More about Landmade.  We were thrilled at the number of creative, enthusiastic people that came throughout the day, who seemed eager to meet the farms.  Guild members, novices, professionals, knitting club members, there was such an interesting cross-section of people coming through the doors.  And it was impossible not to admire the hand-made sweaters and coats, hats and legwarmers.  Even UCFS co-founder Becky's baby rocked a natural fibre look.  At the end of the day, I think all the farms shared the same sense of gratitude at the support of so many.

We were also blessed by the involvement of others - Bree Zorel spearheaded a super knit-in and had folks dropping in all day to knit (and shop.... Thanks Bree, for loving our grey Lopi).  Spinners shared the stage and even taught Rob Scott (OSMA chair) the finer points of spinning. The stage was a creative hive all day, with guild members and strangers coming together to make and talk.  
We had tremendous support from the local guilds and from Woodstock Fleece Festival.  The fact that they shared the news with their membership helped us get the word out.  Nicole Klenk is also a great friend to wool farmers everywhere. Thanks also to the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners eblast for sharing, too.  The support that family and friends gave via their own social media was also invaluable. 
The Upper Canada Fibreshed is run by an amazing group of dedicated women who work tireless to promote the environmental, social and economic benefits of sustainable fibre production.  And The Peggy Sue Collection, Upper Canada Weaving and the Upper Canada Merchantile are all examples of putting belief into action.
If you were there and would like to reach out to the farms, or missed it and would like to track them down,  here is the list in order of Sunday's setup:  Rampart Farm and Wool Mill, Circle R Livestock, Twin Oaks Farm, Lickety Spit Fibre Farm, All Sorts Acres, The Alpaca Stop at Stone Spindle Farm, The Common Good, Freelton Fibre Mill, Linc Farm with Canadian Comfort Alpacas and On the Brink Alpacas.
This won't be the last Landmade.  Discussions are under way as to when to arrange the next one.  In the meantime, all of these farms and makers and people can be reached via the UCFS (www.uppercanadafibreshed.ca) or facebook. 

Yesterday we held our first "Landmade", in partnership with the Upper Canada Fibreshed.  This was an event where 9 farms (including ours) setup tables at the Gladstone Hotel and trucked in fleeces, roving, yarn, batts, felt and skins... any kind of raw material that a knitter / crocheter / spinner /weaver / felter might want.  It was an opportunity for the farms to shine - for the farmers (who were all women yesterday) to be able to show off the fibre that we all work so hard to produce.  Even though the UCFS has members who are makers (including Canadian Ewe who also produces lovely yarn), I had always conceived of this event as one where all of the vendors started on equal footing:  the farm.
We farms go to events to sell our products and we are often part of a crowd that includes businesses (mills without livestock, wholesalers etc), and makers who purchase the raw materials for their products.  I have always felt that the reality (and the voice) of the farms can't be heard within the variety of the crowd.  So I wanted to give these women the opportunity to proudly show off their prize fleeces and their handspun yarn that was created from the fleece of a favourite ewe or alpaca.  To lay out the roving that was blended based on her judgement of which of her animals would spin well together.  To display the milled yarn that reflects the consideration and imagination she gave to the fineness of various fleeces long before shearing even happened.   
When fibre farmers are amongst their flocks / herds, we don't just see the animal.  We see the future fibre that will be sheared at some point by a shearer who understands the value in that fleece.  We consider the nutrition that goes into supporting the growth of exceptional fibre.  We dream of the results that careful breeding can bring in expressing lovely fineness and structure of fibre.  When a fibre farmer is in amongst her herd / flock, she can't help but touch the fleeces to judge the softness, the consistency, length.  We look at our animals and dream of yarn.
So Landmade was an opportunity to share that belief and commitment and enthusiasm.  The roving that our spinners and felters buy and the yarn that our knitters, crocheters and weavers take home represents the responsibility and hard work that goes into being a fibre farmer.  It all reflects long hours in the barn during lambing, days of hay moving and poo shovelling.  It reflects harsh realities and gentle, quiet moments.  It is a relentless struggle and a constant joy.  So when you buy the fibre and hear the story of this ewe or that alpaca, you can touch the relationship to the land and the living creature that produced this amazing product, first hand.