The Big E and the National Lincoln Show are approaching quickly! Dad got all 8 sheep washed last week, and Jenny and I worked on fitting them this Sunday. I don't get to the fair until Friday evening and with the show starting first thing Saturday morning at 8am, we figured we'd start the fitting process at home. It actually was much nicer than fitting at the show with people all around and the sheep nervous! The only observers we had were our chickens who really weren't too interested in what we were doing. We got their bellies sheared (which helps them look taller and longer), and quite a bit of trimming done. We will still have to do some final trimming the morning of the show, but the hardest parts are out of the way. Sorry about the picture quality below... we only had a cell phone out in the barn with us.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how the flock we are taking looks, and I am looking forward to seeing how we'll do this weekend!

And if you won't be in Massachusetts like us this weekend, you should attend the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival in Hemlock, NY!

I just wanted to notify everyone of a great educational event coming up this month at Cornell University. Previously, Cornell has annually held the NY Sheep and Goat Symposium in October. For reasons I'm not sure of, this event will not be happening this year, but will be replaced by the "Cornell Sheep and Goat Management Day".

This will be a one day event located at Morrison Hall and the Livestock Pavilion on the Cornell University Campus in Ithaca. The date is Saturday, September 21st, with an optional evening program Friday, September 20th.

Friday will begin with a cheesemaking workshop, Goat/Sheep bowl for youth, and "Basic Health and Management for Goats and Sheep", taught by Dr. Michael Thonney who is the sheep professor at Cornell.

Saturday will have three different tracts geared towards 1) the 12 year-old and under crowd, 2) the teen crowd, 3) adults. 

I highly encourage anyone who is involved in goats and sheep (especially 4-H members) to attend. Not only are the workshops going to be taught by the NY experts on sheep and goats, but it is a great networking event as well! Also, if you know of anyone who would be interested in this event, please spread the word.

To find out more about this event, registration, lodging, ect. visit: http://www.sheep.cornell.edu/calendar/index.html

eWe will unfortunately not be in attendance that weekend due to the National Lincoln Show at the Big E in Springfield, Mass. but hope some of you will be able to go! It's great that it is just one day.