Showcasing fiber, other arts
The Boston Globe - November 9 2006
The morning routine at Iron Horse Farm starts with 32 llamas, 56 sheep, 50 chickens, 20 angora goats, eight angora rabbits, seven cats, and five dogs. That's how many mouths Deborah and Skip Smith have to feed before they head off to their "real" jobs -- or turn to other tasks, like the Fiber/Art Festival Deborah will host in Sherborn this weekend."We didn't really plan on this," said Smith, 51, explaining that she and her husband purchased their 3-acre -- and at the time animal-free -- farm in Sherborn in 1989 as a home at which Skip could base his landscaping business.
But Deborah Smith, a neonatal nurse, had been an avid knitter since she was a child. So, when Skip brought home two Angora rabbits for her in 1993, she figured she could find the time to raise the little critters for wool.
[...]As their livestock count and wool supply grew, Smith evolved into a promoter of all things related to fiber arts. She held knitting, spinning, and felting classes. She organized a co-op of 24 local fiber artisans. In 2002, the Smiths converted their barn into a shop selling the co-op's wares, wool from the farm, and fresh eggs. Smith runs it during the day while keeping her hospital shifts at night. [more]
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