Written & photographed by Sarah Lillegard Off the highway and along a dirt road in Butte Valley, California there is a large white house with a wraparound porch sitting at the front of forty acres. This house was built in 1860 and is now home to the Larson family and their farm business named for […]
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A Relationship of Trust with Sierra Rose Alpacas
Written and photographed by Sarah Lillegard except as noted Sadie, at a week old, is running around the paddock dodging other alpacas as she makes her way up the hill and around the barn. She is one of two crias, (pronounced “kree-ah”) born this season at Sierra Rose Alpacas. Watching her unfettered laps through the […]
Read MoreA Spinner’s Flock at Ewe & Me 2 Ranch
Written by Marie Hoff and photographed by Paige Green “Did you do crafts before you got into fiber arts?” I ask Bev Fleming, while looking at stacks of magazines covering subjects from quilting to bread baking to Christmas ornaments in her fiber studio. “Everything,” she responds immediately, without missing a beat. There is not a […]
Read MoreBackyard-Raised Fiber at Bungalow Farm Angora
Written and photographed by Sarah Lillegard Driving around the neighborhoods of a large city, it’s hard to imagine that one of the little bungalow houses is a small-scale urban fiber farm. But, tucked into a street of large trees and wonderful afternoon sun is Bungalow Farm Angora. From this house and home, Erin Maclean has […]
Read MoreFine Fleece at Stone Steps Farm
Written by Amanda Fisk and photographed by Noelle Gaberman In the scenic Nicasio Valley of Marin County, Stone Steps Farm is a small, family farm breeding Pygora goats, mini Nubian goats, and Gotland sheep. Animals of all three breeds are friendly, gentle, and small enough to be handled and transported easily. Leigh, her husband John, […]
Read MoreCalifornia Cotton Fields: a Renewed Opportunity for Rebuilding Soil
Written by Esha Chhabra with photography by Paige Green America’s history with cotton is contentious — to say the least. The crop became the backbone of the colonial economy and was the driving force of slavery as an institution and a labor force that historians say is “necessarily imprinted on the DNA of American capitalism.” […]
Read MoreSoft Steps & Solid Heart at Rhoby’s Ranch
Written by Marie Hoff & Photographed by Paige Green “I keep getting interested. There keeps being more to learn, so I get more interested, and learn more, and the more I learn, the more I keep getting interested,” muses Rhoby Cook of Rhoby’s Ranch. Surrounded by oak and conifer trees, tucked in a valley of […]
Read MoreA History of Sheep Ranching at Madrone Coast Farm
Written by May Reid-Marr & Photographed by Paige Green In my first communication with Alison Charter-Smith of Madrone Coast Farm, she emphasized the importance of the farm’s location in Sheep Ranch, California. As you might guess from the name, this town of 35 has a long history of raising sheep, and an environmental and cultural […]
Read MoreHeavenly Soft Yarn at Valhalla Farms
Written by Amanda Fisk & Photographed by Paige Green Signe Ostby, the owner of Valhalla Yarns and Valhalla Farms, began knitting as a child. After many years of perfecting her personal knitting skills, she began searching for a high-quality yarn perfect for knit projects. She wanted a yarn that was a pleasure to work with, […]
Read MoreFully Engaged Farming at Sophie’s Icelandic Sheep
Written by Sarah Lillegard; Photographed by Sarah Lillegard & Sophie Sheppard There is never a quiet season here. Even with the hoop houses cleared of their summer harvest and the small flock of Icelandic sheep fresh from a fall shearing, the farm is still rich with growth. The hoop houses are being planted for winter […]
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