From the Pastures: Sheep getting used to cows

Harvest time is one of my favorite times of the year. Seeing all the combines and grain trucks in the fields reminds me how hard farmers work. Harvest is kind of their reward for all that hard work. I had the opportunity to drive to St. Louis last week. The further south we went, the more combines were in the field. I was driving with someone who did not know anything about farming. We had an interesting conversation about what it takes to grow different crops. He was from India, and the differences in agriculture were very interesting.

My pasture is holding up well this fall. We purposely only cut hay once so the pasture would grow better through the fall. Since the cows have arrived on the property, we will need to buy some round bales this year. Cows eat as much hay as horses. Next year I will investigate cutting hay twice if the rainfall is good. The sheep are finally getting used to the cows. At first, they were scared of them even though they were in separate pastures.

The Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival was very well attended again this year. There are a variety of classes on fiber arts, and many people participate in these classes. It is exciting to see the enthusiasm and interest in using natural fibers for all kinds of knitting, crocheting and felting. Hand spinning is also very popular. My dyed Shetland-mohair fiber was popular with a lot of hand spinners. Hope they send me pictures of what they make with it.

In early October, we participated in the local Farm Stroll. Several agriculture businesses open their farms for a day of tours. The event is hosted by University of Illinois Extension. We had a record number of people attending this year. They enjoyed the tours of the mill and learning how yarn is made from a fleece right after it is sheared from the sheep. People asked a lot of great questions. Most had no idea about the quality of wool and how yarn is made. My grandson had a great time showing off the sheep, cows and ducks. The kids especially liked seeing the animals.

Have a safe harvest and happy fall.