| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 12:49:56 PM
Good Afternoon Group this is Grace
I am new to the site but not the farmgirl life. I have a 35 acre parcel in Larkspur Colorado that I purchased 10 years ago. After my husband passed my two sons(then 9 and 13) and I started Larkspur Funny Farm. We are an organic exotic fiber farm. We presently raise Llamas, Angora and Cashmere Goats, Icelandic sheep and Great Pryenees Dogs. When I started this farm I had no background in this type of life and read my way into it. It has been quite a ride. I have not only mastered raising a large variety of exotic fiber producing animals but also spin, dye, felt, locker hook, crochet and teach those skills to others. For those on this list who are wishing for the country life I support you!
Every morning when I wake up looking at Pikes Peak from my front deck and Mortisha (our 3year old bottle ewe) follows me around like a dog while I do my morning feeding lets me know that I am loved and I would not trade it in for anything. For those who might wonder where I got the name for our farm - have you seen "Funny Farm" with Chevey Chase? My husband was that man. He always wanted a farm but the dogs hated him, the chickens pecked him, the llama kicked him. The turkey chased him and I was the only one who could pick up a 50 lb feed sack. He was great in the city and a wiz with his own computer business but not the outdoors or animals. I however thrive in this environment and love getting dirty. I was taught organic gardening since the age of 5 and we treat our animals also with herbal medicines.
I look foreword to getting to know you all and hope that I might have something worthwhile to share with you all.
Take care
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| bybiddie |
Posted - Oct 11 2006 : 12:47:13 PM
Grace, I laughed until I cried after reading your llama story! I had a llama and an alpaca and, although the alpaca had the most beautiful fiber, I was head over heels with the llama! What a character! He used to follow me around, looking for an opportunity to grab my hat off my head - the stinker. When I'd whirl around, he'd quickly look like Mr. Innocent, and stare in the opposite direction. Sounds like you live in a little piece of heaven. Welcome to the group - it's so great to "meet" you!
susan
Lovin' my life |
| jo Thompson |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 9:12:15 PM
Hey Grace, we all want to be your friend in the cab of the pickup!~ no llamas here, only labs and a windy night in alaska. I'm tending citrus trees that want to know why I brought them to Alaska, time to repot AGAIN and put lights on the buggers! I bought a whack of yarn today. Is knitting the best thing in the world! keep writing us your stories. You are quite a story teller!. jo
"friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon"
http://homepage.mac.com/thomja/Anchorage/PhotoAlbum14.html |
| mommom |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 2:49:26 PM
I love the name Grace! Welcome! Susan |
| blueroses |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 11:49:07 AM
Hi Grace,
I haven't been on the forum for a few days. I love your way of storytelling. What a rewarding life for you. I'm sure it's tons of hard work, but to be self-sufficient.....how wonderful. I'm enjoying reading your posts.
Debbie
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
| frannie |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 11:41:33 AM
thanks for the reply grace, i wish i lived close to you i would want to be one of your students.i loved your "we are all learning each day so be kind to yourself" quote.
i also liked to say when i had students, most people acquire their knowledge after birth.
sometimes people didnt understand what i was saying. even my mom used to say, on fran's planet they do things quite differently.
anywho, are you still taking students, and when is your book coming out? i love the way you write and your stories are way too funny., my advice write the book first then sell the movie rights, we need to encourage reading more.
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 07:32:26 AM
[quote]Originally posted by Kelly43
Great story about Mortisha!! We used to have a bottle lamb named Henry who used to go for rides in the truck with my husband.
Kel
Good Morning Kel and thanks for the welcome
Henry sounds just so sweet, I would love to meet him and you too! Once we got a call from the highway patrol that a weird animal was dumped on the highway and it must have been one of weird animals. We jumped in the truck and took out only to find it was a 3 month old llama that someone dumped along the busiest highway in our state. So we managed to pick him up (after two hours of running and roping) and then put him in the cab of the truck. Now we had a scared sevety pound baby bouncing around screaming in the truck as I am trying to drive. My son opened the window to get some air because baby was spitting all over us. So think of this picture - three green slime covered heads in the cab of a truck with our heads hanging out the windows because of the smell and llama screams to boot. Nothing new for us but we sure did nothing for our rep among the "Normal Farmers" out here. When we got the little guy home none of our ten llama moms would nurse him. They do not take to a bottle, you have to tube them. Just when I was in tears with worry my one Icelandic mom who just had twins and rejected them (which means I was feeding every two hours) lifted up her back leg so the little llama could nurse from her. She kept that up for one full year. What a gal.
Enjoy those critters and I am excited to meet you all.[/quote]
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 07:17:13 AM
welcome grace!
i loved reading your intro. also one of my goals this winter is to learn to spin, card, dye, etc. i have angora goats, and i love them.
Good Morning Fran and thanks for the welcome
I am so excited for you going forth to use that fiber your goats produce. I just about wet my pants everytime I dye Morhair because it just is so alive and the jewel tones you get just take my breath away. Spinning Mohair is somewhat a challenge but only if you get up tight. Mohair is a way that I can see if my students are control freaks or have the ability to let go and enjoy. I am always willing to share what little I know and I tell students we are all learning each day so be kind to yourself.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
| BlueApple |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 04:55:13 AM
Welcome Grace! You are living the life I'm dreaming of! Can't wait to hear more about your adventures!
Julia
BlueApple Farm |
| Libbie |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 8:48:20 PM
Welcome, Grace! I'm still chuckling thinking about your husband and the animals. Toooooo funny! I'm so glad you found us here - you're going to love it, and I just know that WE are going to love hearing your stories!
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
| frannie |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 5:48:10 PM
welcome grace!
i loved reading your intro. also one of my goals this winter is to learn to spin, card, dye, etc. i have angora goats, and i love them. hope you wont mind too much if i try to learn from your wisdom now and then. the other girls here at the sight are very generous with those of us that are newbies in some particular area, but i fear that i may be too much for just one mentor!
welcome welcome welcome, i think you will love it here and visa versa.
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
| Kelly43 |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 5:10:35 PM
Great story about Mortisha!! We used to have a bottle lamb named Henry who used to go for rides in the truck with my husband. We live in a part of NJ where there are farms but also many areas where people are not farmers and Henry in the front seat always gathered a crowd.
Kel |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 5:10:15 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Kelly43
We have sheep too but they are Dorset crosses so not much for fiber. I just learned how to knit and would love to learn to spin but one thing at a time. Used to live in Golden (when it was a little town,
Kel
Thanks for the welcome Kel. I love Dorset. They are very proud in the way the stand. What is the cross? I had some great fleece from a girl who was a dorset/Corridale cross. Peppermint was her name and she thru great babies and was one of our best moms. You have one over on me with the knitting - I can do it but it is not my best sport. Golden, like everything in Colorado has grown. I really get sad to see the sea of homes that no one lives in and they keep building. I am even considering moving to a less populated place because it is hard to feel like home when you can see the city lights coming our way.
Great to hear from you and look foreword to more!
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 5:03:16 PM
quote:
Originally posted by MamaHumbird
We are trying to become self sufficient, and are taking baby steps toward that goal. I am definitely interested in the herbal medicines you were talking about.
Holly
Hi Holly,
I am excited to hear that you are working your way to a self sufficient life - I each day give my best shot at some things and know that I will not reach others. Up until this year we had over 150 animals on our farm at any one time - I have cut back to around 50 (but goats and sheep will be having babies in a short time so the number goes up). This year I am considering getting back to a large scale garden which will rely mostly on herbs and plants for dyeing fiber. You can use herbal medicines on every living thing - I even used it on my sons lizard. There are great books out there and also alot of kind souls who will share their information with you. Any way I can help just let me know.
As for the stories they never end here. Today,I made Mortisha our three year old bottle ewe (She thinks she is a dog) go out in the pasture with the other sheep to have some bonding time. No sooner did I get to the house I looked back and here my huge Icelandic ram decided to walk up behind her and do what he does best. Well, she turned around, let out a big baaaaaa, and plowed him into the ground. He went rolling and stood up and took off running to the farest part of the pasture. He has not come in after nine hours and Mortisha is still telling me about. Right now she is sitting outside my shop door with the five great pyrenees pups giving me the evil eye for treating her that way. I guess she is a dog!
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 4:43:51 PM
[quote]Originally posted by farmgirlfriday
Hello Grace!
I would love to pick your brain about the various kinds of sheep and goats that you own. I am hoping to buy a tiny flock myself...I have been reading up on Icelandic and Shetlands and Angora's...
Hi Broke
I would love to share what I know about the animals you are interested in - I am not sure if you would rather email me off the group or if others would like or need the information. Let me know I love sharing what I do.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
| Kelly43 |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 4:19:23 PM
Welcome Grace, your stories are too funny, you are going to be a lot of fun to have around and you fit in perfectly. Grace is one of my favorite names, my youngests middle name. You should be so proud of yourself for what your doing. We have sheep too but they are Dorset crosses so not much for fiber. I just learned how to knit and would love to learn to spin but one thing at a time. Used to live in Golden (when it was a little town, understand it is just a suburb of Denver now) but have never been to larkspur, it sounds beautiful.
Kel |
| farmgirlfriday |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 09:59:32 AM
Hello Grace!
I would love to pick your brain about the various kinds of sheep and goats that you own. I am hoping to buy a tiny flock myself...I have been reading up on Icelandic and Shetlands and Angora's...
Colorado is such beautiful country...you are lucky!
Best,
Brooke
"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men."
H. Melville |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Oct 03 2006 : 07:50:33 AM
welcome to the group Grace!
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 10:02:03 PM
Yep, I do spin Grace! I love it..have been spinning about 15 years..something like that.
I have a friend north of here who has a yak!!! I havn't seen it in person yet. She did say it was very very big. There is a water buffalo (young cow...I guess the females are called cows..maybe not) that lives in the property right behind us. I have room for less sheep and angoras since I have the cow..but she is sure worth it. Heck, I have enough trouble getting the fleeces I get from just a few spun up. I get sidetracked with other projects!! I have a new wonderful moorit lamb fleece from my 6 month old ewe lamb (Icelandic/churro) that I just gave to my sis in law..now that I can hardly wait to spin!! I have two more ewes to shear (I hand shear) hopefully this weekend if it is dry out.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| MamaHumbird |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 9:47:13 PM
Grace, you have amazing stories. I would love to here more. I don't have any of the same animals you do but I am definately interested in hearing about them. I am open to anything at this point. We are trying to become self sufficient, and are taking baby steps toward that goal. I am definitely interested in the herbal medicines you were talking about. Is that for all types of animals. Look forward to more of your stories!
Holly |
| katie-ell |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 8:22:27 PM
Welcome, Grace! You're quite a gal, I can tell! Thanks for the great stories -- love that image of the animals attacking while the film is rolling. hee hee. Glad you're here. katie |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 8:19:34 PM
Hi there Jenny in Utah
Not so far at all. Great to hear your have sheep and angora - do any spinning? You have one on me - no cows here. Had thought of getting a yak but might be too much talken back. O.K. not so funny. Got to turn in because I have a long day delivering products. Sleep tight ladies, can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. Thanks again for making me feel so welcome.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 4:52:51 PM
How fun to have you here Grace!! You sound like so much fun!!! Funny farm is one of my favorite movies too. I just crack up every single time I watch it!
I am here in the center of Utah..so not too awfully far from you. I have Icelandic sheep and one angora goat for my fiber animals...wish I had room for more!!
You are going to be so fun to get to know here!! Welcome to the farmgirl family!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| Luzy |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 4:44:54 PM
Hi again Grace. I'll email you so that we can get to know each other. I'm so excited to have a neighboring Farmgirl!!
--
May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. |
| BarefootGoatGirl |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 4:08:38 PM
Welcome, Grace! You sound like an interesting lady with a great farm!
Trina
'
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Oct 02 2006 : 3:52:53 PM
Hi Luzy
Thanks for the welcome and glad to hear from another Colorado Farmgirl. I live about 18 miles east of the Renn Festival and I must say I am a Colroado Native and never been. They asked me to spin and bring my animals but if the animals leave the farm they have to be in isolation when they come back for three months and I do not think that is fair to them. What are your interests and talents? Sounds like you might have a dog or two?
I am so excited to finally get a little bit of time to sit down and explore this site. Thanks all for welcoming me.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
