The Olde Homestead
If you have a moment we would like to tell you a little bit about ourselves.
We are a family owned farm located in upstate New York that raises Olde English Babydoll Southdowns, two alpacas, two dogs, two cats, a flock of chickens, a flock of white Peking ducks, and a few Mallards that fly in and out. My husband used to be a dairy farmer, but sold the dairy in 1991. We sold that farm and moved to my grandparents home after they passed away. Their farm was once run as a dairy farm by them and also by my parents. The old barn had been setting empty and the pastures were growing up since my dad's "retirement".
We both work full time, but have always wanted to have a family run business. We decided to look for something to put in the old barn, and also accomplish the goal of our family working at something together. We searched the internet to find just the right breed of animal for us. I wanted something that I could manage, we both wanted something that was easy to care for, and our kids wanted something that we did not eat. We came across an advertisement for "Olde English Babydolls" while searching through the classifieds of a farming magazine. I brought up the website and instantly laughed at the pictures of these "Teddy Bear Sheep". Anything that could make me laugh just by looking at their pictures had to be seen in person. After finding a breeder within an hour and a half from our home we went for our first visit. I think my husband knew that we were going to be farming again as soon as I saw these little guys.
We purchased three little wethers that were for sale, and brought them home the day before Christmas 2005. All we had at that time was an old calf pen and a lot of dreams. Since then we have added breeding stock and have spent family time fixing pens and fences. We have met a lot of very nice people as we have learned about raising sheep. Which turns out to be not that hard at all. Our love of sheep seems to have happened at just the right time in our lives. Our sons are now adults, and can still be talked into helping around the farm, especially during haying and cleaning the winter pens. We look forward to coming home and watching our sheep eat and play in the pasture. Our babydolls have a way of making everything seem so simple and calm.
We added ducks to the farm in 2010. Their job is to keep the pond clear of bugs. They do a nice job of eating the snails.
Chip and Dale, our alpacas, now supply us with fiber to mix with our Babydoll wool. A 70% alpaca / 30% Babydoll wool blend is a delight to crochet with. We will now be able to offer our alpaca/wool blend at the CNY Fiber Festival in June or by email. darmin919@gmail.com
Please enjoy these photos of the farm and family.
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