​Hello to you! We have been working with some crazy weather here at the ranch. We were in the sixties during January. February was warm until half way through and then we were down in the thirties. We are looking forward to March and all that it offers to bring us, including new Lambs! For now, we have completed shearing and included our wool show and farmers market schedules.

​Sheared, skirted, weighed, and slowly being updated to our website www.AnnaGotWool.com Wow what a difference in the quality of fleeces this year.  With such a mild winter the fleeces are exceptional.  We sheared 97 sheep and only 5 fleeces were pulled Not For Sale due to a wool break, or other issues.  Whereas, last year being so wet there so many problems with the fleeces at least a 1/3 of the fleeces did not make the grade.

​If you are in the area you should plan a stop at the Wool Room on the ranch.  A photo just doesn’t do justice to the fleeces.  There are so many beautiful Natural Colored fleeces:  black, chocolate, shades of gray from charcoal to deep blue grays.  Light heather grays to oatmeal and there is a large selection of variegated grays, tri colors black , white and gray all in one fleece a spinners dream.  Dark and light morits.  Not just white but bright white a dyers dream to get true colors.  We have fine wool, medium and luster long wools.  Something for any fiber project you might have in mind.  We can help you find the prefect fleece and you can meet the ewe that produced it.

We want to start out by saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Years as we head into January. 

We have been missing from our monthly news letters because we have a great new surprise for everyone!

​We have added livestock to the ranch and we are just in love with them! See below to help us welcome them!

This is our short and sweet newsletter to end this year. We hope everyone has a beautiful Christmas and Wonderful New Years. We look forward to seeing everyone in the new year.

 What a great group of ladies thank you for all that you do.  Judy Heydon- needle felting, Anna Harvey Sheep Wrangler, Janet Baldridge-Master Spinner, Michelle Haselton-Pineneedle Basket Artisan, Sally Wise-Weaver & Spinner, Shannon Harvey-Wool Room Monitor What a fun day over 500 guests visited our ranch that day.  We sold out of our Family Basque Chorizo.  We have decided to make it available at our farmers markets for next year.  Our 9-Step Wool Processing was well received and we had a lot of great questions over the course of the day.  The self guided sheep trail was a hit as usual but the guardian puppies stole the show.   Mark your calendars for next year. 

We picked up a new farmers market that is on Tuesdays in Truckee! 

However all of the markets are at their end now. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!! 

We are near the end of our wool shows as well!
​​
November 5th: Southern CA Handweavers in Torrance, California.

We will update our schedule as the shows come up to let you know what is happening for us and the ranch!

​​
We are happy to say that we will be doing the Sierra Valley Art & Ag Trail again!

It will take place on Saturday September 30th 2017. The end of this month :)

Make sure you come and visit our home and other great Ranches in the valley!

To keep up on current news make sure you go and Like the page for the Art and Ag Trail on facebook!
You can also check out their website by clicking this link: Sierra Valley Art & Ag Trail

We have some exciting news!We are excited to announce that we will now be using part of the property as an event venue! 

There is enough room for over 200 guests. A beautiful outdoor kitchen to use. The back drop is a large meadow and a forest surrounding.

We are in the midst of working on a website for it but we do have brochures and information for any one curious. Just give us a call or an email!

​
We have a heard of bucks who like to hang out close to the ranch. They are right on our driveway. We suspect they smell our hay.

September 15th - 17th: CA National Wool Show in Boonville, California.

September 23rd -24th: flockandfiberfestival.com/Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival in Camby, Oregon
​
October 7th - 8th: Lambtown in Dixon, California.

October 12th - 15th: Trailing of the Sheep in Sun Vallley, Ketchum, Hailey Idaho.

November 5th: Southern CA Handweavers in Torrance, California.

We will update our schedule as the shows come up to let you know what is happening for us and the ranch!

​We hope that everyone had a great 4th of July. We are proud to be an American. We are so blessed to live in America and have the freedom to own and operate our own ranching business.  We fly our flag in honor of all the men, women and families that have sacrificed for us.  Thank you for your service.

Mo and Joe will be up at the Plumas Eureka State Park on Saturday.  Come by and pet them and feed them some treats.

They both even got baths to help welcome everyone to the event!

​We are definitely feeling the summer heat.  The sheep and dogs are out grazing well before 6:00am and seeking the shade of the pines by 9:30am.  They don’t really start moving again until after 4:00pm.  The yellow tar flowers show their faces only in the cool of the early morning or at dusk.  They close up tight during the heat of the day, trying to conserver their moisture.  I call them tar flowers because the sheep’s noses really do get a sticky tar from grazing amongst the flowers.  A weed that nothing eats but sure is a pretty sight in the summer.

​The boys are putting coats on our replacement ewe lambs.  The coats help keep the stickers and burrs out of their wool.  The coats also keep the ends of their wool protected from the suns harsh rays otherwise it fades and becomes brittle.  Making a less desirable fleece for the hand spinners.  In a perfect world four coat changes would be all a sheep needs to accommodate their growing wool.  But out here there are so many things to rip, tear and shred their coats.  It seems we are always changing torn coats for patched coats.  It seems like a full time job.

We will update our schedule as the shows get closer to keep you updated on the ranch activities :)
​​
September 4th: Monterey Wool Auction in Monterey, California.

September 15th - 17th: CA National Wool Show in Boonville, California.

October 7th - 8th: Lambtown in Dixon, California.

October 12th - 15th: Trailing of the Sheep in Sun Vallley, Ketchum, Hailey Idaho.

October 14th - 15th: Mt. Lassen Fiber Guild's Fiber Fusion

November 5th: Southern CA Handweavers in Torrance, California.

​​We are happy to say that we will be doing the Sierra Valley Art & Ag Trail again!

It will take place on Saturday September 30th 2017.

To keep up on current news make sure you go and Like the page for the Art and Ag Trail on facebook!

​It was a full groom day for the alpacas! We are now up to 14 alpacas! They all were groomed the other day which entailed shearing them, trimming toe nails, getting wormer and recieving vaccines. The shearers have a special table that they are strapped to and then laid down on the side. The table does all of the turning so it does not stress the alpacas by having to flip them on the ground, they simply relax on a table while they are taken care of.

Diddly, one of the older alpacas, decided to take a nap on the table, we decided he enjoys getting pampered very much. It took about 4 hours to get everyone cleaned up and we had a handful of helpers which was wonderful! 

We will be making a 50/50 blend of the alpaca fiber with some of our Rambouillet fiber into a lovely 2 ply DK weight yarn to sell at the farmers market and in the wool room on the ranch.  So be sure to look for it.

 Two years of talking about putting bees out here and now thanks to Patty Spiller and Gary McClaughry we have 25 bee hives on the property.  When I walk down to the barns in the evening to put the chickens up for the night, feed the guardian dogs and close the gates on the sheep I pass by the hives.  It almost feels like the ground is moving with all the buzzing activity.  It's so exciting.  Now we wait to taste the "Westside" honey.  Harmony Ridge will be selling it at our local farmers market next year.

​​June 10th -11th: Wool Market and Fiber Festival in Estes Park, Colorado.

June 23rd - 25th: Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon.

September 4th: Monterey Wool Auction in Monterey, California.

September 15th - 17th: CA National Wool Show in Boonville, California.
​
October 7th - 8th: Lambtown in Dixon, California.

October 12th - 15th: Trailing of the Sheep in Sun Vallley, Ketchum, Hailey Idaho.

November 5th: Southern CA Handweavers in Torrance, California.

We will update our schedule as the shows come up to let you know what is happening for us and the ranch!

​We are happy to say that we will be doing the Sierra Valley Art & Ag Trail again!

It will take place on Saturday September 30th 2017.

To keep up on current news make sure you go and Like the page for the Art and Ag Trail on facebook!

There is a new shop in the community!

The owners name is Pam Ayoob and she is excited to offer spa services as well as fun products. Be sure to check out her website, www.theshopinblairsden.com
 
Our dryer balls will be sold there and the option to add essential oils through this shop will be available and is a fun way to add natural scents to your clothes. The dryer balls also help dry your clothes 25 percent faster and are all natural.

The sheep are now out and about grazing on the range. They are let out of their pens in the morning and guarded by our trusty guardian dogs. They then return in the afternoons to get put away to protect them from critters at night. The dogs lead them around various portions of the property as they graze and always bring them home at night. The sheep are very happy to have fresh green grass.

We have a small group that stays in our enclosed pastures because their babies are too young to go out with the others. They are still very happy to be let out on the beautiful green pastures.

​June 3rd: Treadles to Threads Spinners Guild in Livermore, California.

June 10th -11th: Wool Market and Fiber Festival in Estes Park, Colorado.

June 23rd - 25th: Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon.

September 4th: Monterey Wool Auction in Monterey, California.

September 15th - 17th: CA National Wool Show in Boonville, California.
​
October 7th - 8th: Lambtown in Dixon, California.

October 12th - 15th: Trailing of the Sheep in Sun Vallley, Ketchum, Hailey Idaho.

November 5th: Southern CA Handweavers in Torrance, California.

We will update our schedule as the shows come up to let you know what is happening for us and the ranch!

​We are happy to say that we will be doing the Sierra Valley Art & Ag Trail again!

It will take place on Saturday September 30th 2017.

To keep up on current news make sure you go and Like the page for the Art and Ag Trail on facebook!

The two pangora goats who we bought last year needed a hair cut pretty bad.

The two boys, Mini Oreo (Mo), featured above, and Jo were happy to shed their long hair and feel a few pounds lighter. We are excited to say that they both did beautifully but also that we learned that Mo likes to nibble on ear lobes and noses.

They are no enjoying having their own stall in the barn to keep them warm on these snowy April days and also getting lots of "special treats".

June 3rd: Treadles to Threads Spinners Guild in Livermore, California.

June 10th -11th: Wool Market and Fiber Festival in Estes Park, Colorado.

June 23rd - 25th: Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon.

September 4th: Monterey Wool Auction in Monterey, California.

September 15th - 17th: CA National Wool Show in Boonville, California.
​
October 7th - 8th: Lambtown in Dixon, California.

October 12th - 15th: Trailing of the Sheep in Sun Vallley, Ketchum, Hailey Idaho.

November 5th: Southern CA Handweavers in Torrance, California.

We will update our schedule as the shows come up to let you know what is happening for us and the ranch!

Tahoe City Farmers Market: May 18th - October 12th.
It will be on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Commons Beach, Tahoe City.

Romano's Farmers Market: June 2nd - September 15th.
It will be on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sierra Valley Farms, 1329 A23, Beckworth, California.

Truckee Community Farmers Market: June 4th - September 25th.
It will be on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Factory Outlet Stores 12047 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, California.

We are happy to say that we will be doing the Sierra Valley Art & Ag Trail again!

It will take place on Saturday September 30th 2017.

To keep up on current news make sure you go and Like the page for the Art and Ag Trail on facebook!

We are excited to say that we have had some beautiful sunshine on the ranch.

The alpacas, chickens and lambs all got a special guest visitor from the neighborhood once it was warm enough. Hunter is a local boy who got to feed the alpacas, hold a lamb and a chicken and enjoy the ranch while he visited with family friends. He also learned how to handle the animals and how to take care of them. He had a very fun time.

A few months back a young lady named Miranda McFarland contacted me looking for wool.  Miranda is a senior at Sierra Nevada College, majoring in Fine Art. For her senior project, she is working on converting her bus (Juanita) to mobile art van while focusing on sourcing material through her local community.  Miranda came out to the ranch and I was happy to donate a car load of fiber for her project.  I knew she had her hands full just getting the fiber ready to use.  It all had to be washed, dried, and carded before she could even begin her felting.
                       
Her first plan was to use the felted wool as insulation in the walls of Juanita.  While Miranda started dismantling the bus, she found that the walls had already been insulated. So she decided to leave it as it was; now her new plan is to use the wool for felted rugs and bedding for the bus.

You can see more of Miranda’s work by following her on instagram @juanitasmobilegallery or checking out her BFA Show coming up this April 2017
Title:  “in,sight.”
When:  Install from April 6th-14th, Opening & talk April 13th 5:00pm
Where:  Garage Door Gallery, Holman Art & Media Center, Incline Village, NV  89451
Description:  “People gonna be good. Practice your awesome. Girl. Actually you know, don’t you?! Crazy people we belong! Understand the flow, dance to babe. Play you, for that feels good”…If you have read this subliminal message, you are officially invited to “in,sight.”

We are sorry to announce that we will not be able to attend the interweave Yarn Festival in Loveland, Colorado.

We are still lambing here on the ranch and can not get away from our animals.

We still encourage anyone who can attend should and enjoy the other vendors!

We are happy to say that we will be doing the Sierra Valley Art & Ag Trail again!

It will take place on Saturday September 30th 2017.

To keep up on current news make sure you go and Like the page for the Art and Ag Trail on facebook!

March 30th - April 2nd: Interweave Yarn Fest in Loveland, Colorado. -Not Attending

June 3rd: Treadles to Threads Spinners Guild in Livermore, California.

June 10th -11th: Wool Market and Fiber Festival in Estes Park, Colorado.

June 23rd - 25th: Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon.

September 4th: Monterey Wool Auction in Monterey, California.

September 15th - 17th: CA National Wool Show in Boonville, California.
​
October 7th - 8th: Lambtown in Dixon, California.

October 12th - 15th: Trailing of the Sheep in Sun Vallley, Ketchum, Hailey Idaho.

November 5th: Southern CA Handweavers in Torrance, California.

We will update our schedule as the shows come up to let you know what is happening for us and the ranch!

Tahoe City Farmers Market: May 18th - October 12th.
It will be on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Commons Beach, Tahoe City.

Romano's Farmers Market: June 2nd - September 15th.
It will be on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sierra Valley Farms, 1329 A23, Beckworth, California.

Truckee Community Farmers Market: June 4th - September 25th.
It will be on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Factory Outlet Stores 12047 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, California.