Years ago, my husband and I traveled to Ireland and Scotland with friends and family, and towards the end of our vacation made our way to the Isle of Skye. Remote, green, and often damp, we wound our way through the hills and stepped out at a tiny Scottish croft with a sign proclaiming “wool for sale.” It was a cute hillside cottage with a pea gravel driveway and a tiny shed. The shed indicated it was a shop, and we entered to find a sparse but clean space with handmade raw wooden shelves with bins and a low ceiling. Good lighting and a heater made it cozy and dry. In each wooden bin was a fluffy hand-spun and hand-dyed bit of wool top, I remember pretty grass greens and pale blues. It was gorgeous, the wool soft and light. We wandered the tiny space for a minute, enjoying the hand-feel of the soft wool. No-one came out of the house, and there were no obvious prices or ways to pay, so we left. But that beautiful wool and laissez-faire business stuck with me. We later named our farm “Cedar and Skye Farm” for the beautiful Western Red Cedar trees and our memories of beautiful Isle of Skye. It also reflects the first letters of our names, Courtie and Saúl - C&S. Around 2016 we purchased Jacob Sheep. I had read that sheep were gateway animals for farmers - reasonably sized to manage as livestock, and Jacobs were regarded as good for meat and wool. Beginning hand-spinners may appreciate Jacob wool because it’s toothy - not too slippery to hold when learning to spin. I found an ad on Craigslist in Oregon and off we went. We haven’t looked back. The sheep are relatively easy to manage, need annual shearing and vaccinations, good pasture and winter hay if your climate calls for it. They also helped us manage, retain and fertilize our pastures. We love having them still, have added two romney sheep to our flock and may add a few more when space allows.

Starting a very small farm…