Providence Wool
About the Farm
I’ve always loved the idea of sheep.
The fluffy, sweet, innocent animals of bible stories and nursery rhymes.
For three years we were blessed to live in North Yorkshire, England surrounded by fields of sheep. This led to many wonderful experiences and memories of the local sheep. I remember one morning when five of the neighbor’s sheep escaped their field and wandered into my garden, so our yard was suddenly filled with fluffy creatures. I spent the day trying to locate their home while they enjoyed the new grass. Or the first time I saw twins being born in the field across the road, watching from my living room window. Or the time I rescued a sheep who had gotten stuck on its back in a nearby field. Even with exciting moments, it was tranquil, peaceful, perfect living surrounded by sheep and I wanted my own.
Skip forward a few years and back to the US we had the opportunity to buy a small farm in our hometown in southeast Kentucky and with it the dream of having our own tranquil, peaceful, perfect farm filled with sweet, fluffy sheep was born.
So maybe that was a little naive. It turns out farming can be exhausting, messy, dirty, and frustrating! Despite the challenges, it has been a truly rewarding experience. In the midst of some of that hard stuff the name “Providence Wool” was inspired. Providence is the foreseeing care and guidance of God over the creatures of the earth.
That’s us!
God has provided even when we didn’t know what we needed, blessed beyond imagination, and given peace in the craziest moments.
Now here we are… a small flock of spoiled fleece sheep, six chickens, a couple pet pups who rule the yard, a barn cat who rules the barn, and me overseeing the lot of ‘em.
Providence Wool
Our Sheep
The first family of sheep arrived at Providence Wool in 2018. They were a combination of Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) and Border Leicester sheep, in addition to one lovely girl who is half Wensleydale. We quickly learned that they each had their own unique personalities.
Mary, a Border Leicester, was the matriarch of the barnyard and the mother of Crumpet, who has a sweet face and a constantly dirty fleece. I don’t know how she does it.
Georgie, our elder wether and a Border Leicester/BFL cross is a gentle, long-suffering giant. He has so often put up with being the companion for a youngster in need of isolation and company. He takes it all in stride.
Also a BL/BFL cross, Olivia, our third elder has such a precious personality. She loves cuddles and belly scratches. Her two daughters, Nicole, our black (also called natural) sheep with the most gorgeous fleece and Sandy, who is half Wensleydale.
Sandy may be our most unique ewe. Early on, when I was sitting in the barn one day and trying to get to know the sheep, I noticed Sandy at the water trough. She was swirling her nose in the water and then stepping back and watching the ripples. I have no idea what goes on in her head.
And finally, a beautiful ewe named Blossom who has the most sensitive nature. She always seems to know when I need her to come up for a snuggle.
We had our hands full learning what it means to shepherd a flock of sheep.
Though our goal was to have a small fiber flock, there was still an urge to experience lambing at least once. Can you really be a shepherd without the experience of breeding and bringing new lambs into the world?
That led to a trip to Michigan to pick up a BFL/Teeswater cross ram lamb in the summer of 2020. We named him Teddy. We had heard nightmare stories of rams and were braced for all the drama, but it turned out Teddy was a sweetheart. I often warn people, he’s not a ram but more like a Great Dane puppy. You don’t want him to knock you over in his playful antics.
That autumn we bred Teddy with Sandy and Blossom. Then in the spring of 2021, Sandy lambed triplets, Susan, Lucy, and Peter. A week later Blossom gave birth to Edmund. All four of the ‘lambs’ are friendly.
Susan is a little shyer than the others with the cutest bangs and face, making her look like a Disney princess sheep. Lucy is tall and lanky like her mother and very curious. Peter has taken over the role of flock leader in making decisions about when to come and go to the pasture. Edmund’s life started out rough. The birth was hard and bonding a struggle but after we worked out some issues, Edmund and Blossom became family. Edmund may play with his siblings, but his mom is always his favorite. He is quiet, a little timid, and always sweet.
Two years later in the spring of 2023 we got two black bottle lambs from a nearby farm. Since Nicole hadn’t had a lamb we were looking to add more natural color fleeces to the flock. These two, Digory and Polly have been quite an adventure. Digory is one mischievous little guy and Polly is always by his side.
Each of the breeds of sheep that we have at Providence Wool are Longwools originated in England and are especially good for hand spinning and fine yarn work. The Bluefaced Leicester also known as BFL is renowned for its luster and silkiness with a gorgeous sheen. Teeswater and Wensleydale locks are very similar, long and wavy, hanging individually without clumping. Border Leicester wool is known for its versatility, luster, and texture. These breeds combined make for some truly gorgeous fleeces. They also make for some very sweet, bright, and interesting personalities in the barnyard.
Follow along on our blog to see what the flock is up to at Providence Wool!