At Whitefish Bay Farm, you will find a quiet and relaxing corner of Door County. Here, we raise white and naturally colored Corriedale sheep using sustainable agricultural practices. Pictures of the farm can be seen at Farm Images , pictures of the sheep can be seen at Sheep Images .

Corriedale sheep are best known for their wool qualities which are wonderful for handspinning making a soft, lofty yarn. We sell our wool directly to handspinners, felters and other fiber artists. If you are interested in buying wool from us, look at our Fleece page . Our sheep wear covers, we call them jackets, all year. The jackets keep the wool especially clean and also prevent sun bleaching. Our sheep graze new sections of pasture each day so morning begins with moving portable electric fencing to create a fresh paddock for them to graze that day. They rotate through approximately 17 acres of permanent pasture. This process is called management intensive grazing.

A typical year in the life of our sheep begins in mid October when we separate the ewes into different groups based on age, color, and genetics. Each group is then placed with one of our rams and the breeding season begins. The rams wear a harness with a crayon on it so that when they mount the ewes they leave a mark. Each day in the morning and again in the evening we check on each group and record the markings -- then we know that in approximately 150 days the ewe will have her lambs.

The breeding period extends until mid-November when we bring the sheep into and around the barn for the winter season. By this time, the ewes should all be pregnant. The rams return to bachelor quarters until needed again the following fall.

The time from mid-November until the end of February is a quiet time. The sheep are busy eating, sleeping, and growing their lambs. We are busy spinning and weaving their wool into wonderful items for the art gallery.

At the end of February our shearer visits the farm and shears all of the sheep. Our shearer was trained in New Zealand and does an excellent job of shearing -- no nicks on the sheep and the fleece in one piece with no small bits in it. We immediately take off any of the wool that is dirty or stained and place the remaining fleece in a bag labeled with the name of the sheep.  (If you are a handspinner or fiber artist, look at our Fleece listing for information about our mailing list and ordering.)

Beginning in mid March and extending until early April, the ewes are having their lambs. This time is hectic for us as we try to be present for all births. Our ewes are excellent mothers and usually do not need our help but there is always the chance that a problem may develop. In late April or early May, depending on the grass growth, the ewes and lambs are placed on pasture.

In May, we also prepare for our Door County Shepherds' Market held each year the Saturday and Sunday before the Memorial Day weekend. This event is a joint effort by members of the Door County Sheep and Goat Raisers and involves the Arachne Spinning Guild along with other Door County fiber artists. It is open to the public and, in addition to selling wool and mohair, the group also sells handspun yarn, handwoven, hand knit, and felted items and other fiber related products. For more details look at the Shepherds' Market page.

The sheep spend the rest of the summer eating and sleeping. The lambs grow to market weight or are sold to other producers as breeding stock. We keep several of "the best" for our own flock.