March/Adar Spring Newletter (continued)
- Chava Dagan
- Mar 2
- 7 min read
By the time we returned to Israel, we were renewed, inspired and ready to continue. I was missing my own sheep, all our other animals and , of course, my beautiful three older boys who took care of them for us In between their army service shifts. Somehow, they were able to pull it all off and we came back to a healthy bustling farm. It always amazes me what people are able to accomplish, despite everything. Especially my boys. B'h
(I am not getting paid to promote Scotland , Robbie's courses, or small farmers, but I am going to do it anyway.) Shearing sheep is not for everyone, but it is an adventure that is worth the time and effort it takes to learn the skill. Robbie was sweet enough to give me an interview recently, despite his travelling schedule and all the technical difficulties we had. As a result of this interview, I had the privilege of meeting (virtually) many more shearers, wool handlers, knitters, sheep farmers and wool mill owners from all over the world. (more interviews on the way!)
This is the teaser https://youtu.be/YpVu5lSaHhI
The full interview https://rumble.com/v5yiht2-sheep-shearing-with-robbie-hislop.html
Robbie Hislop's shearing courses in Scotland are filling up and if you have ever considered learning a new trade/skill/art , or looking for a wee challenge for yourself and your friends or family, plus seeing the rural side of Scotland, I highly recommend his 2 day shearing course. There are also many agricultural shows (fairs) going on all over the country. RHS (Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh ) being the most well-known and most impressive, in case you are interested in livestock , family activities and watching exciting competitions. So much fun!! . Just keep in mind that Shabbat begins and ends at around 12 am, which presents an interesting challenge, in and of itself.
In the UK, a shout out to Redwood Farms https://www.redwoodsfarm.co.uk/ and Burnfoot Wool , who can be found on etsy and facebook , etc. (They are working on a website which will be up soon). I know them personally, and have bought wool yarn from both of these families. They do all they can to keep the entire wool process local , supporting small businesses , families and farmers. Amazing people doing amazing things with their farms in the UK. And of course, Robbie's website https://www.shearingschool.co.uk Because, there wouldn't be wool available to process , if there weren't shearers to take it off the sheep in the first place.
Despite all the restrictions, lack of support, costs of raising and shearing sheep, the wool industry is still alive and well. People are creating beautiful wool yarns , felt, blankets, shoes, hats, etc. You can find just about everything on Etsy, individual websites, farmers markets, fairs, agricultural shows and wool mills.
Even with all that was going on here, my farm is still home and it still provides us with everything we need. In particular, my sheep that produce their wonderful wool . It is such a cheerful , grounding material and the animals that make it are so fluffy and funny that the whole operation of raising them brings joy to the farm.
I am crocheting and knitting , both my own hand sheared, hand spun wool, as well as wool I bring in from Scottish and English farmers and spinners. Our wool, pottery , wood and fabric creations are being added to my website shop https://nettlesandpins.com/shop as well as on telegram.org @N&P Farm bulletin . For custom orders, just send me an email.
And now that President Trump wants to turn my neighborhood into a Middle Eastern version of Monaco, you are invited, once again, to come to my farm to continue the Farm/Folk School where we left off before the war. Some classes are on-going, some are customized for your group. Everything is seasonal and subject to change depending on weather, war and availability. Please send me an email to schedule a visit. https://www.nettlesandpins.com
All of this is leading to my big announcement…… I am working on creating the one and only wool mill in Israel. It will be kosher, which means only wool will be processed on the machines, no linen or other materials. And it will be closed on Shabbat and holidays. It will, b'h, have a store and learning center on site for the purpose of education, classes and demonstrations.
What is a wool mill? It is a family owned, small factory set up, where we take the raw fleeces, after the sheep have been shorn, and put them through washing, carding, and spinning to turn them into useable materials such as yarn (for knitting), roving (for spinning), or batting (for blankets , pillows or mattresses). There can be other processes along the way , if needed, such as dyeing or felting the wool. These are small machines , enough for our small farms and flocks to bring their raw wool and have it made into workable materials. We only need 2 people to run a cycle, so it's easily managed.
People are looking for local , real , wool products and despite the fact that we have sheep in Israel, we don't have a mill to process the wool, so it gets thrown away. What a waste! People have been shepherding and shearing sheep in Israel since biblical times, but for the most part, we've stepped away from our heritage and our traditions in agriculture. I think it's time to bring it back . Practicing agriculture in Israel is a commitment to the land, it is a testament to our indigenous roots. Each fleece tells a story of the place, traditions and connections to this land we call home.
I am working hard to obtain the machines, and open a wool mill in our moshav . We have the land to build a small factory with a visitor's center. I want to provide the Israeli population with an opportunity to restore our pride, reduce our dependence from Chinese made products, and have our own wool turned into mattresses, blankets, pillows and yarn for making scarves, sweaters , hats , as well as tzitziot (prayer tassels), talliot (prayer shawls) , kippot (head covering) , etc. It will provide a creative environment, jobs, community and local resourcing of a much needed fiber. Eventually involving local artisans, craftsmen, knitters, weavers, shearers, wool classers and other trades, as well as connecting and working with fellow sheep farmers elsewhere. b'h
Israel has gotten a bad reputation for having only war. It's not easy to constantly defend our land, being surrounded by hostile enemies (inside and out). But we are a nation that cares for our land and the produce it provides. We are inventive and resourceful, but we have been so entrenched in surviving, we have side-stepped our ability to create. (Don't get me wrong, there are many creatives here in our tiny country. You can see my interviews with many of them here. https://www.nettlesandpins.com/podcast )
However, the general agenda that has been pushed on us collectively, is the technocratic, WEF, war kind. Not the God inspired, Torah, people, community, local, self –sufficient, back to the garden kind. My goal is to bring back creativity, production and Jewish Israeli pride by building an environment for community and growth at the grassroots level.
So if you would like to support Israel's southern communities , agriculture or the sheep industry in general, please help out in whatever way you feel most connected to. We will be fundraising and asking you to share the information to reach as far as we can, to get this off the ground and make it a reality. Are you excited??? I am!!!!
My next newsletter will have more details . Please look out for it and pray for a successful and wooly future.
Another shout out, this time closer to home. Here in Israel, Esther Lachman from Arugot Organic Wellness Cosmetics. https://habosem.com She is a fellow southerner who has succeeded in building a beautiful herbal school on her farm, despite the war raging all around her. Esther has created a magical, grounding, herbal oasis in the desert that radiates calm and peace in an otherwise upside down world. Through her farm, Arugot, she offers herbal classes and programs, books, products and a wealth of knowledge to visitors.
Our ARM (Ancient Roots Mothering) podcast is still going strong, thank God, after 3 years! This our monthly free podcast, where we discuss topics such as attachment parenting, women's issues, Jewish traditions, surviving the madness, herbal medicine, homeschooling and so much more . When you sign up, you will get a notice for the upcoming shows and you will be able to watch it recorded, if you cannot make it for the live. However, it's always fun to show up to the actual show, because of our unrecorded live Q and A.
This is our latest show.
You can find the rest of our recorded shows at :
This update comes out this week, after reading the parashat Terumah and parashat Shekalim, during the first week of spring and Rosh Hodesh, Adar. Here we have the Children of Israel giving donations to build the Mishkan in the desert after the exodus from Egypt (gold, silver, copper, wool, linen, goat hair, ram skins, acacia wood, olive oil, spices and precious stones). And later, donations of the half shekels for repair work on the holy Temple. I felt it fitting to announce the wool mill fundraiser this week to showcase Israel's traditional craftsmanship , as well as a reminder that when we follow our hearts, we can move mountains.
So I think I've covered all, or most, of the latest news from the farm. I apologize for the lengthy letter, but I wanted to make sure you are up to date and informed. With all changes happening daily on the ground, it's hard to keep up …. I'd love to hear from you, and when you get a chance, come visit!
Love from the Shed,
Chava
Ways to get in touch:
My website and newsletter: https://www.nettlesandpins.com
On telegram : @nettlesandpinschat
This is such exciting news! I would love to practice spinning with you.
What fabulous news, so much to look forward to and enjoy! Wishing you all the best, can't wait to come visit and work with you...I hope you will have a work/stay option...