Where Did the Time Go?

We are finally getting around to updating our blog, thinking we missed a show or two. Little did we remember that the last time we posted was a year ago! As we prepare to leave for the Big E this Wednesday, we decided to catch up.

The Year in Review

• Following our success at the Big E in 2014, we headed to Louisville for the NAILE in November, where the bright spot was watching one of our ewes owned by Gina Bilyeu win Reserve Champion. Otherwise, we won a couple of classes, a little disappointment after doing so well in Massachusetts.
• As for our breeding season, we've cut back and only had 10 lambs, 5 rams and 5 ewes this year. We sold 2 ewe lambs before they were 6 weeks old.
• It seemed a good year to return to Maryland, where we won 5 out of the 8 classes, but alas, no champions.
  
  
  
• Memorial Day weekend brings us to Wooster and we took only one ram, Jack. He won champion ram and was the top selling ram. He was purchased by the Barney family of New Hampshire. Perhaps we'll see him at the BigE?
  

At the same time, we sent TP, one of our rams who had sired many winners to New York with the Knappenberger Family.

• Then life became very busy as our son Zac and his family moved to Amherst, Massachusetts, this summer (of course, we were delighted since Amherst is a short drive to West Springfield). We even timed a trip to stop in to see the Northeast Youth Sheep Show and expose our grandkids Lucia and Theo to the world of showing sheep.
• August rolled around and we made it to the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan. We enjoy the show mainly because of all the wonderful Michigan Sheep Breeders we have met over the years.  I love my workshops - this year 3 baskets and some alpaca spinning - and look forward to Jerry bringing the sheep for the weekend show.
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A Good Year!

Reserve Champion Ram Natural Color Wool

As much as we enjoy the sheep business, we still are hoping to sell our flock in the near future. Spread the word!

Flock For Sale

We've finally decided to sell our flock of white and natural colored Border Leicesters. Travel and family will be our focus now. Raising and showing the sheep have been an enjoyable and worthwhile experience that we've been able to share. The people we've met along the way are wonderful, and hopefully some of the travel plans will include sheep shows to visit with friends!

Our plans are to sell the flock as one unit. In the meantime, we'll sell at Wooster - The Great Lakes Fiber Show over Memorial weekend and possibly Rhinebeck - New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in October. 

Please contact Jerry at znkborderleicesters@gmail.com if interested.

We have had a lot of success and fun along the way!

Great Lakes Fiber Show and Sale - Wooster - 2013

As Memorial Day approached, it was time for our annual trip to The Great Lakes Fiber Show in Wooster. We loaded up the camper for its first trip of the year along with five lambs in the back of the truck and headed north. Unlike last year when it was in the 90's, it was a chilly day barely in the 50's.

Once we arrived, it was time for settling in and trimming, while catching up with everyone. On Friday night we gathered at the Great Western for a potluck with the other border leicester breeders. Thanks to the Fogles for organizing and furnishing delicious lamb.

On Saturday it was time to get ready for the show. Judge Judy Moore placed two of the lambs in second and one in first in their classes.

That night we met for our annual Border Leicester Breeders dinner at the Olde Jaol Restaurant in downtown Wooster. We had excellent company and food along with a silent auction featuring wines, foods, photographs, and a quilt.

On Sunday we were pleased to have a good turnout of buyers at the sale. All of our lambs sold at good prices and went to homes in Indiana and Pennsylvania. One even went home in the back seat of a car!

The ram lamb and one of the ewes found their way to Pennsylvania.

What's next? We'll be shearing in July and will have fleeces for the Michigan Fiber Festival, which is the third weekend in August in Allegan. Don't miss it!

New Crop of Lambs - 2013 

Out of ten ewes, we welcomed seventeen lambs by the end of February. The biggest surprise was the fourteen pounder! There were five rams and twelve ewes, which is a good thing:) 

We're headed to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival with eight natural-colored sheep and three white the first weekend of May. At the end of May, we'll be bringing some to sell at the Great Lakes Fiber Show in Wooster. We're looking forward to reconnecting with fellow Border Leicester sheep breeders this spring from Rhode Island to Montana. 

Below are a few shots of the lambs:

Flock For Sale!

We're ready to downsize (and spend more time with our granddaughter). If anyone is interested in investing in a great flock of Border Leicester sheep, mostly natural-colored, let us know. Hope to see you in Maryland or Wooster in May.

Update - 2012

Other than a quick overnight trip to Maryland to pick up a new black ewe (champion at Maryland the previous year), things have been quiet around here since fall. Lambing in January and February went well - finished by February 16! Half ewes, half rams - total of 16. We've had luck in selling too. In December, we sold sheep to people in Delaware, Ohio. We then sold more to the Taylors in Pennsylvania. We sent fleeces to Maine and one to Alaska. In Athens, Ohio, there are 2 ewes who with the help of our ram had 5 lambs. Needless to say, it's been a good year so far.

Wooster - 2012


We were happy with the National Border Leicester Sale in Wooster Memorial Day weekend. We sold four head for over $1800. And we bought a ram lamb from Tiffany Deakin (can't go home empty-handed!). The weekend was fun getting together with other border leicester breeders. On Friday evening, there was a potluck put together by the Fogles (in spite of Marilyn's shoulder injury). Saturday night was a lovely dinner at the Olde Jaol in town. People brought things for a silent auction (representing sheep or their state). We made contacts to sell fleeces along the way, so all-in-all, it was a successful trip.

Summertime 2011

ZNK Border Leicester Summer Update

Great Lakes Fiber Festival - Wooster, Ohio

Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick-off for summer, and ours began with a successful weekend at the Great Lakes Fiber Festival in Wooster which hosts the National Border Leicester Sale. We sold three sheep. The black ram lamb won his class and was sold to Sarah Jakeman of Some Day Soon Farm, New York. The white ewe was second in her class and was sold to Montana Aerie along with our other yearling ewe in the sale.

June and July on the Farm - West Liberty

In spite of a very hot summer, it was a good one. As soon as Jerry arrived home from Wooster, our granddaughter Lucia's 2-week visit began. Zac and Rebecca took off for Spain, and we gladly offered to entertain Lu while they traveled. We introduced her to the sheep, hoping that she'll get to feel comfortable around them and help her Pappy show them someday. Her favorite activity, as seen in the photo, was helping Pappy mow the lawn.

In the meantime, I started renting a booth at Hidden Treasures in West Liberty. I have hand-painted yarn, hand-spun yarn, roving, and hand-knitted items for sale. I'm hoping the sales improve in the fall when people are looking for woolen projects to do, as well as hats, scarves, mittens, and wrist-warmers to keep them warm this winter. Look here for future listings of fleeces for sale.

In July, Christine, a dear childhood friend, visited us from California for a few days. She thoroughly enjoyed the small farm experience, including helping Jerry wash and trim sheep.

It was time, of course, to get them ready for the Ohio State Fair later in the month.

Speaking of the state fair, we had a second in a class of 5 and a 3rd in a class of 12. Two of our fleeces placed second and third. We had hoped to do better. Unfortunately, the ewe we thought could be a winner didn't get entered.

Michigan Fiber Festival - Allegan

Mid-August brought us to the Michigan Fiber Festival in

Allegan where we were very successful.

In the yearling ewe white long-wool class we had a first

and third. Those 2 ewes then won the pair of yearling ewes.

The first place ewe went on to win champion white long-wool ewe and then supreme champion ewe.

In the natural-color long-wool show our yearling ram won

his class and was reserve champion NC ram. The NC yearling ewe and the NC ewe lamb each won their class with the yearling being the champion and the lamb being the reserve champion NC ewes.

We also sold a lot of fleeces, so it was definitely a successful year in Michigan!

What's Next?

We're headed to the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts, to show for the first time. We look forward to seeing familiar faces at the Border Leicester Show and meeting new breeders as well.