Saturday February 21 from 9:00a.m.- 4:00 p.m. at the Fischer Building, 205 F Street, Phillipsburg, KS
Sally Brandon, Shepherd’s Mill, and Rachael Boyle, K-State Research and Extension Livestock Agent, will guide you through the world of animal fiber production, from determining which animals are right for you and your farm to selecting a mill and marketing your fiber.
This day-long event will offer the following class topics:
~ Fiber Arts for the Non-Artist: What are end-users seeking?
~ Not all Fiber is Created Equal: Opportunities and challenges of different fiber types
~ Choosing and Working with a Fiber Mill: Asking the right questions.
~ Where’s the Value in Value Added: Is this value stream for you?
~ Managing a Menagerie: Selecting animals that compliment your operation
With more than 30 years in the fiber industry, Sally works with small farms across 43 states, processing everything from alpaca to yak. She specializes in educating producers on the importance of first grasping what their customers are seeking and then managing their herd to produce fiber of the proper type and quality to meet demand. Producers will understand the opportunities they have to develop value-added product from their hair/wool-producing animals during the Animal Fiber Production Opportunities to Diversify Small Farms Workshop. Often the opportunities for additional revenue from the animals are missed for various reasons unknown to the producer. Sally operates a mill that takes the raw product and turns it into a product that is very saleable to a fiber arts consumer. She will provide attendees with samples of various species and quality, so that they can better analyze their own fiber. A tour of the mill will enable producers to better understand the processes available, allowing them to be better “consumers” of fiber processing services.
Rachel Boyle works as an extension livestock agent who has many sheep and goat events during her career in extension. She serves a group of producers with educational activities.
Registration is $20.00 and includes lunch. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the workshop will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information contact Mary Howell at kfu.mary@gmail.com or call 785-562-8726.
Register online HERE
Amazing Grazing II Partners with Kansas Farmers Union are: Kansas Graziers Association, Kansas NRCS, Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops, Kansas State Research and Extension, Farm Credit, and Kansas Grazing Land Coalition, with funding from North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
