About SkyLines Farm Handspinning Fleeces Prepared Fibers SkyLines Philosophy Management Practices Photo of the Day-Week-Month Links & Resources Contact SkyLines HOME

Links you may find interesting Cultivating Success This is a joint program of The University of Idaho, Washington State University, and Rural Roots. The Cultivating Success program offers classes and on-farm apprenticeships to help promote small-scale sustainable agriculture. I've been a presenter every year since 2005 for Cultivating Success classes, workshops, webinars & farm tours. I am also accredited as a certified Farmer-Mentor through Cultivating Success. Explore a SkyLines Farm Apprenticeship. Julie's Handspun Yarns Julie's a good friend, and I just have to share her work with you. Julie dyes, spins, and weaves with energy and artistry. She turns SkyLines wool and other wool into gorgeous, one-of-a-kind rovings and yarns. On Pasture This is an excellent resource for hands-on, professional grazing information. Most contributors to this site are actual working farmers & ranchers, drawing on years of practical experience raising cattle, sheep, and sometimes poultry & hogs. The primary emphasis is on cattle, but grazing principles are the same across most species. American Romney Breeders Association Sustainable Farming Connection The Alan Savory Center for Holistic Management Healing Hooves LLC Healing Hooves provides landowners with an innovative (though actually ancient) method of controlling noxious weeds. Owner Craig Madsen contracts with landowners to bring his 200+ goats onto their land for short periods of time, where they happily graze down unwanted vegetation. This is a great way for landowners to reduce fire hazards, remove undesirable vegatation, control weeds without chemicals, and get their land fertilized naturally all at the same time! I first met Craig when he purchased the SkyLines cashmere goats to add to his working herd, and I was impressed with his grazing knowledge and his dedication to providing the best possible life for his animals. Other resources - some of my favorite books & publications The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable, Juliete de Bairacli Levy, originally published in Britain (1952), and hard to find for quite a while. Just about every organic or natural livestock owner I know has this book on their shelves. The first and still one of the best. She has also written an herbal handbook for dogs and cats. I recently saw both books listed in the Acres USA book catalog (see below). Acres USA, A Voice for Eco-Agriculture. A journal of sustainable agriculture, published for more than 30 years. My introduction to the field of sustainable agriculture, I've read it for years. www. acresusa.com. 800/355-5313. The Stockman Grass Farmer, the Grazier's Edge. Published since 1947, this is a terrific monthly publication dealing with the issues involved in raising ruminant animals on grass. Packed with facts, figures, producer profiles, and inspiration. Just like Acres USA above, I read every issue cover to cover the day it arrives. 800/748-9808 www.stockmangrassfarmer.com. Organic Livestock Handbook, a project of Canadian Organic Growers Inc. This book provides an excellent introduction for anybody interested in raising livestock by organic methods. It covers general principles as well as specific management tools for problems like internal parasites, manure management, low-stress handling, etc. Animals covered include sheep, dairy cows, beef cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, rabbits, work horses, and honey bees. My own experience with raising sheep organically since 1992 agrees with most of the findings presented here. Worth a look if you're just starting out in organic production. 613/231-9047; www.cog.ca. Weeds, Control Without Poisons. Written by the founder and editor of Acres USA, Charles Walters. Listing hundreds of weeds alphabetically, this inspiring book describes the soil makeup, pH, chemistry, and environmental conditions that encourage growth of that particular weed. It argues that we can often eliminate or reduce weeds by simply altering those conditions, rather than attacking the plants with poisons. Yeah! Acres USA 800/355-5313. Cows Eat Weeds - How to Turn Your Cows Into Weed Managers Kathy Voth. Brilliant, and her training approach really works! livestockforlandscapes.com Small-Scale Livestock Farming, a Grass-Based Approach for Health, Sustainability and Profit. Carol Ekarius. Very useful resource for aspiring or beginning grass farmers. storey.com Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle Heather Smith Thomas. Excellent starter book for raising cattle. story.com Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs Kelly Klober. Another terrific starter book from Storey Publishing. storey.com. Raising Sheep the Modern Way. This was the first sheep book that I bought, and my original copy is dog-eared, stained with iodine, and has spent many a cold night out in the barn with me during my early years of lambing. Well over 100,000 copies sold. A must for beginners. Paula Simmons. storey.com. Update: Revised edition called Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep, even better now, edited by Carol Ekarius & Paula Simmons. Managing Your Ewe and Lamb Problems. These two books are also excellent resources, and provide detailed diagnostic tools for most common ewe and lamb problems. Laura Lawson, LDF Publications. 800/258-6992. The Sheep Book. This book offers very thorough coverage of the entire shepherding process, arranged by season from flushing through weaning. Verterinarian and shepherd Ron Parker has years of experience with sheep and is able to communicate that accumulated knowledge in a clear, easy-to-read style. Swallow Press/Ohio University Press. Also available through Acres USA Books, 800/355-5313. More Sheep, More Grass, More Money. In recent years, I find myself referring to this little book again and again, as I evolve from a small, intensive, barnyard flock of sheep into a mature pasture-based sheep operation. This book is packed with more practical, down-to-earth sheep grazing advice than I've ever found in any one place. Peter Schroedter, Ramshead Publishing, Ltd. Moosehorn, Manitoba, Canada. May be tough to find but worth the effort. Natural Sheep Care. Austrialian shepherd Pat Coleby is one of the few to take the radical position that the key to successfully raising sheep by organic/natural methods is simply to keep them healthy in the first place with superior nutrition. She puts great emphasis on providing proper feed and also mineralizing soils. I do tend to question her specific recommendations for soil mineral supplementation just because of the difference in soils between Australia and the US. However, I recommend this book highly anyway, as a major step forward in changing our national thinking about keeping animals healthy. She makes it sound as easy as (in my experience) it really is! Acres USA Books, 800/355-5313. The Farmer's Dog. This book is full of good, practical advice for me, very helpful as I searched for the perfect herding dog to help me with the SkyLines animals. It has a lot of information on the nature of herding dogs, how to pick the right one for your situation, and how to teach her to be a useful member of the family once she gets here. John Holmes. Distributed in North America by Diamond Farm Book Publishers, Ontario, Canada. -------------------------------- KNITTING BOOKS. I've been spinning for years, but finally learned to knit just recently. Three beautiful books that I started out with were instant favorites and now live on my end table so I can see them and be inspired on a daily basis: Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle. Gorgeous! Will I have time to make all of my favorites in this lifetime? Twisted Sisters Sock Book. Lynn Vogel. Beautiful photos! Wonderfully written! Great ideas! Homespun, Handknit Caps, Socks, Mittens & Gloves. Linda Ligon. Ooh! One beautiful photo and pattern after another. Ditto above re can I make them all in this lifetime?     Home - Back to Top SkyLines Farm 4551 Highway 6 Harvard, ID 83834 Purebred Romney and Romney-Cross Sheep