Fiber Fest on Saturday

Summer is a great time to celebrate the wonderful world of fiber! And by that I’m not talking bran and oats (at least not in this article). I’m talking about another piece of agricultural production—animal and plant fibers. This could be wool, alpaca, cotton, and more. These fibers keep us warm, dry, and protected. But they can also be the perfect medium for art and expression.
Last year kicked off Farmstead Creamery’s annual “Fiber Fest” celebration (starts 10 am on Saturday), with demonstrations and featured local artists eager to share their making process. How does raw wool become yarn? What is needle felting? How does a loom work? These are all special features of the upcoming event.
If you’ve spent time at Farmstead, you know how much we love our sheep. Lambing season becomes a spectator event while clients watch the “lamb-cam” on the wide-screen TV in rapture. “Oh look, Ann’s out there helping! There’s going to be twins!” comes the eager exclamation with pointed finger. No need for a sports channel when you have a live farm experience to watch.
Up in the Fiber Loft, knitters and crocheters alike revel in our palate of wool yarns, spun annually from the spring’s shearing. There’s sock weight and worsted weight and fingering and bulky. Balls of fluffy roving beckon to spinners and felters alike. Colors abound, as well as the natural hues of off-white, grays, and tans.
But if you are fond of sheep in any shape or form, mark your calendar for this Saturday. Not only will there be all that wonderful wool and fiber but a few real sheep from our flock to meet as well—a rare treat at Farmstead. Be sure to say hello to Ginger and Kiss!
In anticipation of the festive, fun-filled day, Kara will be stoking up the wood-fired pizza oven for an early opening (expected start time for pizzas is noon). And yes, many of the cheeses are made with sheep’s milk! Mild and meltable, sheep’s milk cheese can often be enjoyed by folks who otherwise have trouble digesting cow’s milk products. And it’s delicious too.
So, at Fiber Fest, you can meet some of our sheep, overdose on wool and fiber (wait, is that possible?), soak in works by local artists, learn more about the fiber and textile process, and enjoy the smoky pizzas under a summer sky. But wait, we picked out one more special accent to bring to the event!
Folk duo Curtis and Loretta will be joining us as part of our Locally Grown Summer Music Series on the pergola stage next to the pizza oven, starting at 6 pm. And remember that this event is the same day as the Moose Lake Festival, so you can enjoy both in the same trip! Farmstead Creamery donates a gift basket and several pies to the Moose Lake Fest each year to support the local fire department and community.Curious? Stop on over to check out Fiber Fest. We’d love to share the farm’s story with you and invite you to explore the fiber arts scene, learn about upcoming fiber-related classes, meet our celebrity animals, savor a wood-fired pizza, take in some music, and celebrate the day. You just might find a new treasure or hobby to take home. Certainly you’ll find lots of fun ideas for projects, eye candy to enjoy (and touch), conversations to savor, and a relaxed and inviting setting.
It’s all part of our farm’s dedication to cultural and community enrichment along the path towards a healthy planet and all its inhabitants. This would be a great Saturday to see you down on the farm.