Icelandic Sheep Workshop @ HOWL

Stark Hollow Farm conducted its first ever workshop on the Icelandic Sheep breed. Vanessa led the workshop for about 15 women at HOWL's annual solstice celebration. Vanessa delivered a brief talk about the Icelandic breed's origins & characteristics followed by a lengthy question and answer period. Laura brought two of the lambs over so that workshop attendees got to touch their fleece and look into their eyes. The ram, with his impressive horns, was also coaxed over for some up close and personal viewing.

























Poet Cora Brooks, who attended the celebration and workshop, added her artistic talent...


Her words speak volumes,

Hooray for birds peeping
and sheeps bleating
and eating and trees leafing
and women meeting
Cora Brooks

Thank you Cora.

New Layer Chickens

In order to expand our flock, this year we purchased 25 day old chicks. We choose Plymouth Barred Rocks for their wonderful egg laying abilities and their beautiful feathers markings. The flock now consists of Buff Orpingtons, Australorp, and these new Plymouth Barred Rocks. We also received one "exotic" bird from the hatchery which we have tentatively identified as a Silver Laced Wyandotte. Eight will be added to our flock for a total of 16 (including the exotic) with the balance to be sold as pullets. Vanessa built an awesome brooder for the chicks which kept them warm during May and June. Now they are free ranging and happy. 16 have been sold to local, small farms who plan on using the eggs for their own consumption. They make a wonderful addition to Stark Hollow Farm.

Ugali & Ada join the flock

Ugali and her ewe lamb join Stark Hollow Farm from Knoll Farm in Waitsfield. This beautiful ewe has lovely black fleece and her lamb is a black grey as evidenced by her grey cheeks in this photo. Vanessa's mom asked that we name her Ada after herself and to keep with our naming convention (all lambs in year one begin with the letter A).

Spring Shearing

Removing the winter coats of icelandic sheep is not an easy task. Jim McCrea, an experienced shearer and his assistant took charge of our sheep. Poor Mara had a particularly matted undercoat... after he removed her fleece and handed it to us, he comment "throw a couple of buttons on this and you'll have a coat!" With the heat and humidity here in Vermont, however, these sheep will be happy campers as they head off to summer pasture at HOWL (Huntington Open Women's Land...more to come).

The Meatrix

(click on image)

Check out The Meatrix...from Sustainable Table to see why locally grown meats are better for animals, humans and the environment. This is why we do what we do at Stark Hollow Farm.

Extreme Sheparding

Here is a little example of what our wonderful animals could so someday!

Poppy's Lambs Are Born!

Poppy gives birth to Stark Hollow Farm's first lambs. Ewe lamb Alba and ram lamb Ansel were born March 25th, 2009. It was exciting and a little scary this being our first lambing. Both lambs presented normally and Alba was up nursing within 20 minutes. Her little brother, born 10 minutes after her, was a somewhat slower to get going. We intervened to express milk from Poppy so that he got good colostrum and had to help him find his mother's teats. It took a couple of hours but now he is plump and frisky growing even more quickly than his sister. They are beautiful, healthy lambs.

Poppy is a great first time mother. Very attentive to her lambs and quick to care for and protect them. She has produced a lot of milk and the lambs are fat & happy.