Greetings Hoppy Mountain Followers!
Tomorrow is Labor Day, which is the unofficial end of summer around these parts. The weather has cooled off considerably this past week, and the leaves have begun to change colors and fall. This is my favorite time of year. Schools are starting back up all over, which means everyone will be learning and trying new things. A lovely thought.
We continue to plod along on our farming adventure. I have been conversing with Mary of Battenkill Fibers this past week about having them spin some yarn for Hoppy Mountian. I now have some idea of costs for creating a new yarn line that would show case our lovely Angora fiber. If I can manage it, I'd like to source sheep wool from nearby. There are so many amazing small farms in our region! I do not think we will see a yarn line before the end of the year however, as to be cost effective, I'll need to collect a fairly large amount of wool from our buns before production begins. I am excited about providing some value-added products to sell for Hoppy Mountain Farm in the future. In the mean time however, I will always reserve some fiber for any hand-spinners that may be interested.
I have not advertised much in the on-line forums as of late. The more I learn, the more I find there is to learn, and so advertising has somewhat taken a passenger seat until I have a clearer outline for the upcoming months. I have been visualizing what I hope the farm will become. I have a long, long way to go if I am going to bring this idea to fruition, but using visual cues to help keep the vision clear should help keep us going in a forward trajectory. This week I'd like to try to tick off some of my 'to dos' as well as spend some time delving into the local cooperative extension resources.
Princess Floof and Prince Stormcloud continue to do well. We tried something new today - bunny manicures! This was a new experience for all of us, but it went surprisingly well. The little fluff-balls were both nervous at first, but soon realized that there was nothing to worry about. I daresay Princess Floof even enjoyed it! I'm not exactly sure if Stormy enjoyed it or just tolerated it....he's hard to gauge sometimes as he's a pretty chill guy. I was not very confident to begin with, but once I figured out a good way to hold the buns that was comfortable and functional for all of us, it really went quick and efficiently. I would say it is immensely easier than trying to give Mandy and Sophie their manicures!
I wish you all a lovely week ahead. Stay cozy as the weather turns!
