Kindness Following Me

I can't reiterate enough my gratitude for the overwhelming kindness I receive from my customers.  Today a longtime customer of mine, Crik Christophel (Neko Farm), presented me with a beautiful handknit hat made from wool I've shorn in the past.  It's so nice!  Soft, warm...So thoughtful of her.  She told me shearers are not a commodity, but a relationship/service.  Glad people think like that!

Earlier this week I was fed a huge brunch by the Lamphier family in Middlesex NY.  It's nice being welcomed in as part of the family, even though I only see most of my customers just once a year.  They're always feeding me, giving me a place to stay, giving me eggs (or hats!), etc.  I love my job!

Starting to get busy with spring shearing (glad it is finally spring)...Sheared a little over 2,000 so far in 2011.  I've been on the road for a month now, starting to look forward to coming home.  Although I won't really get a rest from shearing until probably the end of June.  Enjoying the nomadic lifestyle!

In other sheep news, the Ohio Dorset Sale was yesterday.  Grand Champion ram sold for $8,000.  Wow.



Thank you for your kindness everyone!

Doug Rathke

Doug's Website

9 years ago I started shearing by going to the Cornell shearing school in Ithaca New York.  I went back the following year, and these two introductory courses were the start of my shearing career.  Doug Rathke was the head instructor back then, and he still is today.  The 2011 course was held this past weekend, where I was privileged to be one of the assistant instructors.  I really enjoyed teaching, helping beginners out.  I understand their frustration because we all started there.  It was rewarding to see people succeed with a little instruction after struggling without. 

Doug is an amazing shearer, and an amazing person.  He has many shearing accolades, including being the first American to receive New Zealand's Golden Seal (the top shearing recognition), many top finishes in national competitions, and many times representing the US in world competitions.  He is a known figure in the shearing industry worldwide, but a very humble and down to earth man.  He recently set a world shearing record, shearing a marathon 27 straight hours.

I had the chance to get to know Doug better this weekend, and I'm proud that he is my teacher and shearing mentor.  I may get the chance to go shear with him in his home state of Minnesota in December.  I would love to receive advanced training under him, and am excited about our future friendship.

Hampshires

Hampshires, my least favorite breed of the 3 my family owns.  But they are beautiful.  Big, rugged black faced sheep.  Today I sheared what I consider to be the top Hampshire flock in New England, the Searles' in Rhode Island.  The best Hampshires in our flock are descendents of a ewe we bought from the Searles.  Some big sheep are just big.  But their sheep are also put together right, they produce like they should, hold their condition (unlike many big but skinny black faced sheep), and are sound and healthy flock. 

I think if the Searles competed more at the fairs they'd find that I'm right; they have the top Hampshire flock in New England.

Shear Tower 1000

Yesterday was the debut for Shear Tower 1000.  ST1000 is a light-weight steel shearing machine stand, custom designed for my new shearing machine.  Designed and built by my friend Kyle Welch, it is the most stylish and easy to use stand out there.  It's collapsable for easy set up and transportation. It's painted glossy black, has an 4-outlet box to plug into, an attachable light, and is very sturdy.  Thank you Kyle!

$6 hay

Who would've ever thought the price of hay would top $6 a bale?  That's right, it sold for over $6/bale today at the Northampton Cooperative Auction in Whately MA. 

Why the price increase?  Well obviously supply and demand.  For whatever reason people are running out this year...I'm guessing not much second cutting was made last year due to the dry summer we had.  Why has the overall demand for hay gone up in the area?  It's not increased cow or sheep numbers.  Maybe the horses?  I'm not sure. 

Wouldn't it be a good year to have 1,000 extra hay bales in the barn?! 

"Hay in the barn is money in the bank"

Getting Involved

For the last couple years I've wanted to be more involved in sheep organizations, to help out and to promote sheep.  The demographics in our local organizations is not good...mostly retirement age farmers, and very few young people getting involved.  Nothing against retirement age farmers; in fact I have enormous respect for them, they have established the organizations we have and they have taught me everything I know.

We had a Pioneer Valley Sheep Breeders Association meeting Saturday night.  Doug Gillespie from Farm Bureau and Tom Colyer from American Sheep Inudstry were both there.  Two groups I'd like to be more involved with, and two people that I'm glad to know.  The best thing that came out of the meeting was that I got appointed with Leslie Merritt to represent the PVSBA to review the bylaws of the Federation, that is under ASI which oversees our group and the Eastern Mass. group.  Hopefully that makes sense. 

Sunday afternoon was the meeting for the Massachusetts Sheep & Woolcraft fair.  I may be a candidate to take over the job of Vendor Coordinator.  It's a big job, probably quite a bit of time committment, but I think I can do it.  It's a good way to get involved with what their needs are at the moment.

I don't want to overcommit myself.  I need to find my niche and find what I'm good at, and can have an influence on.  For now I'm learning, listening, and trying to get more involved in the sheep industry.

Left Hand Lazy

Left Hand Lazy (LHL) is the new business I have started over the last couple months.  It is twofold; one part is wool/roving/yarn products and the other part is sheepskins/sheepskin products. 

To quote the newly formed facebook page (and coming soon website):  "LHL is a local business specializing in hand made sheepskin products and locally raised wool products.

All of the sheepskin products are handmade by Anna from materials that are carefully chosen for quality and durability. Products currently available: slippers, men's hats, women's hats, vests, mittens, children's wear, car seat covers, whole sheepskins. "World-Class sheepskins from your local seamstress"

LHL wool, roving, and yarn are from locally raised sheep shorn by Aaron. Products available: raw wool from various breeds, natural colored yarn and roving available soon. "World-Class yarn from your local shearer" "


For the sheepskin portion I have partnered with Anna, who is a very talented seamstress and fashion designer.  She's the real brains behind the business.  The yarn is sort of my own thing, I have been and will be this spring selecting and buying quality wool that I shear and sending it out to be made into yarn and/or roving.  The main goal of this portion of LHL is to help the sheep farmers out by buying their wool for more money than they can otherwise sell it for.

Why the name?  I realize everyone will be asking that, so I'll address it now.  First, I just thought of it, and I like it.  I think it sounds good.  I like the symetry of LHL.  In shearing, the use of your left hand is very important, always pushing and pulling to prepare the wool and skin for the next blow.  When I was first learning to shear my teachers would criticize me saying I have a lazy left hand.  I thought it also applied to the yarn business because I don't spin the wool myself, therefore my left hand is lazy.  It's just a name.

Combs

Just had a discussion with a shearing customer about the benefits of 9 tooth and 9 tooth cover combs.  Here are the options for types of combs.  To my understanding.

Let's see. 7 tooth "blowout", 9 tooth cover, straight 9, 13, 17 mohair, 20, and 24.  Those are basically the options for number of teeth on a comb.

7s are phasing out.  Some people out west still use them, but they're being replaced by 9s.  They're dangerous.  I don't dare even try using one.  Think about it, the width of the comb is the same...but it has fewer teeth, so the gap between each tooth is greater.  You even need a "wyoming special" handpiece, and 3 point cutters rather than 4 to run a 7.  No thanks.

9 tooth combs are common.  They're easier to push through the wool than a 13, and leave a little more wool, protecting the sheep from sunburn and cold.  the cover 9s have raised bumps on every other tooth to, in theory, leave even more wool.  In my opinion, they're just harder to use.  9s are good if you're used to them, especially in dirty or dense wool, because the pushing isn't as bad.  For example, when I sheared out west on nasty Ramboillets.  9 tooth combs were the only comb for the job.

13s are your standard comb.  My favorite.  pretty much all I use around here.  If they still made 12s, I might prefer a 12, but I've never found anything better than 13.  User friendly, easy to use, do a nice job, and leave enough cover to protect the sheep.

17 is made especially for shearing angora (mohair) goats.  Eh just throw on the 13.

20 and 24 are for really smooth bellys on show sheep.  Don't think I'd want to shear an entire sheep with one.

That's today's lesson, kiddies.  Go buy a packet of 13 tooth combs.

Who shears in the cold?

Yes, it has been too cold to even think of shearing lately.  This is sort of my "preseason".  Any work I can get done now, before the rush of march-june, is a bonus.  People with warm enough barns who want to shed their sheep of winter coats before lambing like to get it done with now.  The cold is not the only problem; dealing with the precipitation side of weather is also.  In the spring, even when it rains, shearing is possible if the sheep have cover.  But when the snow is flurryin it can be hard just to get to the job.  So it's good I don't have too packed of a schedule.

My favorite old Scottish folk song:

"Oh it's nice to get up in the mornin when the sun begins to shine.  At three or four or five o'clock in the good ol' summertime. But when the snow is blowin and it's mirky overhead, it's nice to get up in the mornin but it's nicer to lie in bed. 
My brother Nay's a teacher and he sleeps along with me.  He gets up and lights the fire and starts his work at three.  And before he gets his trousers on his legs are nearly numb.  While I lie beneath the covers and this is what I hum;
Oh it's nice to get up in the mornin when the sun begins to shine, at three or four or five o'clock in the good ol' summertime. But when the snow is blowin and it's mirky overhead, it's nice to get up in the mornin but it's much nicer to lie in bed."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdBUjv5EgLw 

Stay warm! 

Aidan Copp

Got reacquainted today with an old New Zealand friend, Aidan.  We had been in touch since I left New Zealand two years ago, but then he deleted facebook so I thought I'd lost touch with him forever.  Well he's back on now.  People like Aidan inspired me when I was down under.  He's sheared 650 sheep in 1 day before.  Fastest shearer I personally know.  He's not just a good shearer, he's a top athlete.  When you're that good, you can make heaps of money...He's shearing in Australia now, 300 a day (on merinos!), which would be over $600 a day.

But I don't have that potential.  I'll never be a top shearer, and that's perfectly ok with me.  I want to be good but I don't have to be the best.  My shearing career is different than someone like Aidan's.  He can focus on shearing alone, where I have to be concerned about the business side of it, and more importantly, the service side of the shearing industry.  In New Zealand or Australia you can literally show up to work, not say a word to anyone, and make $600 in a day if you're good.  Here in the Northeast corner of the USA, you have to be personable, and good at serving people, not just good at shearing sheep.

Appreciative Farmers

It's nice doing a job and being appreciated for it.  Yesterday and the day before I started my 2011 shearing season shearing for the Paulsens in eastern New York.  Super nice people.  They left CT for NY 23 years ago and became sheep farmers.  They live off the land, farming (I think) a couple hundred acres.  It's farmers like this that I especially want to help with the wool pool!  If they could offset the shearing cost with income from the wool, that would be great.

If I had to rank reasons why I shear sheep, being appreciated is way above earning money.  Money is that ugly thing at the end of the day that needs to be talked about.  But if there was a way I could just leave without bringing up the money discussion, I would.  Not all farmers are appreciative, some take their shearer for granted.  That's ok I guess, but those are the jobs I don't necessarily look forward to going back to.

I often have customers tell me "You're the boss" or "You're in charge". NO. I'm the servant, laborer, the braun.  Whoever is paying the bill at the end the job is the boss.  The receiver is just a servant.  Humble servant, I hope.  I think some people, not just shearers, cop an attitude and expect to be treated like the boss.  No, I'm working for you.

Humble seravanthood means serving the appreciative and unappreciative equally, with a good attitude.  That's what I strive for and I hope I, at least to some degree, achieve.  Do the best job you can, with a good attitude, and people will be appreciative.

Encouraging Shepherds

I had lunch today with an old sheep friend, Noah.  He mentioned interest in getting back into raising sheep so of course I encouraged him that it was a good idea.  Why do I care if other people raise sheep?  The selfish answer would simply be more sheep = more shearing jobs.  But really that's not the answer.  Sheep have been my life, for as long as I can remember.  I care about people that raise sheep, and about the industry as a whole.  I think raising sheep has benefits beyond sweaters and lambchops, that the lifestyle is rewarding and humbling.  Volumes could be written on the benefits of raising sheep.  People could argue things like being tied to the earth, being closer to the Creator, etc. 

Another angle on increased sheep numbers is the benefit it has to the sheep industry as a whole.  I would say that unlike some typical supply and demand charts, more sheep would actually help others in the business.  Less competition in this case doesn't necessarily mean increased prices for existing farmers, but rather it means increased competition from foreign markets.  Bottom line; there is enough marketing potential for all the lamb and wool that could be raised in New England.  We just need to produce it.  Encourage anyone with an inclination to raise sheep, to do so.

Question for contemplation:  Are more sheep in the area better, worse, or neutral for the overall health of the sheep industry?  (Don't be influenced by my above opinion)

New Dorset Ram

Just got back from Leyden, MA, where my brother and I purchased a September Dorset ram lamb from Hoop and Becky Peterson (Southfield Corporation).  I like buying sheep from them.  This is now the fourth we've purchased in the last few years.  The Petersons are good shepherds, they're honest, they have a good eye for sheep, know their sheep well, and they're pleasant to deal with.  Their sheep are healthy, well cared for, they have great breed character, and have worked well for us.  Hopefully our new ram will be competitive in the show ring, and go on to be a good sire.

Family is gone now, back to reality.  Starting up the 2011 shearing season on Tuesday.  January and February should be slow, then things will pick up in March.  This is always an anxious, overwhelming time of year.  To think all those sheep I sheared last year have wool again, starting over from scratch.  Pray my back holds up and the roads are clear for safe travels to the jobs!

Happy New Year!

Starting off the new year well; waking up to my whole immediate family here.  The neices and nephews are adorable!  Cutest kids in the world!  Nothing I love more than family.

Okay so I'm thinking more about what this blog could be about.  I am always trying to better serve my shearing customers. So I would like for this blog to be a way to update people on where I am and a little about myself if they want to get to know me better.  Being a service that is performed once a year, I have come across people that didn't even recognize me from the year before (although I do change my appearence quite often).  So, if people want to, they can now track me & get to know me.

If I run out of things to say, I would appreciate topic suggestions!  Questions, comments, etc are welcome!

Have a great day, and a great 2011!

Aaron