We have lamb shares available for processing on January 17, 2023. Reserve yours here.
Our Coopworth lambs are pasture raised and have never been fed grain. They are rotationally grazed all summer long and then in the winter they receive hay. They also have access to minerals and receive occasional treats of organic alfalfa pellets. They stay with their moms until they are about 4 months old.
You pay us for the lamb based on their live weight. We ship the lambs to Heritage Meat in Butternut, WI along with your cutting order. Then you pay Heritage Meat for the slaughter and processing and pick up your packaged meat from them.
Our lambs will range from ~80# to 120# liveweight. You can anticipate about 35-40# of meat from a 100# lamb.
Taylor-Price Farmers Union member Jane Hansen was the recipient of a Builders Award at the 92nd WFU State Convention December 10th in Wisconsin Dells. Pictured here accepting the award from WFU President Darin Von Ruden (right).
WISCONSIN DELLS – Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) honored several individuals for their dedication to family farmers at the 92nd annual Wisconsin Farmers Union State Convention Dec. 9-11th. The event drew more than 200 farmers to Wisconsin Dells for a weekend of networking, educational workshops and grassroots policymaking.
Friend of the Family Farmer
WFU recognized two Friends of the Family Farmer, Joy Kirkpatrick and Mandela Barnes. First given in 2013, the award recognizes those who have gone above and beyond in efforts on behalf of family farmers and rural communities.
Kirkpatrick has worked in the University of Wisconsin since 1993. She began her university career as a county-based Dairy & Livestock Extension Agent. In 2004 she became the Outreach Specialist for the Center for Dairy Profitability, earning distinguished status in 2019. She has facilitated hundreds of farm succession discussions with farm families, organizing programs like “Returning to the Farm” and “Shifting Gears for Your Later Farming Years.” She also helps farmers address stress and access mental health care through Wisconsin’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. Joy grew up on a hog farm in Southern Illinois.
“The work Joy has done around farmer mental health through the years has undoubtedly saved lives,” said WFU President Darin Von Ruden. “Her ongoing work to support family farm transitions helps ensure the future of Wisconsin agriculture.”
Von Ruden noted the WFU Board of Directors’ decision to honor Lt. Gov. Barnes was not taken lightly, given the organization’s nonpartisan nature.
“After watching Mandela reach out to family farmers and rural Wisconsinites this year during his ‘Barnes to Barns’ tour, we wanted to recognize his efforts,” Von Ruden said. “Mandela was the first candidate in a long while who truly seemed to tune into the issues that mattered on our farms and in our communities.”
Barnes, the son of a school teacher and a United Auto Workers member, became Wisconsin’s first African American Lieutenant Governor in 2019. Born and raised in Milwaukee, he attended Milwaukee Public Schools and Alabama A&M University and has become a recognized leader on issues of economic justice, racial equity, and sustainability. At age 25, Mandela was elected to the State Assembly, serving two terms.
Barnes oversaw the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, where he gave farmers a seat at the table and invited WFU to help lead the discussion. This past summer and fall, during his run for Senate, Mandela visited WFU member farms and attended WFU’s candidate roundtables that focused on small businesses and family farm issues — even after other candidates opted to no-show.
“Mandela truly showed up, and we look forward to seeing how he continues to show up for Wisconsin,” Von Ruden said. “We wish him all the best in his next chapter and look forward to seeing how he continues to be a Friend of the Family Farmer.”
Builders Awards
Jane Hansen of Ogema received the Builders Award, which recognizes outstanding commitment to building Farmers Union through county involvement, leadership development and member recruitment.
Hansen is an officer of the Taylor-Price Farmers Union and shepherdess of Autumn Larch Farm, located near Ogema. She has opened up her farm to educate others about regenerative agriculture and to share the techniques she has learned in the pursuit of healthy sheep, high quality wool, environmental stewardship, and a commitment to the regional economy. This fall Hansen, who is also an active member of Three Rivers Fibershed, pulled together collaborative partners, including WFU, for the inaugural Farm and Fiber Tour. The event included tour stops on farms throughout western Wisconsin and educated community members about farming practices.
“Jane has strengthened WFU’s visibility in her region and beyond,” Von Ruden said. “She is also active in policy discussions, educating other farmers about the value of farmed fiber for textiles. Farmers Union is stronger due to her leadership and collaborative spirit.”
Emerging Leader
This is the third year that WFU presented a special Emerging Leader award to an individual who has ignited energy and engagement in WFU. This year’s Emerging Leader is Paul Adams.
Until 2020, Adams and his wife, Joann, and daughter, Becky, operated a 900-cow organic dairy farm in Eleva. Adams Dairy had been in his family for nearly 150 years before a crash in the organic dairy market forced the family to make the difficult decision to sell the herd. Adams went into dairy farming after graduating from high school in 1970, starting out with 30 cows and attending the UW Short Course.
Adams has been heavily involved with WFU’s Dairy Together efforts, attending two fly-ins with WFU in 2022 to promote the Dairy Revitalization Plan.
“Despite his family’s loss, Paul continues to have a passion for Wisconsin agriculture,” Von Ruden said. “While many people in his situation could have turned completely away from agriculture, Paul has taken the challenges life has thrown at him and has let the adversity mold him into a strong advocate for his fellow farmers.”
Bruce Miller Award
WFU also announced that Cathy Statz was chosen to receive the 2023 Bruce Miller award, which will be presented at the National Farmers Union Convention in San Francisco in March.
The award is named in honor of the late Bruce Miller, who was an active member WFU and served on the staff of Minnesota Farmers Union. It recognizes individuals within Farmers Union who display a true passion for family farming and rural America, while promoting the work of Farmers Union.
Statz wrapped up her Farmers Union career in 2022, after 30 years staffing and 41 summer participating in the camp program. She spent her childhood on a 50-cow dairy farm near Sauk City and grew up attending Farmers Union meetings. Prior to joining WFU full-time, Statz spent four summers working on the WFU and NFU camp staff. She dedicated her career to cooperative education and advancing the quality of life for farm families, rural communities, and all people in her work with Farmers Union.
“Cathy’s reach in Farmers Union went far beyond the education department,” Von Ruden said. “She was often the first face of Farmers Union for new members, as they dropped campers off at Kamp Kenwood, or out and about at the countless dairy breakfasts, college career fairs, and cooperative events that she attended. Cathy instilled institutional knowledge and a cooperative spirit in those around her, and left an undeniable mark on this organization.”
Statz moved to Poland with her husband, Tom. He teaches at an international school; she continues to work remotely on projects that fit her passion: cooperative education.
This is the 2nd annual Color from Fresh Leaf Indigo – 4 ways! Workshop.
Join shepherd and natural dyer Jane Hansen for a day of immersion into the mysteries of Persicaria Tinctoria (Japanese Indigo). Indigo provided the blue in the original denim jeans. It has a long and complex history. Whereas the color extraction for most plants is similar to making a cup of tea (in simplistic terms), indigo requires other methods to release that sought after blue.
This is a hands-on workshop where you will learn how indigo is grown, a bit about its history and a few of the many methods of extraction used around the world. You will harvest leaves to eco print and extract color through quick, same day methods – two cold and one hot.
We will start by harvesting the indigo leaves and getting the hot method cooking. We’ll be able to work in small groups, with each group prepping and tending a batch. While this process unfolds, we’ll have time to explore the other three methods, discuss other plants that provide color and have a leisurely lunch as well. Class is limited to 8 students maximum and will only take place if a minimum of 4 students register. All experience levels are welcome.
Bring along your snacks, lunch, a chair and beverages. Dress in clothing that can tolerate the possibility of being dyed irregularly. We’ll provide everything else you will need, including bandanas, tea towels, wool roving and yarn. You’ll go home with printed and dyed items as well as some indigo stems to root thus allowing you to continue your indigo experiments at home! And, we predict you will have a serious case of indigo fever!!
Class will take place outdoors unless it is raining, in that case we will work in the garage and hoop house with sides/doors open. We will follow current CDC guidelines for COVID-19. Dress for the weather.
Yarn and roving hanging to dry after being dyed with indigo leavesIndigo stems rootingA handmade face mask stamped with fresh indigo leavesTea towels and bandanas dyed with natural plant materials and hanging to dry.
Event stops focus on conservation practices, supporting local agriculture
The Farm and Fiber Tour kicks off August 6th with a visit to Jane Hansen’s Autumn Larch Farm near Prentice, followed by a tour of Hillside Dairy, an organic dairy farm near Catawba stewarded by Linda Ceylor. Photo by Elizabeth Williams.
Three Rivers Fibershed (TRF) and local chapters of the Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) are teaming up to host a Farm & Fiber Tour with stops around northwestern Wisconsin in August and September. The on-farm events will connect community members with local farmers and shepherds engaging in climate-beneficial, pasture-based farming practices. Come learn about both organizations and their work to support farmers and local agricultural systems.
This family-friendly series will include farmer-led pasture walks, hands-on fiber activities, and educational booths hosted by partner organizations. All activities will be outdoors. Tour stops will include:
Saturday, Aug. 6, 2-5pm, Autumn Larch Farm, W7120 County Road O, Prentice, WI. Operated by Jane Hansen, Autumn Larch Farm LLC spans 6 acres of north-central forest region pasture and features a small flock of registered Coopworth sheep and purebred Romeldale CVM wethers. Hansen uses outwintering, intensive rotational grazing, FAMACHA, pastured poultry for parasite control and other regenerative agricultural techniques in pursuit of healthy sheep, high quality wool, environmental stewardship and a commitment to the regional economy. Pasture tours will be offered at 2:30pm and 4pm. Take part in fiber demonstrations, learn mending techniques and explore how to use dye flower/indigo pounding to make a natural dye print on textiles. Co-hosted by the Taylor-Price County Farmers Union.
Saturday, Aug. 6th, 6-8pm, Hillside Dairy, N3689 Riley Road, Catawba, WI. Take a twilight farm tour, see cows milking in the parlor, feed calves, and more at this stop, hosted by Wisconsin Farmers Union District 1 Director Linda Ceylor on her organic dairy farm. Stick around for a chili dinner and farm fresh food from Farmers Union members. Co-hosted by the Taylor-Price County Farmers Union.
Saturday, Aug. 27th, 9:30am-12:30pm, Curlee Acres, 159th Ave and 160th St, Balsam Lake, WI. Come meet the flock of Shetland sheep at this sheep farm and learn why their wool is great for knitting, felting, and weaving. The coarse sections are used for rugs and even the unusable wool finds a home in the garden as mulch. Learn how rotational grazing has transformed the land during pasture tours at 10am and 11:30am. Take part in a wool sponge making demonstration and learn mending techniques. Co-hosted by Polk-Burnett Farmers Union.
Sunday, Sept. 25th, 3-6pm, Priory Farms, 5001 William Ct. Eau Claire, WI, and Kubb Farm 5000 Priory Road, Eau Claire, WI. Join us for an afternoon learning about the work of these two neighboring farms. Priory Farmsraises Cotswold sheep, a threatened heritage sheep breed with a long history of making beautiful woolen goods. These gentle giants have a lustrous, long staple length which provides many options for the hand spinner, fiber artist, crafter, and knitter. Kubb Farm is a diversified farming venture raising livestock for eggs and meat as well as vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits. Tours will leave from both farms at 3 and 4:30pm and will switch halfway through. Enjoy the Mending Bar, nature loom, and kids’ activities at Priory Farms and Kubb games Kubb Farm. Co-hosted by the Eau Claire County Farmers Union.
The Farm & Fiber Tour is a partnership between Three Rivers Fibershed and WFU local chapters in Taylor-Price, Polk-Burnett, and Eau Claire counties. It is supported with funding from the WFU Foundation Grant and Local Initiative Grant programs. Events are free and open to all community members. Learn more at www.threeriversfibershed.com and www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com.
Meet the Shetland sheep flock at Curlee Acres in Balsam Lake and learn how to make a wool sponge, among other activities, during an August 27th Farm & Fiber Tour stop.A beautiful flock of Cotswold sheep will be the highlight of a stop at Priory Farms on September 25th. That same day, Kubb Farm will offer tours of their diverse farming venture and take part in family-friendly activities.
Join us this coming weekend for a very festive fiber Holiday Pop-up hosted by Three Rivers Fibershed and Nash Lake Fiber Farm in Webster, MN on Saturday, Dec. 18th 2021, from 11 am to 4 pm.
I’m so excited to have Autumn Larch Farm LLC featured in this beautiful 1st ever Greener Pastures Regenerative Gift Guide! My 100% wool, homegrown, handmade dryer balls are featured in their guide along with all their recommendations for “humane, sustainable, regenerative gifts from the Upper Midwest so you can gift with your values in mind”. Food, fiber, floral and personal care products from 14 very conscientious small family-owned farms are included in the guide. ‘Regenerative’ is defined as well. You can request the gift guide here. To take a closer look at my dryer balls, garlic, soap, yarn and roving, head on over to the Autumn Larch Farm online shop.
100% homegrown wool dryer ballsA wide array of yarn and roving carded and spun at local mills from wool grown by my beloved Coopworth and Romeldale/CVM sheep is available in my online shop and here on the farm by appointment. I’ve got natural colors as well as plant dyed yarn and roving.
A workshop here at Autumn Larch Farm in Ogema, WI on August 28, 2021 – 10 am to 4 pm
Join shepherd and natural dyer Jane Hansen for a day of immersion into the mysteries of Persicaria Tinctoria (Japanese Indigo). Indigo provided the blue in the original denim jeans. It has a long and complex history. Whereas the color extraction for most plants is similar to making a cup of tea (in simplistic terms), indigo requires other methods to release that sought after blue.
This is a hands-on workshop where you will learn how indigo is grown, a bit about its history and a few of the many methods of extraction used around the world. You will harvest leaves to eco print and extract color through quick, same day methods – one cold and one hot.
We will start by harvesting the indigo leaves and getting the hot method cooking. We’ll be able to work in small groups, with each group prepping and tending a batch. While this process unfolds, we’ll have time to explore the other two methods, discuss other plants that provide color and have a leisurely lunch as well. Class is limited to 8 students maximum and will only take place if a minimum of 4 students register. All experience levels are welcome.
Bring along your snacks, lunch, a chair and beverages. Dress in clothing that can tolerate being dyed irregularly. We’ll provide everything else you will need, including bandanas, tea towels, wool roving and yarn. You’ll go home with printed and dyed items as well as some indigo stems to root thus allowing you to continue your indigo experiments at home! And, we predict you will have a serious case of indigo fever!!
Class will take place outdoors unless it is raining, in that case we will work in the garage and hoop house with sides/doors open. We will follow current CDC guidelines for COVID-19. Dress for the weather.
Jane holds Portia, a young Coopworth lamb (photo by Danielle Endvick)
I’m really excited and honored to have Autumn Larch Farm LLC and Three Rivers Fibershed featured in a story in Wisconsin Farmers Union News. My goals of rebuilding the health of the land I live and farm on through raising and encouraging a diversity of plants and animals and through rotational grazing, chemical free gardening, natural dyes, etc. along with raising awareness for food and fiber consumers aligns so well with the work of Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) and Three Rivers Fibershed (TRF). I’m proud to be a member of both organizations!
“Wisconsin Farmers Union, a member-driven organization, is committed to enhancing the quality of life for family farmers, rural communities, and all people through educational opportunities, cooperative endeavors, and civic engagement.”
“The Three Rivers Fibershed, an affiliate branch of Fibershed, is working to develop regional fiber systems that build soil health and protect the wellbeing of our biosphere“
Bianca and Portia, the first lambs of the 2021 season (photo by Danielle Endvick)
Danielle Endvick, Communications Director at WFU and the author of this story, came out for a farm visit and interview in mid May. We had a lovely day for our conversation and she informed me that it was particularly exciting because mine was her first in-person farm interview since the beginning of the pandemic. We had a good conversation and a tour around the farm and into the studio. I was so pleased to have this opportunity to continue to bring these two wonderful groups of dedicated farmers and advocates together and to make the membership of both groups aware of one another and hopefully help to create opportunities for collaboration. A chance to talk about my passion for local fiber was such a treat!
A sampling of the farmyarn in Jane’s studio at Autumn Larch Farm LLC (photo by Danielle Endvick)
We’ve got a lovely space over our new garage that I have claimed as my wool studio! My shop has always been open by appointment. And, it’s really exciting for me to begin to have regular shop hours, coinciding with the 3rd Thursday meetings of the North Central Wisconsin Fiber Guild. The guild has been gathering virtually during the last year because of the pandemic. I’m really pleased to host fiber enthusiasts virtually and in person here in the studio!
Tomorrow is the first official shop hours – 3:00 to 7:00 PM CT. Come any time during that window. Just stop by to see what I have in the shop. Or stay to visit with other fiber fans. Bring along a project to work on if you have time linger. If you are too distant to join us in person, please let me know and I can send you a link to gather with us virtually from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. We’ll save fiber guild Show-and-Tell for during that time.
This information applies for tomorrow and for 3rd Thursdays ongoing (June 17th, July 15th, August 19th and so on…)
What’s in the shop, you ask? Wool grown here and milled into yarn and roving within the Three Rivers Fibershed bio-region. I raise Coopworth sheep and also have a few Romeldale CVM wethers. Mostly natural colors and also a limited quantity of naturally plant dyed (by me) yarn and roving. I have some raw wool. And some small samplers of many colors that are perfect for needle felting projects. There are also 100% wool dryer balls available.
A medley of the yarn and roving in the shopThis represents the full range of natural colors from my Coopworth flock
In addition to wool, I also make soap. I’ve got plain (uncovered) bars of soap as well as some that have been wrapped in our wool and felted (be me).
I’ve got dye plants (Japanese Indigo and Red Dye Hopi Amaranth) for sale as well as dried indigo leaves.
The ducks are laying well and I do have eggs for sale. The garlic is growing really nicely and will be ready for harvesting in late July. Sometime soon I expect to have garlic scapes on hand.
I missed an opportunity by not having solar dye jars ready during the recent heat wave. I’m going to remedy that by getting some jars of color started tomorrow afternoon. I can talk about that when our fiber friends are tuned in virtually.
Solar dye jars filled with plant material (marigolds, dyer’s coreopsis, cosmos and holly hocks)
I look forward to seeing you!
I’m following CDC guidelines regarding the pandemic and ask that you please wear a mask if you have not yet been fully vaccinated. The fan will be on to keep the studio space well ventilated. And, I’ll have a hand sanitizer in the studio as well as a hand washing station outside near the studio entrance.
Please let me know if you will be coming either in person or virtually. If virtually, I will send you a link. If in person, I can give you directions on finding us, where to park and where on the property the studio is located.
I love being a shepherd to my small flock of Coopworth and Romeldale CVM sheep and I’m super excited and honored to be a producer member of Three Rivers Fibershed alongside Alejandra, Stacy, Theresa, Patti, Kelly, Beth and Melissa.
Here are the links to all our Instagram pages so you can follow along during the virtual pop-up and also to keep up with our lovely sheep and our wool products in the future:
We would love for you to purchase our products, of course. And, we would be extremely grateful to you if you could help spread the word about our shepherds, our fiber and our fibershed by liking and sharing our posts.
Local Fiber, Local Labor, Local Dye
Three Rivers Fibershed develops regional fiber systems that build soil and protect the health of our biosphere here in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota. Our strategic geography is centered in Minneapolis and extends out in a 175 mile radius. Three Rivers Fibershed is an affiliate of Fibershed. “Fibershed develops regional and regenerative fiber systems on behalf of independent working producers, by expanding opportunities to implement carbon farming, forming catalytic foundations to rebuild regional manufacturing, and through connecting end-users to farms and ranches through public education.“
Our flocks and farms are counting on your support, especially during this pandemic year when it is harder for us to attend in person events. Our direct-to-you farm raised fiber is most probably more expensive than the larger corporate brands, but there are no hidden costs that are being paid elsewhere by the environment or by far away laborers. We work very hard to raise quality wool and care deeply about our small flocks of sheep and the land that sustains them.
You can ask me anything about a skein of yarn or ball of roving: Where was it milled? What sort of antics did the sheep who grew it get up to when she was in her lambhood? Can I recognize her voice from a distance? My flock and I are a team – year on year we have improved the health of the soil beneath our permanent pastures. Healthy soil means more carbon stored and we are turning sunshine and earth’s elements into wool. Amazing, glorious wool: biodegradable, renewable, warm even when wet; varieties from soft as babies skin to sturdy enough for under our feet as rugs and over our heads as roofs – wool.
Please check out my online shop when you have a chance. I welcome any questions you may have. If you are thinking about gifts for the fiber fans in your life and aren’t sure what they need/want, you will find e-gift cards in the shop – a perfect virtual stocking stuffer that allows them to pick the perfect thing for their next project.
And remember to check the Three Rivers Fibershed Instagram page often on Dec. 12th and 13th, 2020. You’ll be in for a treat as each shepherd takes over the stories with in-depth information about their farm, flock and fiber!
Autumn Larch Farm LLC 