Flock Focus: Stony Creek Farmstead

Another weekend means another Fiber Focus! This time, it’s Amanda Solomon’s lovely Clun Forest flock at the Stony Creek Farmstead of NY. Amanda and I met through Ravelry and I was super excited to learn of another fiber lover and flock raiser out in New York! Stony Creek specializes in farm stays–a visit in which folks can learn about farm work, see where food comes from, and experience living on a working farm. I love that idea and wish that everyone had the chance to experience live animals on a real-life farm. Amanda agreed to an interview and sent along some lovely photos of her flock [all photos credited to Amanda Solomon]. Read on to find out more and consider getting in touch for your own sample of her breed-specific fiber!

How did your farm/operation get its start?
The land has been owned by Dan Marsiglio’s parents long before Stony Creek Farmstead came to be. It wasn’t util Dan and his wife Kate came to live back on the land that is came back to life as a working farm. They do something a little different here too. We have these rustic tents on the farm, 6 of them. People come to stay in them during our farm stay season and get to learn all about the farm. where food comes from, how to milk a cow and we are even opening workshops in the summer!

What kinds of fiber animals do you raise and why?
We mainly raise Clun Forest sheep. But we do still have a couple Icelandic x Romney crosses in the herd. We mainly have our sheep for meat purposes, so the fiber is an added bonus. We do have the wool made into yarn and we spin it ourselves for fun. Down the line we are open to introducing a couple other breeds into our flock, but we just haven’t decided yet!

What is your favorite part of raising fiber animals?
I love the interaction of raising the sheep and producing a product of yarn. It is one thing to go into the store and buy some yarn but a total different feeling when you make it yourself. Also, I love being able to look at what other people created and realizing that I have all the tools to do the same thing! The confidence I have gained, is amazing!

what is on your wheel/needles/loom?
Right now, on my drop spindle I have candy corn dyed targhee wool. On my kick spindle, I also have the same thing! I have been skipping between spinning and knitting (just picked it up)

What would you like hand spinners to know about your fiber?
Clun Forest is really soft and fun to work with. We’ve had it spun into bulky and sock yarn and I love them both. If someone is interested, I’d be more than happy to send them a sample! Shearing is coming up soon, so we will soon have bags and bags of wool!

How can interested buyers get in touch with you?
Email me at asolomon018@gmail.com. I check it daily! The farm stay isn’t open till May but it doesn’t mean the farm is closed. I am more than happy to have people over if they want to see the sheep or learn more about just what we do!

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Thanks so much Amanda!

I love meeting new people (and sheep!): if you are an indie dyer, a hand spinner, a shepherdess, a small flock owner, a mill operator, or a wool trader, I would love to feature your work on this site. Please get in touch via email or Ravelry by clicking the “About” tab (above)