Back in 2009, I was lucky enough to be in a position to giveaway a flock of Angora Goats. It was- without question- one of the highlights of my life as a shepherd.
When I had the idea for a Flock Giveaway, I thought that we might get 5 or 6 applicants. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for the more than 60 essays we received! Or the overwhelming number of people who came to the website to vote for the finalists. The traffic was so crazy high that the whole website got really shaky and crashed a couple of times. It was madness!
The winner back then was Kristen Judkins, an absolutely lovely person who I am proud to now call a friend. Kristen has become a kick-ass shepherd in her own right and you can read all about her adventures on her blog, Gilead Goats.
Our first flock giveaway was such a hit that we did it again last year, giving away two flocks of Cormos and one flock of Angora goats. Once again, the flock giveaway brought some really wonderful people into our lives, Leslie, Mariah and RJ.
Once again I find myself in the position of being overwhelmed with gratitude and the desire to pay it forward. Once again, I find myself with enough sheep and goats to start another farm. So, once again, we are giving away a flock of sheep. Actually, we’re giving away two flocks.
Here’s how it works:
Anyone interested in entering this giveaway will need make a SHORT video- 3 minutes or less- telling me why you’d like to have a small flock of sheep. You can use your three minutes to show me around your property, introduce me to your family, whatever you want but mostly I want to hear why you’d like to be a shepherd. Have you always wanted sheep or goats of your own? Do you yearn to set up your spinning wheel in the pasture amongst the goats? Tell me all about it.
Your video doesn’t need to be technically proficient or professional- it’s your heart I want to see, not your aptitude with Final Cut Pro. iPhone videos are A-OK. Shepherds have to be resourceful and I know you can find a way to make a video.
Once you’ve made your video and posted in on YouTube or Vimeo, email it’s link to susie AT fiberfarm DOT com with Flock Giveaway Video in the subject line. Please be sure that your video is “embed” -able, so that we can post it on the website. All videos must be received by midnight, April 18, 2012. Videos received afterwards will not be screened or considered. When the videos are ready to be posted here on the blog, we’ll let you know when the voting period will begin and end.
All videos will be screened by the Juniper Moon Farm staff. If I think you have the acreage, dedication and heart to care for these animals, I will post your video here on the blog. Then all of our readers will have the chance to vote of which essay they like best. Once y’all have narrowed the field to the top four, we might even invite the finalists to come to the farm for a weekend to get to know them better. I will personally select the winners.
The final decision on the winners will be made by me and my decision is final and non-negotiable. I reserve the right to select no winners if I am not comfortable with any of the candidates or if it just doesn’t feel right. These animals are precious, sentient beings.I am responsible for them and I will never let them go to a new home that I am not completely comfortable with.
All videos become property of Juniper Moon Farm and can be used in promotion of the farm, the website or in any way we see fit.
If you know anyone who has shepherding dreams, please let them know about this giveaway. We want to cast the net as wide as possible, so your tweets, facebook postings and blog posting are much appreciated!
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Things like this make me wish I could join in. My house is on decent space for a city dweller, but not nearly enough to add livestock into the mix!
Wow, you’re doing it again!!!??!!
As the first winner of this amazing contest I have two things to say: First, Susan Gibbs is one of the most gracious and generous people I know, and I am thankful every day for her and the loving goats that she shared with me.
Second, if you have ever dreamed of or wished for some sheep or goats of your own, you MUST enter this contest. Even if y0u don’t win, you’ll let the powers of the universe know that you are serious and ready, and then your flock will find you, one way or another
My life has been enriched in so many ways since I brought my first goats home I hardly recognize it some days. The joys of shepherding and spinning fiber that comes from your own animals, and then creating wearable artwork from them is truly awesome. The community that has formed around my little flock has been tremendous and more supportive than I ever could have imagined. The whole wild, mad ride has been phenomenal and I feel incredibly fortunate and lucky every single day.
So, dream big, grab that camera and make an entry, you will not be sorry!
I can’t wait to see all the entries and make some new shepherding friends
Amazing! I passed this on to friends!
Don’t you just love Kristen? I do. And I love Susie, too.
I wish I could apply – but we’re in Israel and don’t have sufficient land (I don’t know which is a worse problem… ) I’ve been working with fiber for years and last year we started the application process for the rights to use grazing land (no answer yet). My husband took early retirement from his research job and now volunteers several days a week on a local sheep ranch, relearning the ropes after not having touched a sheep in about 40 years. It’s his passion. I’ve been investigating angoras, hoping to start a small flock and learn to spin my own yarn. We just keep reading and learning and working and hoping…. maybe in a few years we’ll get our land and see where it takes us! Congrats, in advance, to the lucky, lucky winners.
It almost makes me want to cry, because I cannot participate. I live in a very small town and the spouse will not move to the country because he would have to give up being Fire Chief here. I dream of this every day I swear, the homesteader wannabe that I am. *sigh. Good Luck to those who can make it happen. Im going to go eat something to down my sorrow…and wash it down with diet dew in angst of the situation
As one of the winners in the second contest I will wholeheartedly agree with Kristin about Susan being an extremely generous person. I am truly thankful for her gift of sheep. They have brought so much joy and focus to our lives.
I can’t wait to see the entries this year.
I have been unable to convince my family, I.e. Joe, that this is what we need to do, so my heart goes with whoever has land and motivation! The CSA is as close to sheepherding as I will get, but I’m excited for the applicants and future shepherds, good luck to all!!!
I love seeing the videos and dreams of the hopeful shepherds-to-be. Good luck to everyone. I wish I knew someone to encourage.
Backyard isn’t big enough while I research my dream farm. So I Tweet your news & enjoy the process.
Maybe by this time next year a few of those wonderful Jamaican-Rasta-types & I will be family.
What a generous soul you are to pay it forward this way. Count me in on this contest! I have been researching small farm/sustainable living and even took a “goat class” a while back. My hubby and I just moved to our little slice of heaven in the North Carolina mountains as a result of some very difficult family losses. We have set our sights on being positive, the future, and living closer to the land. We have 22 acres and a love for animals. Gotta run…. Have a video to make!!!
I am voting for Mary already, what a positive person? wow! Now, we will all want to be with Mary on 22acres, man, she and hubby can have a lot of goats and sheep! AND she will be close to You for any consulting she may want.
Good luck to everyone.
WOW! I wanted to say it was the giveaway in 2009 which brought me to your blog in the first place and now I can’t imagine a day without it. I wish I could enter but look forward to seeing all the future shepherds submit theirs!
Dang, I am not there yet… One day, hopefully you will still be givin’ away the boys (no experience, will need wethered males I am sure.) Sign me on for one who is looking forward to reading/watching the entries – good luck to all!
Oh, my, stars… I feel like I’m in a dream. This is so perfect for us… the timing might be perfect. We’re just now getting ready to purchase and move to our new…sigh… farm! Drawing papers up this week. A dream I’ve had since I was a kid. Something we’ve worked toward for so long… Yearned for, cried for…. The generosity you have to do such a thing is truly magnificent. I am definitely entering! Even the possibility of this fills me with sort of an overwhelming awe, peace… I don’t even know… can’t explain it yet.
May I just say that you are clearly one of the coolest people on the planet? And there are a LOT of really cool people out there, so that is saying something.
I’m not a candidate (student, no space, no time) but I will greatly enjoy “meeting” on this site those people who are vying for the good fortune you will vest in them. Best of luck to all! And YAY on general principles!!!
Oh my gosh! How I wish I could join!
Oh how I LOVE my sheep & goats! I raise a small spinner’s flock of Shetlands and Oberhasli dairy goats and one Pygora wether! I would love the fine fleece of a Cormo and lustrous mohair of an Angora… but, in all fairness, I think there’s other recipients out there that would benefit from this most generous give-away! I’ll help to spread the word…
Someday.
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