My vet recently dropped by while I had clear bags of recently sheared wool piled in one corner, salted skins laid out to dry and stacks of empty boxes, stamped with our logo, waiting for lambshares to be packed into them. It was early October and as the flock has grown larger this season has become busier. She mentioned that she’d never thought about how many products one flock could yield and was intrigued by the many possibilities surrounding a three purpose breed of sheep. Personally, I feel an Icelandic flock can keep you as busy harvesting, making, producing and selling as you can handle. What I refer to as the ‘Fall Harvest‘ can be as layered as you wish.
Our flock was at 68 over the summer and is down to 50. It will shrink a bit more before winter, but remain close to that number. I decided to send out our sheepskins for the first time. This means the tanning won’t be on my shoulders, but the prepping of that many skins is still a lot of work. In place of tanning, I’m pouring energy into the fiber and expanding my skills in the hopes of showing others more possibilities for the use of the wool. It’s been fun but the skirting, weaving, knitting, felting and dyeing when done in large batches is also a commitment. Then there is the soap, lotion, balm, and candles that can be produced from the milk and tallow. I won’t be doing anything with milk, but I am expanding the use of tallow.
So to answer your question (and excuse my slow replies) Fall Harvest makes for a busy barn, kitchen, den… truthfully the number of ventures can expand exponentially based on your time, energy and hustle. Skulls are also another area where many people are finding a market, both for plain and painted decor. I’ve seen people also create buttons and other items from the horns. A flock of Icelandic sheep is capable of providing many products.
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