Hi.
Welcome! I teach basic needle felting techniques, write fiber processing guides, provide tutorials, and blog about whatever comes to mind (including homeschooling my two kids and my life in general). Oh, and I make things too!
Welcome! I teach basic needle felting techniques, write fiber processing guides, provide tutorials, and blog about whatever comes to mind (including homeschooling my two kids and my life in general). Oh, and I make things too!
BIPOC-Owned Farms
directory of wool & fiber providers
Below you will find a tiny directory of Black, Indigenous and People of Color based in the US who raise wool sheep and sell the raw fleece or processed fiber to fiber artists. The vast majority of the sheep raised by these farms are also rare heritage breeds as noted by the Livestock Conservancy and part of the SE2SE project.
If you are looking for yarn, a few of the farms on this list do offer yarn (I know Prado de Lana does, for example), but for all other fiber goods (dyed yarns, knitting/crochet patterns, fiber artists, etc.) check out the following websites:
The Yarn Mission’s post on Black dyers and Black-owned yarn companies (the original site is down, but you can still access the post through the archived link here - it may take a moment to load)
Represent! Diaspora Designers (Ravelry group for pattern designers)
Littlejohn’s Yarn’s post on Black crochet designers and youtubers
This thread in Ravelry’s group blknbrwnknits listing BIPOC crafters, dyers and designers
I do not claim any rights to these photos - I was granted permission by each of these individuals to use their photos for the purpose of this directory. All photo rights are reserved by the respective individuals.
The farms are not listed in any particular order. There are additional farms listed below for whom I don’t have photos - follow their links to see what they have to offer. I only added farms to the list who self-identified as a member of the BIPOC community either publicly or directly to myself when I asked in a forum.
If you are Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color who owns or operates a farm that raises wool sheep, alpacas, angora goats or other fiber-producing animals, you sell your raw fiber or fiber products directly to consumers, and you would like to be added to this directory, please reach out to me! I will continue to keep my eye out and search for any BIPOC-owned farms that I may have missed, and continue to actively update this list.
Tarheelbilly Farm
“We are a small farm located in Southern Ohio, the rolling hills of the Appalachian range. After much deliberation and several farm visits, we decided to raise Old Style American Tunis Sheep, a breed on the Livestock Conservancy List. Our sheep are raised the old fashioned way, and they thrive on our rotationally grazed pasture. Charis, a North Carolina native, is the Tarheel in Tarheelbilly Farm. She is the chief animal manager and shepherd. A self-taught spinner, she also knits and weaves, and shears the flock. Our award-winning fleeces are sold to fiber aficionados far and wide. The wool is then processed into lovely roving and yarn.”
Sheep breeds: Tunis
Ballyhoo Farm
“At Ballyhoo Farm, we pride ourselves on our stewardship of history, tradition, land, and animals. Our primary focus is producing high quality wool sheep. Other heritage animals on our farm include Sebastopol geese, several breeds of chickens, Alpine goats, and the oldest domesticated animal in the Americas: the Muscovy duck. Our dedication to raising heritage breeds stems from our belief that tradition, history, and conservation matters. Our animals teach us, provide for us, entertain us, and help us educate others. Our products have a story, and YOU are part of it.”
Sheep breeds: Icelandic, Wensleydale, Border Leicester, Finn, Gotland, and Shetland
Riversong Shetland Sheep
Jayde SylverWolf
Jayde is a multi-talented multi-skilled fiber artist and fiber provider, who does all forms of fiber crafting and some wood working. She enjoys knitting (most) as well crochet, spinning, cross-stitch, embroidery, tatting, and sewing. She also makes jewelry and stitch markers. Jayde lives off grid on the Navajo reservation, where she raises Navajo Churro sheep. “I'm highly blessed to live where I do on the Navajo reservation. I am Navajo mix. Nakai Dine.”
Check out her ravelry post on processing Churro fleece!
Sheep breeds: Navajo churro
Prado de Lana Sheep Farm
“Prado de Lana (translation Wool Meadow) is a family run sheep farm specializing in wool products from our Romney, Lincoln Longwool, and CVM/Romeldale sheep. We are the Barcenas family - Amanda, Alberto, Sammy, and Noelia. Agriculture and sustainable living have always been something of importance to us. From our organic garden to our free - range chickens, sheep were the perfect livestock for our family. Not only would this be an awesome business adventure for us, but it would create unforgettable memories and learning opportunities for our children.
All of our sheep are grass fed on lush pastures right in the heart of the Southern Berkshire County, MA. We plan to add other species of heritage and rare breeds to our farm, as well.”
Sheep breeds: Romney, Lincoln Longwool, CVM/Romeldale
Dot Ranch
“Here at Dot Ranch, we pride ourselves on our stewardship of both land and animal. We raise some of the oldest breeds of domesticated animals in all the Americas. The central focus of our ranch is the oldest breed of domesticated sheep in America, the Navajo-Churro Sheep. We also raise one of the oldest goat breeds, Navajo Angora Goats, and the second oldest chicken of the United States, the Mottled Java. Our ducks are the oldest domesticated animal in the Americas, Muscovy Ducks, and we also breed the venerable Irish Dexter Cattle. We choose to work with heritage breeds instead of more common, modern production bred animals because we believe that ranching is about more than just the bottom line, it's about history, conservation, and preserving the spirit of the American West. There's more to our animals than RFID tags and recorded weights, there's a sense of connection that only comes from daily and intensely personal interaction.”
On Instagram, the owner describes themselves as “Disabled combat vet, rancher, mother, Indigenous, smartass, half-ass philosopher, coffee drinker, and occasionally artistic in the laziest of ways.”
Also, I’d like to point to their philosophy page on their website for some additional history education.
Fiber breeds: Navajo Churro sheep and Navajo Angora goats
Local Color Farm & Fiber
“Local Color Farm and Fiber is owned and operated by Emily Tzeng and Brian Love. We grow food, flowers, and fiber. We live and farm in the Puyallup River Valley of Washington and are excited to be growing fresh vegetables, heritage breed lamb, and naturally dyed fibers for your family. We recognize the land we have the privilege of stewarding is stolen from the Puyallup Tribe. We believe that nutrient dense, colorfully diverse, and culturally appropriate foods should be available for everyone and are actively seeking ways to make this possible in our community.”
Sheep breeds: Finnsheep
Snake Mountain Ranch
“Snake Mountain Ranch is a small farm located in the foothills of the North Cascades, just 15 minutes from downtown Bellingham, Washington. SMR also utilizes private grazing contracts on different Whatcom county parcels. Female-owned and operated by Alexandra Machado, Snake Mountain Ranch was founded in 2018. Alex was raised in the Metro-Detroit area of Michigan and relocated to the west coast in 2016 to learn more about regenerative agriculture and holistic management through internships, workshops, and mentorship. Alex is a welder/fabricator, working on obtaining her Associates Degree in Welding and Fabrication Technology from Bellingham Technical College. Alex is a multiracial Cuban-Nicaraguan-Midwest Indigenous woman, passionate about migrant farm-worker's rights, land trusts, food sovereignty, and diversity & equality in agriculture. Her mission is to honor the land and it’s living organisms, big and small, by being a responsible steward and shepherd; to uphold Indigenous values and tradition through the preservation of the Navajo-Churro breed, the oldest breed of domesticated sheep in America; and to contribute and connect with our local community through conservation, food sovereignty, and equality.”
Sheep breeds: Navajo Churro
Nikyle Wes
Nikyle is Diné and raises Navajo sheep on the reservation in Ganado, AZ. They are also a weaver and have been for almost all of their life. To quote Nikyle: “No other wool makes a long lasting blanket like the wool from Navajo sheep.”
They've since started a co-op for Navajo Churro fleece, which you can find here.
Check out Nikyle and other Diné weavers on Weaving the Future.
Sheep breeds: Navajo Churro
The Knotty Kat
Kat Chang is not a provider - YET. However, she definitely has plans to be one (in the next 2 years or so, fingers crossed), and currently has three angora bunnies. So I’m adding her to this list as a future-fiber-provider-to-be so you may follow her, give her support, and help her grow her future fiber family customers who’ll be ready to snatch all that lovely fiber up once it’s available.
Fiber breeds: Angora bunnies
“High Hog Farm is a small, sustainable family farm located in Grayson, GA. The farm is a space to cultivate connection with the land, food, and community. Our commitment is to nurture whole people and build relationships which honor the earth, self, and one another through skill-sharing, cooperation and collaboration. We believe agriculture and traditional foodways practices are tools which can uplift, reflect, honor, and celebrate the diverse identities, cultures, and geographies represented in our community. Today, our farm’s evolving ecosystem provides local communities with quality food, food- and land-based education, and support for an equitable food system.”
Sheep breeds: Jacob and Gulf Coast Native
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Amanda is a farm manager in the Catskills and a fiber artist, as well as a spinolution dealer. She sells dyed, carded batts as well as her own handmade soaps.
Website | Instagram | Youtube | Patreon (for spinners and fiber processing)
Alaskan fiber cooperative run by 250 Indigenous women from remote villages all along the Alaskan coast that specializes in goods and fiber made from Qiviut (downy soft underwool of the Alaskan Musk Ox). This underwool is shed naturally every year in the spring. You can find fiber and yarn in limited amounts under the “cap kits and gifts” category.
Fiber breed: Qiviut
“Middle Brook Fiberworks grew out of the pure joy of creating and sharing creative fiber arts endeavors with others. MBF offers a line of products, from handspun yarn to all-natural lotion bars, as well as classes in its teaching studio. Every product we offer embodies passionate dedication to create items that are unique and delightful, with a focus on sourcing materials that are local, sustainable, and pure.”
They’re also a Schacht dealer.
Sheep breeds: Shetland
These sheep aren’t livestock, they’re pets (though many farmers with larger flocks would tell you they care for their flocks like an extended family)! Although not bred for wool, they are sheared, and the wool is processed into yarn. Farm based out of Petaluma, California.
Sheep breeds: mixed-breed, including Leicester Longwool, California Red
Image credit for cover and SEO image: Photo by Lachlan Gowen on Unsplash
