Country
Friday, November 15, 2019
cres A
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Volume 7, Edition 17
Fleece
meets function
ALL PHOTOS BY NATASHA BARBER
Curtis Weinrich, Liz Dwyer and their daughter, Andalucia, sit amongst their flock of Icelandic sheep and colored Angora goats Oct. 30 in Clearwater. Dwyer is a fiber and felt artist, and the family shears the animals twice a year for their fleece.
Fiber, felt artist constructs utility pieces from flock By NATASHA BARBER Staff Writer
CLEARWATER – From the gravel roads of rural Clearwater, one Minnesota native is sharing the magnificence and utility of less common livestock through her art and everyday items. In addition to being a farmer, Liz Dwyer is a fiber and felt artist. After moving away from her hometown for seven years, Dwyer returned in spring 2012 with her now husband Curtis Weinrich to take over her family’s farm. The two reside on Dancing the Land Farm, a non-certified organic farm 7 miles west of Clearwater, with their daughter, Andalucia, and an assortment of animals which include peacocks, guineas, chickens, hogs, dairy goats and the family dog. In addition to growing produce and flowers for retail and wholesale customers, the family cares for a flock of roughly 75 Icelandic sheep and colored Angora goats that are raised for their fleeces. “Goats and sheep are just a portion of what we do,” Dwyer said. “We mostly
utilize them because, one, we enjoy the milk and meat; two, I am a fiber artist; and three, because they have been crucial in rehabilitating our land.” When Dwyer and Weinrich moved to the farmstead, the land had been used for an unrotated corn crop for many years which left the soil depleted. The two purchased grazing animals to help establish a fertile soil for the family to begin its gardens. “(The sheep and goats) are one aspect of what we do, a crucial part, but they are definitely a piece of a whole,” Dwyer said. Amongst the fruits, vegetables, flowers and meat that Dancing the Land Farm sells at the St. Joseph Farmers Market and Good Earth Food Co-op in St. Cloud is yarn directly sourced from the flock that grazes on 20 acres of the family’s property. Icelandic sheep have a characteristic dual-coat fleece and Angora goats are known for mohair. The animals are shorn twice a year, each producing an average of 8-12 pounds of fiber or wool annually. “Mohair is incredibly durable,” Dwyer said. “… It has this wonderful luster
This month in the
COUNTRY
4
5
PHOTO SUBMITTED
A children’s felt and embroidered vest lies on an ala-kiis Oct. 30 at Dancing the Land Farm in Clearwater. An ala-kiis carpet is formed in one piece by laying colored fibers next to and over others; there is no stitching or cutting involved.
to it; it kind of glows because of the way the light hits the strand and bounces off. It is really soft and warm, too.” Dwyer said mohair is a slippery textile, so it is often blended with other material in order to be carded and spun into yarn. However, with the help of a mill in southwest Wisconsin, Dwyer’s fiber has been spun into 100% mohair yarn. Though both fibers can be used for
Beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving Diane Leukam Column
8
Epitome of community found in rural Minnesota Lowry
A limited hunt Spicer
11 Mixing it up with milk Avon
felting, Icelandic sheep wool is particularly suited to making a strong, soft felt. Once finished, the pieces provide substantial insulation and are nearly indestructible. In ancient times, felt was used as armor as it could be made to withstand an arrow’s piercing. Today, felt remains
14 In search of rewards Osakis 18 County Acres According to: Robert Orsten
DWYER continued on page 2
21 Country Cooking 22 Twenty years as a Marine Sauk Centre