Spring is on the way, and it’s time to shear the sheep! On Saturday, March 30th, Island Farm will host its annual sheep shearing day, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. This event was originally scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd, but due to weather, has been rescheduled. Admission is $10, and children 3 and under are admitted for free.
During the event, Island Farm’s resident sheep will be hand-shorn, just as they would have been in the mid-19th century on Roanoke Island. Shearing will take place in front of visitors, so they can witness the process up-close. This year Island Farm is thrilled to host local farmer, Frederick Inglis, to the farm to hand-shear the flock.
Other activities at the event will include butter making, blacksmithing with the Manteo Blacksmith, hearth cooking, wool bracelet crafts, plus wool washing, carding, dyeing, spinning and weaving demonstrations by local fiber artists.
A living history farmstead, Island Farm is a tangible glimpse into coastal history, and the realities of life on Roanoke Island in the mid-1800’s. Admission to the site is $10, and children 3 and under are admitted for free. The site is located at 1140 N US Highway 64, north of Manteo on Roanoke Island.
Island Farm is owned and operated by Outer Banks Conservationists, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1980 to protect important natural, cultural, and historic resources along North Carolina’s Outer Banks through education and conservation. For more information, visit www.obcinc.org/island-farm/, email info@obcinc.org or call 252-473-6500.