We will begin each morning of Shepherdess Camp by gathering to share our experiences and learn from each other. Each shepherdess brings a valuable and unique knowledge of what has succeeded and failed within their flock, and each participant has curiosities and important questions. We aim to cultivate a safe space to ask questions, tell stories, and offer support. Each Shepherdess Circle will start with an opening question and give an opportunity for everyone to speak to the question, share an experience, or ask follow-up questions. 

 Join shepherdess, Joy Miller, for an introduction to the Driftless Curiosity flock. Learn about Babydoll, Jacobs, Icelandic, and cross breeds of sheep within her flock, as well as Nigerian Dwarf and Angora goats. Joy will discuss the purpose, temperment, and other qualities of the members of her flock. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with different breeds throughout the weekend to learn which animal may be the best fit for their land and purpose.   

Have you ever wanted to ask a veterinarian about your sheep questions? This session is an opportunity to satisfy your curiosity! Dr. Nora McLaughlin from Cashton Veterinary Clinic will talk about some of the most common areas of care she comes across for homestead flocks – hoof care, minerals, deworming, and lambing. Then we’ll take questions from the group. Learn what you can do to manage the health of your flock, measures you can take before you call the vet, and when it is time to ask the professionals for help. 

  In this session, co-owner of Ewetopia,  Kathryn Ashley-Wright, will teach participants about commercial fiber farming, fiber processing, and marketing wool products. She will give participants a tour of the mill, demonstrating the fiber processing, followed by a class on washing and skirting wool. If you are curious about producing fiber for the local market, you will not want to miss this part of the program! Kathryn is an amazing advocate, knowledgable mentor, and a wealth of knowledge for the curious shepherdess. 

In this hands-on learning session, join the shepherdess team and learn how to setup electronet fencing and move the flock to a fresh paddock to graze. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of bringing animals onto new grass, but it can also be grounds for entanglement and frustration, so we hope this session will teach you some skills, give you some practice, and build your confidence in mobile fencing and moving your flock. 

 Join shepherdess, Rachel Parker, from Parker Hill Century Farmstead to learn about her flock management. We celebrate the reality that all farms, farmers, and flocks are unique, and each of our management styles as shepherdesses will reflect that. That’s why we want to highlight some of the women in our community to learn what works for them to discover what may (or may not) work for us. Rachel manages a small flock of 10 ewes and has experience with organic practices, rotational grazing, fiber production, meat production, and direct marketing in her on-farm store, FarmerSown, which participants will have the opportunity to visit. She has a lifetime of experience raising animals and is wealth of knowledge for the sheep-curious.  

Bringing new baby animals into the world is one of the highlights of the shepherdess life. In this session, join shepherdess, Mary Peters, to learn how she manages breeding and lambing on her family farm. Each farmer approaches breeding and lambing a little differently depending on their land, infrastructure, breed, and philosophy, and we can all learn from each other. We’re excited to highlight how Mary manages lambing season with her flock of 70 ewes, including Babydolls and Texels. This shepherdess grew up showing sheep at the fair and has a great eye for selecting breeding traits. She primarily raises sheep for meat production. 

In this session, we’ll answer one of the most common questions for a new shepherdess and tell you what we keep in our lambing kits. Shepherdesses Mary Peters, Rachel Parker, and Joy Miller will open up their lambing kits to share what they have found to be the most important tools, supplies, and medications to have on hand when lambing begins. Participants can draw from the experience and management style of each shepherdess to make a list of supplies that will be important for their particular flock.    

In this hands-on, small group session, participants will team up with our shepherdess instructors to learn the basics of a flock footcare. Instructors will demonstrate how to handle, hold, and trim back hooves for foot health and comfortable walking. Then participants will be invited to practice. Learning this skill will help new shepherdesses keep their sheep on their feet so they can do their important work of eating grass.

Sheep are an amazing multipurpose animal that can produce fiber, milk, and meat. In this session, join shepherdesses, Rachel Parker and Mary Peters to learn some of the basics of raising sheep for meat. They’ll cover a range of topics based on participants’ curiosity including lambing timing, feeding, body condition, licensing, food safety laws, direct marketing, and the importance of making an appointment with the butcher way ahead of time. 

We’ll end Friday and Saturday of Shepherdess Camp with a bonfire and knitting circle. Bring whatever project you may be working on or start a new project. It doesn’t have to be knitting. We will have some fiber arts supplies available from Ewetopia for us to play with. Not a fiber artist? No worries. Join the bonfire and socialize with some kindrid spirits.

The Driftless Curiosity flock of 9 ewes will begin lambing on March 23rd, 2025, and if all goes well, we should have some lambs of weaning age for sale at the Shepherdess Camp.

Lambs for sale may include: 

Purebred Babydoll ram lambs or wethers

Jacobs/Icelandic cross lambs 

BFL/Babydoll/Icelandic cross lambs

Texel/BFL/Icelandic cross lambs

Purebred Icelandic ram lambs may be available in June.

Email joy@driftlesscuriosity.org if you are interested in lambs for sale.