3-Day Sheep for Fiber Intensive

A hands-on, land-based training in heritage breed, dual-purpose sheep care, wool harvesting, and small-scale fiber production.

Small flocks matter.
Regional wool matters.
Knowledge passed hand to hand matters.

There is a growing return to sheep as farmers and fiber artists rebuild local wool economies and find value in fiber the commercial system often overlooks. This intensive supports that work, connecting animal care, land stewardship, and small-scale fiber production within a regional fibershed.

No prior experience with sheep required

NBFJA members attending from out of town are eligible for travel and accommodation assistance. Please contact for more information.

Overview
This 3-day Communiversity Intensive offers a working introduction to raising sheep for fiber within the realities of small and urban farms. Participants will learn how to select climate-appropriate breeds, manage a healthy small flock, and move wool from the animal through initial processing.

The training centers High Hog Farm’s flock of Gulf Coast sheep, a climate-adapted heritage breed with deep regional history and resilience in Southern conditions.

The structure reflects how many small farmers actually learn, through observation, participation, problem-solving, and work done in real time on a functioning farm.

A central feature of this session is High Hog Farm’s annual shearing day, allowing participants to follow the full fiber cycle:

• Preparing animals for shearing
• Observing professional shearing
• Catching and handling fresh fleece
• Skirting, sorting, and evaluating wool
• Washing and scouring

Participants will move from foundational flock knowledge to working with clean, processed fiber by the end of the intensive.

Who This Course Is For

Suggested Preparation (Optional)
For those new to sheep, the Intro to Sheep for Small & Urban Farms virtual workshop (Feb 28) is recommended as a primer, but it is not required. That 3-hour session covers core shepherding basics such as breed selection, housing, health, and the key considerations for starting a small flock. It’s designed to help participants move from early curiosity to a confident understanding of what sheep ownership involves.

The 3-Day Sheep for Fiber Intensive builds on this foundation with hands-on experience, focusing on practical flock care, land management, and the full process of wool handling and early-stage fiber production in real farm conditions. Participants who have not taken the virtual workshop are welcome, but should expect the intensive to move quickly into applied learning and field work.

This intensive is especially suited for:

• Fiber artists and land stewards curious about adding sheep

• Urban or small-scale farmers expanding into fiber systems

• Practitioners working to root their livestock care in Black Agrarianism

• Those ready to go deeper into breed-specific and wool-based production

Ask about scholarships and sliding scale options.