Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Vermont Grand View Farm. In Kim's words:
"I am blessed to live and work on a hillside Vermont farm. My flock of registered Romney sheep form the heart of the operations at Vermont Grand View Farm. From my flock of sheep, I extend my love of sheep, fiber arts, and the fiber industry to families and individuals from around the world. We provide our Farmstay guests with opportunities to make connections to the land, the food we eat, and Vermont’s rich agricultural heritage.
Kim relays stories about their farm on her farm journal and on her farm facebook page."
SouleMama: What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Kim: Part of what I enjoy about my job is that no two days are alike. On the farm, there are many seasons and rhythms of life that come and go. With each season, comes its set of responsibilities and tasks that need to be done. The summer months are filled with growing and harvesting the food that will sustain us through the winter months. This is also my busiest time for our B&B. I also enjoy teaching fiber art classes from our barn studio during the fair weather months. During the fall, we prepare for winter, stacking wood, putting gardens to bed and breeding our sheep. Winter brings some respite from farm chores, time to focus on promoting our business, and time to knit. Spring ushers in sugaring season, shearing the sheep, and waiting for lambs.
SouleMama: Tell us about your customers.
Kim: We have three types of customers:
1. Our Yarn CSA customers support our farm by purchasing our yarn while the wool still grows on the sheep. They have an appreciation for the care and love we put into our sheep and have a desire to support small family farms. They enjoy learning about our sheep and our lives.
2. Our Farmstay guests come to us from all over the world. They all want to share in our farm life, love of sheep, and the fiber arts. Our guests come here for many reasons, some come to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, some come to reunite with friends and family, others come to mourn the loss of a loved one, and some come to begin life together as a married couple.
3. Our Fiber Class students come to the farm to learn about the many different fiber arts such as, felting, weaving, fiber processing, spinning, and natural dyeing. I feel it is important to share heritage crafts with others and especially the younger generations. Much of our world focuses upon instant gratification and the end product rather than the creative process. I want to pass on the knowledge that there is joy and value in working and creating with your hands.
SouleMama: How are your children incorporated into your business?
Kim: Our homestead and farm began as an extension of our homeschooling. We wanted our children to experience caring for animals, raising our own food, and being a part of a family business. Through the years, they have developed compassion, learned about the natural cycles of life and death, and have even started their own businesses on the farm. Our oldest daughter creates hand made Vermont fairies made from wool. Our son raises pigs every summer and sells the meat to friends and neighbors. Our middle daughter owns some of our sheep and sells their wool.
SouleMama: In your mind, what is that one thing which makes your business different?
Kim: Through our farm, B&B, and wool products, we extend a piece of our own lives to others. We share our passions, struggles, joys, and blessings to our customers and guests. We have seen guests walk away with a new perspective on life, with an appreciation for farm raised food and products, and with a desire to make connections between their own lives and farm land.
For today's giveaway, Vermont Grand View Farm is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:
To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...
Oh my goodness! If I were lucky enough to win this incredibly generous prize - I would take my mom for her 60th birthday!!!!
Posted by: Kate
Thank you, Vermont Grand View Farm!
