events this month, for the same discount.
September is going to be a very busy month, so make sure to check out the information regarding where we will be this month because we are busy every weekend of the month! With that being said, I most likely will not write an additional newsletter, I might come out with a short one, but not a long normal one. One big improvement is that the mill and farm is going SOLAR!!! Tomorrow we start preparing the space for the solar build and in the first week of September, we will have solar panels on the south side of the pole shed where the mill lives. The expected generated solar power should completely power the mill, making our yarn, solar powered and farm fresh! We could not be doing this without everyone who has supported our farm by coming out during our open houses and choosing to use our yarn and fibers for your next project. When you spend your money in small rural communities, or with small businesses, that money stays in the community and improves it and we are proof of that! If you are able to come to our September farm open house you will see the new solar on the shed! How exciting! And I will have the first fully solar yarns for sale at Yarnover, and Darn Knit Anyway!
Where to find us!
September Dates!!!
Knit and Brew with Ewe and Sweater Weather Get- Together!
September 1st, 12-5pm market, (come see the Yamper!) with knit and brew from 5-7pm
September 7th
U-Pick and mill tours, 10-1pm. Come check out the solar and grab all the dye stuff you will need!
September 13th
Fiber Friday returns at Nash Lake Farm!!!! Check it out and register here Nash Lake Fiber Farm
September 21st
Yarnover! Check it out here Yarnover
September 28th
Sheep to Something at Darn Knit Anway! Check it out here Sheep to Something
Wooooad, that was a newsletter! I will also open the yarn/roving Winter CSA in September so make sure to watch for that. If you are looking for lamb meat make sure to reserve your whole or half ASAP, we are selling out fast! Come find me in the wild this month, it will be a busy one.
Cheers friends!
The Bentz Family, and the darn turkeys who feel the need to turd right on the porch in the morning, and on our lounge chairs. Thanks guys…..
PS, did you find the discount code? It is Woad tastic!