Agricultural Program Schedule 2025
The agricultural programming happens in the Red Barn and adjacent tent. Check out our full schedule of activities below, or stop by anytime to meet the vendors and fibre animals that are a part of our Manitoba Fibre Flock!
Friday - September 5, 2025 3pm - 9pm
5:30pm - 6pm Shearing demonstration and Working Wool
6pm - Wool Show awards
6:30pm - 7pm Meet the breed - Icelandic with Luckystone Acres in the Red Barn
7pm - 7:30pm Fibre Farmer Chat - Flax to Linen with Randy Dyck of the Pembina Fibreshed
7:30 - 8pm Alpaca Demystified with Cathy Merkley
8:30pm - 9pm Shearing demonstration and Working Wool
Saturday, September 6, 2025 10am - 4pm
10:45am - 11:15pm - Fibre Farmer Chat - 2024 Featured Breed - Valais Blacknose with Tribble Ranch at the Valais pen in the Red Barn
11am - 11:30am Shearing demonstration and Working Wool
12pm - 12:30pm Fibre Farmer Chat - Nettles: From Sting to String: This presentation will answer burning questions about how to safely forgage and work with nettles - without being stung! With Simone LeBlanc
12:45pm - 1:15pm Meet the breed Wensleydale, Polypay, Romeldale, CVM, Cotswold, Polypay with Gerry Oliver in the Red Barn tent
1:30pm - 2pm Shearing demonstration and Working Wool
2:15pm - 3pm Fibre Farmer Chat: Natural Dyeing with the Manitoba Rainbow - learn all about the colour we can grow in our region with Lourdes Still of Masagana Flower Farm
3:30pm - 4pm Shearing demonstration and Working Wool
4pm Wool Sale closes
Program Details -
Flax to Linen - learn all about the Pembina Fibreshed's Flax to Linen project. See how this plant is transformed into fibre and the challenges and success of growing linen in Manitoba.
Randy Dyck is an alpaca farmer and owns and operates Hundredfold Farm with his wife Kim and their two children. Randy and Kim are the facilitators of the flax to linen project with the Pembina Fibreshed. Learn more at www.pembinafibreshed.ca
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Nettles: From Sting to String: This presentation will answer burning questions about how to safely forage and work with nettles - without being stung! Nettles are accessible and sustainable, these plants are easy to find and require minimal equipment to turn into beautiful yarn.
Simone LeBlanc is a fibre artist living in Northwestern Ontario. Simone has an interest in natural and locally sourced fibres in her exploration of various fibre crafts. As a participant of the One Year, One Outfit Challenge, Simone transformed Nettle and flax plants, sourced from her property, into yarn and a woven garment
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Featured Breed - Valais Blacknose - Joachim & Idris from Tribble Ranch endeavour to establish the Valais Blacknose sheep breed in Manitoba and Canada. These 'cutest sheep in the world' deliver a unique fibre and are a must-see. Their docile, friendly temperament makes them ideal keepers, both as breeding stock or as cherished pets! https://www.tribbleranch.ca
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Natural Dyeing with the Manitoba Rainbow - learn all about the colour we can grow in our region with Lourdes Still of Masagana Flower Farm
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Alpaca Demystified - An information course on alpaca fleeces including characteristics, skirting, selecting, best practises and best uses for alpaca.
About Cathy Merkley - I am an owner of Alpaca Naturally, Inc which is a wholesale company that buys fibre from Canadian alpaca producers, classes the fleece, sends it for processing at Canadian processing facilities and wholesales, batts, rovings, yarns, socks, insoles and pressing pads. I am an alpaca producer, fleece classer, crafter and educator.
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Meet the Breeds
Navajo-Churro - Originally brought over from Spain and prevalent in southwestern USA, the Navajo-Churros have been around for thousands of years. Here we will introduce you to a brief history explaining why there are so few of these sheep left and what we can do to help preserve them for future generations. We will also talk about how these little sheep are a true example of a "multi-purpose" breed and the best uses for their fibre.
Shirley Harvey is an allied health care worker and self-taught tapestry weaver that began her adventure into fibre farming in 2022 when she initially brought home six Navajo-Churro sheep to White Spruce Heritage Farm. Her flock size has increased to 30 with the arrival of 14 beautiful lambs in the spring of 2025.
Icelandic Come learn all about Icelandic sheep and their wool. Where do Icelandic sheep originate and when did they arrive on Canadian farms. Learn more about their wool and how to use it! Craig & Zoe Bailey from Lucky Stone Acres run an icelandic sheep farm in the interlake region of Manitoba.
Wensleydale - Spiritsands Shepherds has been in the sheep business for over 25 years. Originally, they first raised meat breed sheep, slowly transitioning into fibre breeds. Today, they specialize in rare, longwool and fine wool breeds. This includes Wensleydale, Cotswold and Romney sheep and Rambouillet and Romeldale/CVM. The high-valued wool is sold to both handcrafters and woolen mills.
