Now that Juniper Moon Farm is serenely settled in our new beautiful location, Erin and I are very excited to be starting up Shepherding Camp again!
Our Shepherding Camp is a six-day, five-night fiber vacation at our farm You’ll stay at our farmhouse, help us take care of the flock, and knit and spin yourselves silly.
The price for Shepherding Camp is $1300 for up to two people. The accommodations are a private room with two twin beds, so it’s a great trip for two girlfriends or a Mother and Daughter. We can, in some cases, host a third person for an additional charge. While we encourage you to spend some time with our flock, you can do as much (or as little) farm work as you choose. If you’ve ever considered having a flock of sheep or herd of Alpaca of your own, Shepherding Camp is a great way to find out if shepherding is for you.
[2009 Shepherding Camper Kay snorgling Colorado]
When you’re not helping out on the farm you are free to explore the Charlottesville area. There are some lovely Vineyards nearby, as well as Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, The fee for Camp includes all meals, served family-style with the farm staff, but we can recommend some amazing restaurants nearby.
Space at Shepherding Camp is very limited! We can only accommodate two people at a time and we will only be doing three week-long Camps this year. However, we will be offering several mini-camps this year for the first time ever. The mini-camp will be a shorter, long weekend version of Shepherding Camp, with arrivals scheduled for Thursday evening/Friday morning and departures on Sunday. Just like with the week-long camp, all meals are included and we will keep you busy while you’re here. The cost for the Weekend Shepherding Camp is $600 for two people.
We will only be booking six weekends throughout 2010 so reserve your weekend early. I highly recommend the weekends during our lambing and kidding season, although we can’t make any promises that you’ll get to witness a birth. (Although, I will say that one lucky camper this summer saw twins being born half an hour after she arrived!) Kidding will begin in March and lambing will hopefully start in April.
And now, for the giveaway! You can enter here to win a Shepherding Camp Weekend for up to two people, all meals included. All you have to do is leave a comment here telling me why you’d like to spend a weekend at Juniper Moon Farm and who you’d bring with you if you win AND help us spread the word about the giveaway. Post the info and link on Facebook, twitter, your blog, in your Rav group, everywhere you can think of, cause we have to have 1000 comments before I’ll pick the winner. Fair enough?
One winner will be chosen at random from among all the entries. One entry per person, please. The winner’s name will be posted on the blog- then winner then has 48 hours to email us at prizes AT fiberfarm DOT com to claim his/her prize. A second drawing will be held in the event of an unclaimed prize and the clock will start again when the new winner’s name is posted.
The winner will work with Erin to schedule a mutually agreeable weekend for the visit. The winner will be responsible for all travel expenses to and from our farm.
{ 268 comments }
← Previous Comments
Next Comments →
Can’t think of enough reasons I’d like to spend a weekend at Juniper Moon Farm. Actually, I would like to give it as a gift to my sister. She is an avid spinner, knitter, tatter, sewer, quilter etc. She gave me and amazing gift of making my wedding dress, entirely by hand. She created the design, sew it, hand make all the lace, and do all of the beading by hand. This meant more to me than I can put into words. She did this several years ago, and her current passion is fiber. I would love for us to be able to spend a weekend together here. Hey, I wouldn’t mind birthing a kid or two also!
I’d love a weekend at Juniper Moon Farm because I think the reality of a fiber farm would probably not meet my idealistic and naive thoughts! I’d love the chance to see what it’s really like. I’d bring my husband b/c I like to spend weekends away with him, and he’d enjoy the farm life.
My Ravelry name is ‘oldgoatwoman’ – I have had a connection with goats since the mid-80s, and have never really been around them, just their fleeces. I have the book on “Raising Goats”, but I do realize the daily hard work required, and just don’t have the energy! I have a spinning friend that would really enjoy this shepherding camp, or my husband would, too. It would be so special to meet you all, and your goats! We have a Leonberger, so I love seeing your dog, too! Love those big guys.
thank you! Patti
I would love to see your farm. I would love to learn to spin and I would bring my mother in law who I know would love the trip as much as me.
I would love to visit to learn more about shepherding and the lovely animals who provide us with so much lovely fiber (some of which I bought from you last summer and am now knitting into a cardigan).
I would bring my friend who was just telling me this morning about a new way to build a shed that’s she’s about to try out on her property so that she can have goats (I’m working on her to have sheep and alpacas too).
I’d love to come! I’m a 25 year old college student with two special needs kids – I definitely need a break! I’m also majoring in Fiber Arts, so I am absolutely crazy about learning anything I can about fibers. It would be a great way to learn more about the sheep-to-spinning process, as well as daily life on a fiber-producing farm! I would probably bring my sister or my mother – both of them could use a vacation!
My best friend and I have played a sanity maintaining , coping mechanism “game” for about the last 15 years. Whenever one of us hits a rough spot, we’re likely to utter the statement, “Tell me about the commune” (In Lenny, of Mice & Men style) where the other will start to ramble pipe dreams about what it would/will be like when/if we were to ever acquire a piece of land where we would live and invite others to share in rural bliss. Lines such as, “will there be lots of sheep?” to which to other might add, “sheep as far as you can see and we’ll have a large sheep shearing party and try not to get falling down drunk…….” “and will we have other animals?”, “Yes, there will be animals of all kinds and a huge garden that we’ll sell vegetables at a roadside stand…………….” Then I get back to my comparatively mundane life and she to hers. It’s one of those private languages among the closest of friends and has helped keep both of us from ‘losing it’ at times. This Shepard camp would serve as a much needed “Commune Starter Kit”. Thanks so much for all your blogs. I so look forward to them everytime. They’re little windows into my fantasies and show me it’s really possible to live the way you do and the way I’ve always dreamed.
I think fiber farms are an important link in a sustainable culture. I am intersted in how they operate, but mostly I’d like to guft the camp to my niece & nephew who would be excited to attend.
My mom really wants to do this- she’s always been a textile person and I’ve always envied her artistic ability. This would be a wonderful oppurtunity for us to share.
wow, who WOULDN’T like to spend time at Juniper Moon Farm??!!! (I’d be suspect of ‘m, I-tell-ya-that.)
Personally, I wouldn’t like to become a shepherdess, so it’s not an “internship opportunity” for me. I’m a rabid knitter, a fiber-freak, and an animal-lover, so it would be a great chance for me to develop a deeper, more intimate appreciation for the interconnectedness of it all, and what goes into creating everything I love.
I’d bring either my BFF or my husband – they’re both smart, funny, chatty, interesting people who love doing really “off-the-beaten-path” kinds of activities, so they’d have a blast!
(oh, and did I mention how much fun it would be to hang out with Susan and Erin? yeah. that’d be neat.) ;~)
I would love to see how your farm is run and what is involved. I’d also like to see what your new farm is like and hear how it compares to your Vineyard farm. It would be a great experience to learn about sheep, fiber, farming. I would bring either my sister, Anne, who just taught me how to knit, or my close friend, Ann, who runs a weaving center and already knows a lot about yarn, but probably would love a weekend like this. Thanks for the opportunity!
From my cubicle in an office building in the middle of nowhere, I often sit and dream of having a farm and working with my hands and actually feeling tired when I finish a day of work. I’d love to come and see just how tired I could get at Juniper Moon! I’d bring my mom, who would probably cook and bake and snorgle some cute little critters.
My wife and I have always wanted to raise fiber animals. This would give us the starting point knowledge of how it’s done.
I have been working with fiber since I was 8 years old and now 51 years later, still dream of having fiber animals. I’m sure my best friend would love to have this opportunity firsthand.
I would love to spend the weekend at your farm and learn about the sheep and goats! I would bring my mother, as I think she would really enjoy it as well.
Awesome contest. I would love to win because I would to live your life and this would be a great way to experience what it would be like to live life on a farm. It would be from dream to reality for me.
I’m preparing to begin raising goats and sheep and would love this opportunity to learn more about shepherding. I’d like to attend with my friend, a natural fiber knitting enthusiast, who will be using the fiber that my animals produce.
My husband and I often joke that, when we have a house, we’ll get a sheep to mow the lawn. Being a shareholder is probably the closest I’ll ever get to owning sheep, so it would be nice to get a chance to see my flock up close. I’d bring my husband — just in case we ever do get that live lawn mower, it would be good for both of us to have some practical knowledge in how to care for it!
I would LOVE to win this! My dream is to have a small farm in Asheville, NC and since I don’t know the first thing about shepherding, this would be an incredible opportunity to learn. Plus, who can resist a weekend of knitting, spinning, and fibery goodness?
I would love to spend a weekend there to see the new animals born and enjoy seeing where all the beautiful yarn comes from that we knit so many items into. I appreciate where it comes from and the animals that create the fiber. Alpaca and goats are so cute and I would love to be able to get to know them better. Getting back to farms and nature is relaxing and helps us appreciate life and how blessed we are.
Thank you!
Why shepherding camp? Because more stories, more press needs to be written about why farms (and sheep) are important.
Shepherding camp not only gives a chance to learn, but also an opportunity to learn *and* share.
Thanks for all the lovely work you do!
I would love to come to your farm with my daughter. This would be a great mom and daughter experience. It would be a great opprotunity to work with goat and sheep again , we had them when daughter was growing up.Plus seeing the east coast would be awesome.
As an “animal person” I would relish the idea of spending several days at Juniper Moon Farm helping out with the sheep and goats and seeing where all the beautiful yarn actually comes from. I would probably bring my daughter along as she is an avid knitter and would love the weekend as much as me!
I would like to come to the farm for the weekend to see the animals and meet Susie and Erin. I’d bring my mom because she’s super awesome and deserves a treat.
I would love to visit the new farm and get my hands dirty. What better way to find out if it’s something I could do myself or not? I would come with Madamepurl who is my cohort on any sort of crazy fiber adventure. Having spun the fiber and knitting the fiber it would only be fitting to come care for the fiber, if only for a few days.
This is so awesome! If I won, I would bring my husband to try and onvince him to catch the fiber bug with me! I think it would be so amazing to get a better understanding of the whole process! Thanks for such a great oppertunity. Rachel
I would love to come and work on the farm and knit and spin – in this modern day and age there are few chances to learn about farm life and the joys it can bring – this would be the opportunity of a lifetime to me.
I would like to spend a weekend at Juniper Moon Farm because of my love for both knitting and the outdoors (especially farms with animals!) and because I think your CSA model is incredible! I’d bring my sister-in-law, since her love for knitting and spinning matches and then exceeds mine exponentially, and now that we live over 1000 miles away from each other, a weekend on the farm would allow us to spend some quality time together… some of which would include swapping stories about our lives married to mischievous brothers and knitting up a storm!
What an incredible gift : )
This would be such an amazing introduction to living with sheep and working with them, spinning and knitting and seeing what this life would be like. This has started to become an increasingly persistent dream of mine and I would love to be able to start finding out more about this at Juniper Moon.
Oh Man…I would love a vacation and having sometime with cuddly animals would be great too!! I LOVE to knit and feel like I never get enough time for it. I would take my friend Champ and we could play with sheep, knit, drink some wine, and just relax… It would be lovely!
I would like to spend a weekend at Juniper Farm because it looks like the perfect place to spend some time knitting and enjoying the outdoors. I am a busy stay-at-home Mom who seldom gets time to myself. I love the Charlotsville area and would love to visit. I would take my BFF Jane. Jane and I have been friends since we were 13 years old (we are in our 40s now). We share a love of fiber and rarely spend time together despite living 15 miles away from each other.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I would love to spend a weekend at Juniper Moon Farm with my friend Lisa because we share a common love for needlecrafts and it would be a great opportunity for a girls weekend. Lisa and I have known each other since the 7th grade when we met in Orchestra and have been friends ever since – even surviving going to college in two very different places (she headed to ASU in Tempe, AZ, and I headed to Truman State University in the small town of Kirksville, MO) and living in different cities for about 7 years. We would love the chance to learn more about different fibers for creating beautiful projects! A bonus for me would be the opportunity to visit Virginia – one of my favorite areas of the country!
I would love to spend a weekend at Juniper Moon Farm because I am very interested in learning about raising sheep. We have a herd of alpacas but I am fascinated by sheep and would love to know more about them. I would probably bring my mom. There is never enough time to be able to spend with her and she’s a big knitter who loves Virginia.
wow! what a neat opportunity! i’d love to visit for the opportunity to be a part of a real live farm. books and blogs can only get you so far!
i’d take my sweet husband so he could live a bit of my dream as well! thanks!
Now that sounds like heaven, a week of animals and fiber and knitting. I’ve long been fascinated with the process that brings me yarn and this would be an excellent opportunity to learn more about it. I’d bring one of my knitting pals.
oooh! I want to come do a mini Shepherding Camp Weekend! Every time I go to a Sheep and Wool Festival I want to play with, pet, touch, spend more time with the animals, but feel like really I’m just harassing them in that environment with so many people around.
I would invite my mother to come with me since she was the original source of my fiber obsession! My aunt would be so jealous too!
I’d like to do a lot more helping, laughing and learning. I would also bring home made biscuits ( am practicing ). I’d like to bring one of the aunties who couldn’t come to shearing day, because it was such a pleasure to meet everyone who WAS there. Auntie meet ups rock.
I’d like to spend the weekend at the farm because I’ve been dying to meet you. I don’t think I know anyone who would enjoy playing with the sheep and goats as much as I. I would be happy to let you pick another person to share the weekend with because new friends are awesome.
I would love to spend a weekend @JMFF because I wanted to visit last summer and the stars just didn’t align to make that possible. I would probably bring my sister because she is also a fiber farm junkie – but Then again, I could bring my husband… He’s one of those guys who has to be doing something all the time and he doesn’t knit – so he would probably build you a barn.
I would love to spend a weekend at Juniper Moon Farm because although I didn’t win the herd giveaway
I am still committed to starting my flock in the near future. The possibility of getting to learn hands-on with the ladies there sounds like such a fantastic time!
I would like to spend the weekend at Juniper Moon farm with my best friend, Fran. She loves all animals and she knits a little. Fran will be glad to help with the chores of the animals while I sit and knit. I am not an outside person but I will help with the chores in the house. The scenery in all of the pictures looks so very peaceful.
Knittingdancer on Ravelry
It would be fun to spend time with the animals and a change of scenery is always nice. I’ve linked to this on our blog. What a generous giveaway!
I would love to spend a week on the farm. And I know exactly who I would bring with me… My friend Heidi was a LYS owner who had to sell the business when her baby became a toddler and she needed to spend more time with her. Heidi taught me how to knit more than just rectangles and how to spin. She’s always there for help and fun in our knit group. And she was one of the finalists in your goat giveaway!
This is both the person and the reason for me to want to win your farm stay.
I’d like to spend the weekend at Juniper Moon Farm because I would LOVE to own an alpaca farm. While unemployed last year, I started some preliminary research on this and would love to continue laying the groundwork with a weekend experience. I would bring my best knitting girlfriend, Janelle, with me. While she doesn’t share my alpaca farm dream, she is a huge supporter of mine and we share all things knitting and fiber related with one another.
If I won I’d send my two younger sisters for the weekend, because they are in love with the farm and don’t often take vacations because of their busy teaching schedule — they could definitely use some lamb time =)
I’d like to win the Shepherding giveaway so I could learn even more about fiber from working farmers – that means you and Erin. I’m planning to open my own fiber mill this coming year and the experience would be worthwhile.
If I win, I will bring my mother. She’s been very supportive and not worried about me leaving my corporate career. Plus I haven’t seen her in 2 years and I’d love to come back and spend time with both my families – home in PA and on the farm in VA!
Lastly, I have a crush on Ernie and I could whisper sweet nothings in his ear. Yep. I’m a Sheep Whisperer.
Hello, My name is Michael McElveen. I’m a 24 year old Graphic Designer. I’m signing up for the free weekend giveaway because I’d like to take my girlfriend, Alice, because goats and sheep are all I’ve heard since we got back from our vacation where we saw some goats on a farm. I am interested in self sustainability and want to learn more about what it takes to be a goat/sheep farmer.
Years ago I once read that “imagination x vividness = reality” and so I put together a dream book of experiences I’d like to have. In it I included a picture of a healthy looking woman, outdoors, holding a baby lamb in her arms. It was such a happy picture for me. I love animals , and baby sheep… well they seem to have a heart melting capacity somehow. In the years that followed, saying the word “sheep” represented the dream of country living and hobby farming with animals. “Sheep! Sheep!” I would say, and it would make me smile.
I am happy to say that now I am living in the country with my husband and we are hobby farming with dogs, cats, rabbits, and lots of chickens! The animals take up a lot of time in the day (we really enthusiastically embraced the chicken experience over the last year and a half, and I want all my animals to be really happy, so I put in extra effort) and so things would need to settle out before more animals could be added. However I would love to hold and smell a baby lamb and realize that part of the dream, and would love to come to your farm to see your sheep. I would bring my husband who is an absolute sweetheart.
I will spread the word by posting about your farm on Facebook and bringing the information to my knitting groups. Really enjoying you blog and the wonderful photos, it is my vicarious sheep experience for now! Thank you!
My sister who loves me told me about this amazing drawing! I am so totally hooked on anything fiber and a whole weekend at your fiber farm would be heaven. I’ve been trying to convince my husband for years that we should keep sheep. Or at least I should get a rabbit! But as long as I don’t share in taking care of the chickens, I have a feeling I won’t get anywhere with that argument.
If I win, I promise I will take my sister, who lives on a farm in Iowa and would totally get into the animals!
I would love to spend the weekend at the farm for many reasons: spending time with the animals, knitting, spending quality time with fantastic fibers, etc. I would also like to see if I have the skills to raise my own fiber on the hoof.
← Previous Comments
Next Comments →
{ 1 trackback }