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Black Welsh Mountain Sheep in the Hudson Valley
When the Banning family relocated from New York City to rural Dutchess County, they began raising a rare breed of black sheep. You'll want to see these beautiful fleeces!
When Irene and Jack Banning established Black Sheep Hill Farm in 2008, they had no prior experience as farmers. The couple left Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11, an event that brought an influx of similarly new and now-permanent residents up to the mid-Hudson Valley region of New York State. Jack had worked as an art dealer in the city, and Irene was employed in a number of fields, from health advocate to paralegal to crafts importer.
But after buying 100 acres of land in Dutchess County, the Bannings decided to start a farm. As it would have been a challenge to grow vegetables on their hilly property, they settled on livestock.
Get a closer look! Click on any of the images below to view it in full-screen mode.
Their venture began with just eight Black Welsh Mountain ewes and two rams. The Bannings chose the breed for many reasons, with practicality foremost. “They were advertised as being a good breed for beginners,” says Irene. “And it’s a reputation they have seriously lived up to. They’re self-sufficient, hardy, and good mothers. We liked their color, and in our ‘dilettantish’ way of taking on farming, we thought we’d contribute to the greater good by focusing on a heritage breed and doing our part for breed diversity.”
A Heritage Breed
The Black Welsh Mountain sheep date back to the Middle Ages. Selectively bred in the mountains of Wales from black sheep that occurred within flocks of the white Welsh Mountain sheep, they became an official breed in 1922 with the establishment of Britain's Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Society. Rare enough to be currently classified as “threatened” by The Livestock Conservancy, the Black Welsh Mountain was first introduced to North America in 1972, with a U.S. breed registry adopted in 1990. The sheep are small-to-medium sized, weigh approximately 100–140 pounds, and the males have handsome horns that curl around the ears.
Get a closer look! Click on any of the images below to view it in full-screen mode.
How Does it Knit Up?
When Irene and Jack Banning established Black Sheep Hill Farm in 2008, they had no prior experience as farmers. The couple left Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11, an event that brought an influx of similarly new and now-permanent residents up to the mid-Hudson Valley region of New York State. Jack had worked as an art dealer in the city, and Irene was employed in a number of fields, from health advocate to paralegal to crafts importer.
But after buying 100 acres of land in Dutchess County, the Bannings decided to start a farm. As it would have been a challenge to grow vegetables on their hilly property, they settled on livestock.
Get a closer look! Click on any of the images below to view it in full-screen mode.
Their venture began with just eight Black Welsh Mountain ewes and two rams. The Bannings chose the breed for many reasons, with practicality foremost. “They were advertised as being a good breed for beginners,” says Irene. “And it’s a reputation they have seriously lived up to. They’re self-sufficient, hardy, and good mothers. We liked their color, and in our ‘dilettantish’ way of taking on farming, we thought we’d contribute to the greater good by focusing on a heritage breed and doing our part for breed diversity.”
A Heritage Breed
The Black Welsh Mountain sheep date back to the Middle Ages. Selectively bred in the mountains of Wales from black sheep that occurred within flocks of the white Welsh Mountain sheep, they became an official breed in 1922 with the establishment of Britain's Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Society. Rare enough to be currently classified as “threatened” by The Livestock Conservancy, the Black Welsh Mountain was first introduced to North America in 1972, with a U.S. breed registry adopted in 1990. The sheep are small-to-medium sized, weigh approximately 100–140 pounds, and the males have handsome horns that curl around the ears.
Get a closer look! Click on any of the images below to view it in full-screen mode.
How Does it Knit Up?[PAYWALL]
At Black Sheep Hill Farm, the fleece is cleaned onsite and taken to a mill to be spun into a two-ply, DK-weight yarn. And while there are variations of fleece color within the flock, ranging from jet black to a dark brown that sun-bleaches in the summer to a reddish tone, Irene notes that the red color doesn’t show in the finished black or dark brown yarn spun from the fleece.
She recommends using the yarn for outerwear, such as hats or vests. “The current market seems to be more for soft and fluffy yarn, but I’ll wear this yarn against my skin. I think it knits up very well, and because of the nature of the yarn, it makes a nice, irregular texture.”
Having knit up a sample swatch of the yarn myself, I’d agree that it’s probably best for outerwear, although I did find it much softer than I expected. According to The Livestock Conservancy, the wool of the North American-bred Black Welsh is less coarse than its British counterparts, generally with a micron count ranging from 26 to 32. (By comparison, something like superfine Merino wool would have a micron count in the range of 15 to 18.)
Get a closer look! Click on any of the images below to view it in full-screen mode.
I decided to knit two strands held together using size 10½ (6.5 mm) needles, finding that while the short fibers did shed a bit while working it, the finished product is pleasingly rustic; the stitch definition slightly softened by the fiber. The color is a gorgeous dark brown and I like knowing that it’s a natural color that won’t wash out. I can see using this yarn in patterns that call for multiple colors, or even trying the two-strand approach with one strand of Black Welsh yarn and one strand of something else.
Tour the Farm!
Black Sheep Hill Farm is currently home to a diverse genetic pool of some 80 sheep along with 200 or so chickens and heritage breed pigs. Visitors are welcome, with tours scheduled by appointment. Pork, lamb, and eggs are available at the onsite store, open on the honor system seven days a week. Skeins of Black Welsh yarn and wool roving are available for purchase on the Black Sheep Hill Farm website.
A view of the farm barn and outbuildings.
The farm is also a stop on the spring farm tour held every April by the Dutchess County Sheep & Wool Growers Association, and they’re represented at the annual New York Sheep & Wool Festival in nearby Rhinebeck (look for them in the breed barn). Black Sheep Hill Farm also participates in the “Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em” initiative, designed by The Livestock Conservancy to encourage fiber enthusiasts to support heritage breeds. Buyers accumulate stamps in a passport as they purchase yarn from the represented breeds, and earn rewards for completing projects.
To learn more, visit blacksheephill.com.
Meet another shepherd raising heritage breeds that offers a variety of yarns, including Black Welsh Mountain—Amy Ross Manko of Ross Farms.
