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.