February Newsletter - Rich and Waiting
- Julie Payne
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
Cherry Cocoa Sourdough Special! This month I'm baking a cocoa sourdough with tart cherries - rich, balanced, and gently sweet. The chocolate flavor is deep and earthy, and the cherries brighten every bite. Available in limited batches throughout February.
Upcoming Fiber Workshop for Children: Feb 28th 1pm-2:30pm
Bringing the farm to your neighborhood. This unique, hands-on workshop introduces children to the full process of wool - from raw fleece to finished fiber. Students will learn how sheep's wool is cleaned and prepared, try their hand at wool combing and drum carding, and experience the transformation from fleece to fiber in an indoor studio setting. Each child will also have the opportunity to try the spinning wheel and see firsthand how twist turn fiber into yarn.
Together, we will create:
A collaborative class-made art batt ( each child will take a portion home)
A wool bird-nesting outdoor ornament
This 90-minute workshop is designed to be informative, tactile, and creative.
Children under 8 must have a parent present, as we will be working with real fiber equipment.
Space is limited to 8 students. Registration is available on my website.
Honey, I have some news.......
This month brought three cups with blue lines --- Sparkles and Opal clearly positive, and little Starlet showing a faint, hopeful line of her own. We're cautiously optimistic.
In total, there are nine ewes who may potentially lamb this spring. Nine chances for wobbly legs, soft bleats, and a pasture that feels suddenly alive again.
Sparkles and Opal, our beautiful Valais Blacknose girls, have both bred with a Harlequin ram, and I'm especially excited to see what their lambs - and their fleece - may look like. The bold markings and softness of the Blacknose paired with the variation and character of the Harlequin could create something truly beautiful and unexpected.
In The Studio
This winter, I finally taught myself to spin. There's something deeply satisfying about drafting fiber between your fingers - the steady pull, the twist, the moment wool becomes yarn. I leaned heavily on a few generous YouTube teachers to get started (what a gift the internet can be!), and after a few uneven attempts, something finally clicked.
I've also been back at the easel, working on new canvases and exploring color more boldly than before. Much of that shift is thanks to my art mentor, Ken Elliott, who has helped me see light and color in an entirely new way.
I first came to him through a friend's referral when I realized I was craving greater depth, richer color, and a cleaner understanding of how light truly works. What I've gained is not just a technique, but a deeper sensitivity to light itself.
For those interested in studying this approach to color and landscape, you can visit his website: www.kenelliott.com
Beyond being a gifted painter, he is a generous teacher and a dear friend.
She Tends The Quiet
She does not raise her voice to be heard.
She stands in the field, and the sheep come.
Wool in her hands. Wind through the fence line.
Animals who recognize steadiness and stay near it.
She is not trying to build a legend.
She is learning how to remain.
This book began as a story of survival. It is becoming something else - a record of a woman who chose not to disappear inside her own life. A woman who found her warmth again in the tending of small, living things.
The shaping continues.....
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