Misty Meadow Icelandics

  News from Misty Meadow:

• We had a wonderful Shearing Day!  Perfect weather and lots of fiber enthusiasts and farm friends!  Thank you all!
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• Judy is still recovering from her trip to Kazakhstan!                                           It was amazing and exhausting, but definitely the trip of a lifetime.  Judy will be sharing her adventures and photos with the Northern Lights Spinning Guild at their retreat in January.
  
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• Breeding season underway!         Since 2003 Tom has imported frozen semen from the latest and greatest rams in Iceland.  Buying a Misty Meadow lamb is one of the easiest ways to get totally new genetics without investing in artificial insemination.  For 2010 lambs frozen semen has been imported from the following AI rams: Smyrill, Krokur, Fannar, Dokkvi, Mokollur, Geri.  Call to reserve a lamb in Spring 2010.
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• Check out Shear Spirit!                  Misty Meadow Icelandics is featured as one of ten family-run fiber farms across the U.S. featured in the book Shear Spirit.  Available at most big bookstores.
  

About Misty Meadow

 We started our small flock of purebred Icelandic sheep in 1994, three years after the breed was introduced into the United States. Our goal is to produce sheep that are the very best in terms of fleece quality and body conformation. Keeping the flock manageable is very important to us. We practice intensive rotational grazing and take great care to protect our pasture resource. Having a small flock allows us to be more responsive to ensure optimum nutrition, health care, and security although this hardy breed needs no pampering!

Selecting for improved fleece is our highest priority.

Although excellent body type is an important part of our breeding program, we strive to produce animals that will make handspinners happy. The Icelandics’ ancient heritage allows for significant differences in fleece quality from animal to animal. We are working to maximize the potential for fleece improvement through judicious selective breeding. We offer clean fleeces in a variety of natural colors, as well as processed clouds, roving and yarn.

While some breeders are selecting to eliminate horns, we believe that this trait is an important part of the breed’s character and are working to optimize the appearance of horns in a portion of our flock.

We are members of the OPP-Concerned Sheep Breeders Society, the National Voluntary Scrapie Eradication Program and incorporate a vigilant health monitoring program into our flock management. Our flock has been enrolled in the Natural Voluntary Scrapie Eradication Program since 2000 and achieved certified status in 2005. We test annually for OPP and the flock is foot-rot free.