The Martha's Vineyard Times

Warm weather brings out larger flock to 2nd annual Sheepapalooza

By Tony Omer
April 25, 2012

Photo by Ralph Stewart

Andy Rice demonstrated shearing the winter coat off a sheep to an interested group. [More Photos]

The second annual Sheepapalooza on Saturday at The FARM Institute in Katama brought a crowd at least four times larger than last year's, according to farm manager Julie Olson. "It was huge," she said. "I think the warm sunny day helped. We were happy that everyone seemed to have fun."

The day began at 9 am with morning chores, followed by a day of all things sheep. The FARM's 35 sheep and 27 lambs were the main feature.

There were demonstrations showing how sheep wool becomes a sweater. Andy Rice sheared the sheep. Attendees were encouraged to help with a range of fiber arts including spinning, weaving, dyeing, and felting. Lunch included FARM Institute burgers and lamb sausage as well as greens from the greenhouses.

The FARM Institute offers a range of teaching programs on the farm from adult programs to after-school and weekend programs for children and extensive summer programs for children 2 to 15 years old. Visit their website at www.farminstitute.org for more information.