We had our first Kick Start Your Knitting class last Monday. We were a small group but eager knitters. We tried some new tips and refined our technique.  We're working on different projects but benefiting from the one-on-one instruction from Jennifer.  You're welcome to join us each Monday 10 am - noon. $20 per session. Bring your own project and questions.. or we'll set you up with a new pattern and yarn to get you started.

Farm Tour. Farm Tour. . .  and more Farm Tour.  The weekend weather looks great for enjoying the agricultural offerings of Whidbey Island.  It all starts at 10am on Saturday, September 15th. Stay the weekend on the island or pick your day.. Saturday or Sunday to enjoy the island farms. Come by and see the new cria at Fern Ridge then stop in at the Pacific Rim Institute in Ebey's Prairie to learn about raptors and how they can help farmers. Eat some locally sourced food at one of our fine restaurants. Pick your own blueberries at Huntersmoon Farm or get some locally made sheep milk cheese at Glendale Shepherd. There's plenty to see and do. It's great fun for the whole family.

As we head into 2012 our thoughts are full of gratitude for all of our farm visitors. We thoroughly enjoy sharing the alpacas and our farm life with others. And without the generous help of our volunteers we couldn't have had such a successful Whidbey Island Farm Tour event in early September.  Nearly 200 families came to the farm and enjoyed plenty of photo ops along with weaving, spinning and felting demos and educational displays.

We had 2 beautiful new cria this year. . .Kuro and Asa. They have delighted visitors with their soft fleece, adorable faces and curious natures. Much bigger than when this photo was taken...they will be preparing to wean from their mom's by mid February.

We had a surprise visit from 2 women on a 5,000 mile cycling trip. They spent the night on the farm and told us about their goal to raise money for an inner-city girl's school through their journey across the country. To follow their blog or make a donation to support their cause go to their website:  www.anothermileanotherstarfish.com

This year we also had visits by 2 classes of 3rd grade Waldorf students from Brightwater School in Seattle.  One group came in the spring and one in November.  Again, our fabulous volunteers made it both fun and educational for the students.

FiberQuests happened twice this year. We collaborate with other local fiber farms for this multi-day event. Fiber lovers from both the island and the mainland visit all the farms and have a chance to win a basket of fiber products. We'll be doing another FiberQuest in spring 2012. Watch for the notice and get in on a fun Whidbey Island fiber event.

4H and the Island County Fair was another highlight of our summer. We had 6 fabulous young people (ages 8 - 16)  work with some of our alpacas  and a llama on halter training and obstacle course work during the year. Their work culminates at the County Fair during a lively competition open to the public.  The Fair is a great community event and we get to chat with many of our friends as they come through the alpaca barn and enjoy the fair.

For the New Year . . . we've been working on an upgraded online store. Please click on Farm Store navigation button and take a look. Products are frequently changing and expanding so it's good to check back now and then to see what's new. Let me know how it works for you and let us know if there's something you'd like to see in the store.

Our family wishes you all a very Peaceful and Prosperous New Year!