What I've Been Doing.....

Besides STILL working on the proofs for my upcoming book "Color by Kristin" and fixing a bunch of Illustrator drawings, things have been even more busy around here. I've been working on a website for our Leyden Glen Lamb business which my web guru Lori will hopefully be putting up next week. It's almost complete! Wouldn't you know that the people who take care of my server, etc. decided to move this week with no notice. No wonder noone would call me back..... Frustrating to say the least. Hopefully next week..... I'll announce, of course, when it is up!


I've been painting signs like crazy so there is some signage for our farm and self-serve stand. We live off the beaten path so this whole thing is a crap-shoot. We'll see if we sell anything..... It does look quite cute though, if I must say so. If you do want to come and buy lamb meat, you can find the driving directions temporarily on a Leyden Glen Lamb blog I set up as a "stop gap" measure.


I missed the series on NPR about the "Five Farms" but it looks like you can download it. Maybe when I go to the library the next time, if I can remember..... I just found out that the Producer of the series, Wesley Horner, is local. Small world.

New Life

The Kitten Farmer, aka Julia, is proud to announce her latest litter of kitties. Today they are three weeks old. Their eyes are open and we are able to hold them. They aren't very photogenic yet but they sure are sweet. For all of my readers who love kittens, you can be sure there will be many photos in the upcoming weeks.


For the record, there are two red striped tigers (one with white and one without), one black, and one grey tabby with quite a bit of white on it.

Wheelview on the Weekend

This weekend Julia, The Farmer and I headed on up to Wheelview Farm in Shelburne, MA. Owned by John and Carolyn Wheeler, Wheelview is a grass-fed cattle farm high in the hills of western Massachusetts. The farm has been in Carolyn's family for generations and you can feel the passion and respect of the generations through all the care the Wheelers take with their farmstead, barns and animals. They have a self-serve farmstand in a small ell off the side of the house. Their freezers are stocked with many different cuts of meat and it is delicious. Our visit coincided with their annual open house. There was plenty to do for the kids including looking for pennies in a kiddie pool full of sawdust (what a great idea and it sure did keep Julia busy!) I got to pick up some local grass-fed beef for our freezer (because even a lamb loving family need to have a beef burger once in a while). Carolyn had set out a lovely display of birds nests that she has found in the bushes and trees on their farm. I love that the little nests were full of black and auburn hair from the cows lining the inside of the nests.


The Farmer got to talk farming with a fellow farmer, John Wheeler. This always makes his day.

Farmers are a funny breed. They are most comfortable talking to other farmers. I have listened in on many of these conversations over the years. The talk always begins with the weather and how it is hindering some kind of farm activity. When the weather isn't hindering farming, then there is no time to talk for farmers to talk. They are out there mowing, raking, and wrapping hay. I know not to get in the way of My Farmer's haying schedule.

After haying, the conversation then moves on to admiring the conformation of animals and discussing many of the individual animals' attributes in a field before them. This can vary from pounds of milk from a dairy cow, number of lambs from a sheep, or mothering ability of a beef cow. Farmers are extremely proud of their animals and all the work they put into them. To keep a "line" of animals going, it takes untold hours of care for the animals and for the land they graze. I can see, after all these years, why farmers like to talk to other farmers. There is barely a "normal" person out there who understands the work that running a farm takes, nor can admire honestly another farmer's animals. (And boy, are the Wheeler's cows beautiful and healthy.)


The conversation then turns to trading farming ideas. This kind of talk centers around haying equipment, fencing, tractors, available farm loans, and dealing with non-farming neighbors. I always find this part of the conversation quite interesting because who other than a farmer could trade such information. Lastly the conversation turns to gossiping about other local farmers, what they are doing - whether they are good or bad farmers or whether their luck is good or bad. The conversation usually wraps up with a very short good-bye and then the farmers go their separate ways, until next time.

And so it was this weekend as My Farmer talked with John Wheeler, co-owner with his wife Carolyn of Wheelview Farm. The Farmer is never long with words nor conversation, except when he finds another farmer to talk to. Then he can go on and on and on. And he did. It was fun to see him have such a good time. We all enjoyed our visit and left feeling we are not alone in what we are doing, trying to raise lamb for local families to enjoy while keeping the pastures and hillsides green and fertile and land open for future generations. And Julia left with a pile full of pennies that she was very proud of.

Meeting The Governor

Okay, so I'm stretching it here a bit. I didn't meet The Governor of my fine State of Massachusetts, but I did go and hear him speak this morning. Friday afternoon, I got an e-mail from Massachusetts Broadband Institute announcing that Governor Patrick would be speaking at the Town Hall in New Salem, Massachusetts. At first I dismissed the e-mail, muttering to myself, "oh yeah, just another big meeting in the eastern part of the State." And then I thought a bit about it and remembered that New Salem is nowhere near "old" Salem, it's actually about an hour from my hometown and the home of Leslie Sharr who often comments on this blog.


I thought about it for the weekend and asked my neighbor Alicia if she would like to go see what the Governor had to say. Alicia and I are spearheading efforts for broadband service to unserved residents of our town. Off we toddled down the hill and over many more hills to come upon the beautiful New England town center of New Salem. The place was swarming with police cars, residents and many folks who had driven in from all over the State who are desperate for broadband service. I even ran into Leslie Sharr, how's that for a small world! Also got to meet John Ramsay, Regional Administrator of the Western Massachusetts Library System who recognized me for my t.v. appearance in support of libraries and broadband.


The Governor was late but when he did arrive eventually and when he began speaking I was impressed. I have never seen "a governor" before and not a big fan of politicians. Governor Patrick was compassionate, caring, smart, and seems committed to all residents of MA having Broadband Service by the end of 2011. Although this seems an eternity, it made me feel a bit better to see and hear personal stories of so many others who are in the same boat as me.

You can read more about the meeting here. The general purpose of the meeting was to announce a software program for "mapping" unserved households of the State of Massachusetts. With the data that the Mass Broadband Institute receives they will then be able to develop a plan for getting high speed service to all households. Although this whole announcement seems to do little to get me and my fellow unserved residents Broadband, it seems that it is a step in the right direction. As much as I would like a miracle to happen and all of a sudden have Verizon drive up to my door and install a fiber optic cable opening the world of Broadband to my home, I have to be realistic. If this mapping thing helps, then I will do my best to get my neighbors to sign up.

If you live in Massachusetts and are are unserved by high-speed internet service, sign up here to help the State map your location: Mass Broadband Mapping Survey for Dial-up users

It was a good day out and although I didn't get a lick of work done, sometimes you have to get out there to know you aren't the only one struggling in similar situations. That's the problem with working from home in an isolated area - not that I would give it up. For all you wannabee country folks, just know that moving to the country does pose problems that you might never think about.

Massachusetts Sheep & Wool Festival This Weekend

This weekend is the small and family friendly Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Festival. If you are looking for a fun day, drive to Cummington and enjoy all the sheep, sheep dogs, wool, mohair, angora, and food! Julia and I are going on Saturday so please say hi if you see us looking around!

If you have time after the Festival, drive on up to our Farmstand which I finally have open! It's not real fancy but it will do the trick. I've got the freezer loaded with our lamb and a fridge full of fresh eggs. It's self-serve so bring cash or a check. I've got to get the signs for the road done - and hope to have them on the trees they need to be on by Saturday morning.

I'm working on a website for this new venture, but for now, I've got driving directions on a new Leyden Glen Lamb Blog I just started this week. It also has "frequently asked questions" about buying lamb. Although this isn't as professional and sleek as I want it to be, it was the quickest way for me to get the information out there! I'll let you all know when the "real" website is up.

Late Sunday Afternoon

Saturday evening we had some friends over for dinner to celebrate mutual birthdays. We did the obligatory walk around the farm so everyone could see the sheep and the chickens and then went into the kitchen to settle in for a glass of wine and some pre-dinner snacks. Everyone was in a jovial mood - catching up since we hadn't seen our friends in over six months. I was sitting at the kitchen table where there is a view out the window. The Farmer was just about to tell everyone about a funny scene from a BBC show we used to watch called Ballykissangel. I knew exactly the scene he was going to tell them - about the old shepherd who made cut-out plywood sheep and set them up on his hillside so it would look like he had more sheep than he really did. As I looked up and out the window, there went a mess of adult sheep flying by....

I stopped the conversation quickly - yelling - "Oh my goodness - there go the sheep....." Noone had a clue what I was talking about - especially The Farmer who thought the adult ewes were way up the hillside grazing our neighbor's field. I said "No Mark - look - it's the mamas." Talk about a conversation stopper.

Luckily we had sheep tolerant friends visiting. All nine of us headed outdoors to try to contain the renegade sheep. Without the dogs, we all would have been useless. We positioned some friends by the gate and told them to flap their arms when the sheep came back and point them into the fenced in pasture to mingle with the lambs that are living in our front pasture. With Phoebe and Nessie, it took about 4 minutes to get 100 or so contained.

The Farmer drove back up the hill quickly before dark fell and found a handful of lambs left in the field. His theory is that something spooked the sheep and they all headed home. The little ones didn't know to move fast enough. Hopefully they would stay safe overnight. We'll never know what happened but it did make for a memorable dinner party.

Sunday's job was to reset fences, split up the flock once again and send the mamas back up the hill. It took the better part of the day but by late afternoon, we were ready to move them on out.

Here they go up the field directly behind our house. Nessie is there somewhere helping although the grass is so tall it is hard to see her. When there is such good eating, the sheep like to take their time. We didn't have much time until nightfall so we had to rush them.

Once they all realized where they were going, they started moving quickly. Julia and I stayed behind with the stragglers. As with humans, there are some sheep who are just faster. Here's the leaders of the pack with Eeyore meeting up with the left behind group.


Here's the whole bunch walking down the hill with The Farmer not far behind.


Nessie helped us move them into the enlarged newly fenced field.


Here she is taking a break after all her hard work in a patch of ferns.


As we walked down the hill, the sun was setting and everyone was ready for a night of grazing.

Morning in Mid-May

Our lower orchard in the fog this morning. It was so ethereal.

This orchard is far from the house and very overgrown. When we first moved here it was so full of brambles that you could barely walk. Old apple trees have fallen down and wild roses have grown up through. We've been using the sheep to help revive the old orchard.




We have nicknamed this orchard "coyote country" because we frequently hear the coyotes down there wooping it up. The sheep will venture down there usually during the daylight hours because there is good feed and sheep are all about the good grass.

A couple years ago, The Farmer dug a "pond" in a wet spot. He did it with the bucket on the tractor so it is basically a square hole in the field about 8 by 10 feet. Not much of a pond, mind you. It fills up with water and the sheep use it when they need it. It is basically a frog pond but pretty in its own right.


It's amazing how a little water adds interest to a scene.


Since the growing lambs are now venturing into "coyote country," we have brought Eeyore in to keep an eye on them. He seems to be taking his job quite seriously and we will hope for the best.

Knitting News Flash - Kaffe in Nashua NH Next Week

Kaffe Fassett is coming to Nashua NH next Tuesday May 19th. He will be presenting his lecture called Kaleidoscope of Color. I have seen this presentation and it is worth traveling to see. Here's how you learn more!

Where: Marriott Courtyard in Nashua New Hampshire(just off Exit 8)
When: Tuesday May 19th
Time: 6:00 to 7:00 Meet and Greet
7:00 p.m. Lecture
Cash Bar and Snacks
How Much: $25 in Advance - $30 at the Door

For more info:
http://www.westminsterfibers.com/Rowan/Kaffelecture.pdf
Phone 603 689 2500

This event is part of Rowan Yarns' 30th Anniversary Year! Wow - has it been 30 years already?

Is It Local?

This article appeared in the Food section of the NY Times yesterday? (If you don't have time to read it, it's about Frito-Lay marketing their potato chips as local!) I'd say big corporations are stretching the term "local food," wouldn't you? I guess this may be a good thing, that large corporations are noticing the local food trend..... Or maybe not..... Let's hope they don't squash all us little guys. What do you think?


This is a shot of one of my multi-colored Brandywine tomatoes from last summer's garden. I've got to get some plants in the ground soon.....

Trying to See Things

This week I am reading my manuscript for the upcoming book. This is the first time I have seen the words and photos laid out together. There sure is a lot of material. I have to read it all for accuracy, add words where needed, take away words where there are too many. I have only a week to do this and believe me - it is a lot to do! Next week I'll be getting more pages to review.

When I have to do this kind of work, I need to be out of my own personal space, away from my computer, and in a place where I won't run into people I know. I have to be quiet and try not to get distracted. At our farmhouse there is distraction galore - the phone, the chance to check e-mail, the chickens cackling and crowing, the sheep escaping the fences, dishes needing to be washed. For the past few book deadlines, I have headed north to Vermont. Brattleboro is one of my stomping grounds but I am not a local so I don't get distracted by friends. I find a cafe and sit and read and drink coffee trying to stay focused.

Yesterday it was a beautiful day and the spring air was calling me. On my way to pick up Julia I stopped at an incredibly beautiful spot called Weatherhead Hollow. Here I sat, reading, writing, correcting and enjoying the incredible May day. Not bad I must say.


I pass this beautiful spot quite a few times a year but barely ever stop to sit and observe nature. The water is so pretty and reflective. This pair of geese was floating around. They will be nesting soon and baby geese will be hatching - all downy and a lovely greyish taupe color.


In the shallow water, lily pads were floating.


This was just the perfect amount of distraction. More to read and do but this book is moving on.

Nature on a Rainy Day in Spring and Musings

This year's trillium in the rain going by.

Sheep in the hedgerow grazing on a rainy day.


There have been some very powerful photos over on Jon Katz' blog the past few weeks. He has been photographically documenting the last days of a NY State dairy farm owned by a farmer named Jon Clark. The photos are beautiful and very sad. My heart goes out to the farmer and the family who have decided they must give up farming.

The thing is with farmers - they will always be farmers whether they are farming or not. I can't imagine My Farmer without his sheep - he wouldn't be whole. But farming has become ridiculously expensive and difficult to do. Small farmers have to compete against large corporate dairies and for many, it is just too overwhelming a task. Many small dairy farmers are choosing or forced to give up because they can no longer afford to keep their dairies going. Here in Massachusetts we have lost many, many dairy farms. The loss of these businesses changes the landscape and the community of small towns. Every time I hear of a dairy farm closing my heart hurts - for the farmer, his family, the cows, the community, the other businesses who have been supplying them, and the world. The world needs more farmers, not less.

Why I knit will be later this week, I hope. Be patient.

Rain and Sheep

Sheep trails in the rain on the just grazed pasture.


Sheep grazing on a rainy day. Very hard to take photos without a proper lense shade but pretty anyway.

A New Mother for Mother's Day

The other day, a yearling had a lamb in the pasture. She did great.


Now the lamb is grazing with the rest of the flock and doing great. Spring lambs are much easier for a shepherd than winter lambs. Very rarely is there work to be done and the mama takes care of the baby.


Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there.

Leaving the Farm for A Day

This afternoon I’m leaving the farm for a brief 24 or so hours. I’ll be speaking in Topsfield to The Essex County Needlecraft Guild tomorrow which I am really looking forward to. But it is hard to leave this place – even for a day. Besides leaving the physical beauty of the place, there is always the strain it puts on my family and the farm. Julia is over the days of crying for hours before I leave but she still gets quite anxious and can’t tell me enough how much she loves me and will miss me. I cherish every little "I love you Mommy" I get from her 10 - almost 11 - year old mouth. I know when I walk out the door, everything will be fine but it does put a guilt trip on my mama heart.


In the throws of organizing for the talk, I received a call from Mary McClintock, a local writer, who has been asked to do a short article about our lamb business for the local food coop Greenfields Market. To say that the world is small is an understatement. Mary said that my name sounded familiar so she started to dig. It turns out that she is also an "indexer" and she prepared the index for Kristin Knits. How funny is that?

Of course, the conversation turned to knitting and we chatted a bit. She said she knows how to knit and really enjoys the process of knitting. She learned so that she would have something to do when she attends meetings which she evidently does very frequently. And then she told me that she mostly makes squares and then rips them out and re-knits the same yarn into a different square. For Mary, it is the process of knitting that she likes the most. We had a bit of an interesting conversation about this, knitting in general and then knitters. She let me in on this great article she wrote for the Christian Science Monitor. You all will probably really enjoy it.

So let me run off and attend to my crazy multi-tasking life. In the meantime, here's a question for you?

Are you a "process" or "product" knitter, crocheter or stitcher?
And why exactly do you knit, crochet or stitch?

I'll let you in on why I knit when I return later in the week.

Newburyport Here I Come.....

Next Wednesday May 6th, I'll be speaking on COLOR at the Essex County Needlearts Guild Meeting near Newburyport, Massachusetts. I'm excited because this guild is a diverse group of needle artists - many of the members do several different kinds of needlearts. In the afternoon, I'm teaching an embroidery workshop. Should be a fun trip and I haven't been on the North Shore of Massachusetts in soooo long! I love it there!

Since I'm traveling east, I want to mention our lamb business again. If you are interested in buying a whole or half lamb, I'll be staying in Newburyport Tuesday evening, May 5th at Morill Place Inn owned by the lovely Rose Ann Hunter (a talented needlewoman who is involved with this guild and made my appearance happen). I can meet you with a cooler full of farm raised lamb Tuesday evening. Bring it right home to your freezer and enjoy it all summer long! Right now we have one half lamb and one whole lamb available (or three half lambs depending on the demand!). Send me an e-mail at nicholasATvalinetDOTcom and I will forward you an information sheet about prices and what cuts of meat you will get.

Locally, you can find our lamb at Greenfields Market in Greenfield, MA. It's in the meat section and the customer response has been great! Here's what it looks like in the meat cooler.

Lots of fun stuff happening locally here this weekend. The Greenfield and Brattleboro Farmer's Markets open for the season tomorrow. There's a Chowderfest at the Energy Park in Greenfield. And tonight and tomorrow is The Twist Fair - western Mass's alternative craft fair (run by Lexie Barnes - author of Storey's Sew What Bags) at the Northampton Center For the Arts. I don't know if I can get to it all but I'm going to try!