Elena Miller-ter Kuile is a young rancher and sixth-generation farmer in Capulin, a tiny town in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, near the New Mexico border. Her ancestors have stewarded the land in the area since the 1850s, and today she is carrying on the tradition.
Have you been farming your whole life?
I grew up on the family farm, and my father, Alan, and my grandfather, Bob, used to run sheep in this area, but they had sold them off before I was born. My grandpa did pass on his love for sheep to me when I was young by teaching me to raise pencos (orphan lambs). We’d go out together to feed them—I think he was programming me at a young age to want to raise sheep! My sisters Ana and Diana and I grew up swimming in irrigation ponds, harvesting hay, and assisting our dad on the farm.
Do you still live on the land where you grew up?
Yes, and most of my family is still here, which is a huge support to me in my farming and parenting efforts! I’m a single mom of two daughters, Amalia (4) and Itzel (1). My family has a diverse heritage—Hispanic, Mexican, and Native American, as well as Dutch/European. Tias and tios, we all live around the farm.
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Have you always been on this land, or did you ever venture to other places?
I went away to college on the East Coast and had the opportunity to do some world traveling. I attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, on a scholarship. It was a long way from home, and I probably would have flunked out if it weren’t for knitting! It kept me awake during lectures. I majored in Interdisciplinary Studies in Agriculture, graduating with honors. As part of a study-abroad program, I traveled to India, Tanzania, New Zealand, and Mexico and was inspired by the rich textile traditions wherever I went. But I always dreamt of coming home to the farm to work with regenerative agriculture and combine it with my passion for fiber.
When you returned home, how did you get back to the family tradition of sheep ranching?
Since my mom, Maya, my sisters, and I are all into knitting, crocheting, felting, and spinning, it was a natural progression for us to buy a few sheep for fiber. In 2012, a friend mentioned that her mother had some pencos, so I purchased six Columbia bottle-fed lambs for $2 apiece. Raising them was not without its challenges: One night I came home to find all of the lambs were bloated; I spent a very long night feeding them home remedies to try and reduce the gas in their bellies. All the lambs survived and became the founding mothers of my current flock. My last bottle lamb, Bart Simpson (named for her very prominent overbite), died in 2022.
Did you stick with Columbia sheep?
Columbia sheep are primarily raised for meat, but their lofty wool is a great basis for felting and yarn. I really wanted to expand to other breeds, though—especially naturally colored sheep. I picked up eight California Variegated Mutant (CVM)/Merinos from Nancy Irlbeck of ANIROONZ Sheep Company at the Taos Wool Festival. Nancy is known for her top-quality wool fleeces, including colored breeds like CVM. Dad joined the fun, buying 30 Suffolk sheep, since, as he pointed out, “taking care of a hundred sheep is as easy as taking care of ten.”
It seems like you were a natural sheep farmer!
Well, not entirely! My first time lambing was a bit dicey. Basically, I didn’t have a system. The Suffolk sheep were wild and rebellious. The new wool sheep were young and inexperienced. Thankfully, there weren’t too many disasters, and my father quickly realized he needed to be more involved in order to impart more of the skills and generational knowledge I needed to successfully raise sheep.
That small flock has grown to more than 200 ewes. We’ve added Merinos from Jewell Ranch and a variety of naturally colored sheep with moorit and gray Merinos from Apple Creek Merinos and Steitzhof Merinos, and we’ve brought in some Wensleydale, Teeswater, Cotswold, and Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) from ANIROONZ and other breeders. Diversity is important, as it helps with disease resistance and making breeding and daily activities more interesting. They all have different personalities. The Merinos are docile and gentle, while the Teeswater, BFL, and Wensleydale are rebellious and independent. Cactus Hill fleeces win awards at fiber shows regularly.
I try to breed for the highest quality animal that does well in our dry, high-mountain desert. At almost 8,000 feet above sea level and receiving only seven inches of precipitation annually, this is a harsh environment. Long-term drought in the area has made creative solutions for reduced water use a necessity.
The climate challenges in your area must be a huge focus for you.
I’m following in the footsteps of my ancestors. The Hispano settlers of the San Luis Valley grazed their sheep in the surrounding mountains and created hand-dug acequias (community-owned ditches) to deliver snowmelt and spring water to irrigate crops and pastures.
I often think about how traditional farming communities dealt with living in the desert. Indigenous and Hispano farmers used sheep for meat and fiber and tied their lives to their animals. These traditions are rooted in creating resilient systems that were adapted to an arid climate. They lived within the limitations of their environment. Sheep require less water than other livestock and will even eat snow during the winter.
What are some of the other challenges you’ve faced?
Bordering the Alamosa River corridor, Cactus Hill Farm has its fair share of predators, including coyotes, mountain lions, bears, and wild dogs. And we have lost sheep to them. To counter this, we have guard dogs and pens to keep the sheep safe at night. This non-lethal predation control collects manure, which is used with rotational grazing to build soil. Improved soil health has many benefits, including sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and increasing organic matter, which improves water retention and filtration. The result is carbon-rich, drought-resistant soils with added fertility. Along with rebuilding soil on the farm, my dad and I have put the farm into a conservation easement, and we’ve worked with the community to plant trees and restore the river and riparian areas.
I got into farming because it is my passion and I care for the land, but I quickly realized I also needed to support my family. Farming is a tough business, and value-added wool products have helped me be a present mother for my young children while having a lot of enjoyment. I sell raw fleeces and pelts, and we work with Yampa Valley Fiberworks in Craig, Colorado, to create roving, yarn, and other products.
Tell us about being a yarn farmer.
I really love this part of the business. My roving and naturally colored yarns are made from a single fleece, so you get the experience of working with that one animal. My favorite fiber is the CVM/Wensleydale cross because it is lofty and wearable with the luster of longwool. From creamy white to shades of gray, pale tans to dark browns, and longwool and finewools, we have tons of natural color and unique fiber options. Each sheep has its own texture and color tone and undertones. I really want to showcase these variations. I love that naturally colored fibers remove the need for dye, which is a significant source of pollution and water waste worldwide.
For those who do want bright color, we offer a line of worsted and chunky kettle-dyed merino wool yarns, and we’re currently expanding to natural plant-based dyes. We’ve been planting and wild-harvesting dye plants around the farm and homestead, collecting rainwater to irrigate them. These dye flowers also offer a benefit to bees and other pollinators. I see the business headed toward more naturally colored fibers and natural dyes. I’m looking at ways to reduce water use while tying ecosystem benefits to the fiber arts.
How do you see things evolving for Cactus Hill Farm and your family?
I want to build more community, both in this area and beyond. I’ve recently collaborated with Tressa Weidenaar, the owner of Tsin bikee Knits. Tressa is Diné (Navajo) and Dutch. She designed the Silversmith Hat and new Silversmith Sweater patterns with my yarn. I’d love to build more partnerships with designers for patterns and continue to work with small family; black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC); and women-owned businesses.
In addition to raising sheep, Cactus Hill Farm also grows certified organic hay and specialty grains, and we sell grass-fed lamb. I believe we must respect and honor the lives of the animals we care for. I’m trying to reduce the waste that often goes along with meat processing and have worked with local butchers and Driftless Tannery, who uses natural tanning methods to turn hides into stunning finished pelts.
I’m always thinking about how we can enhance the farm and create a brighter future for the next generation. I’m working to buy the farm from my dad, who is a continuous support as a grandfather, father, and rancher. I serve on the Colorado Agricultural Commission and hope to bring positive change to agriculture and this community.
The most important thing is: I am not alone. I have a supporting family and a community of friends stepping in to help. I couldn’t do it without them.
Cactus Hill Farm offers a variety of products for fiber artists. Elena sells in person at several regional fiber shows as well as online at cactushillfarm.com. You can follow her on Instagram @cactushillfarm or on Facebook as CactusHill.
A version of this article appeared in the premier print issue of Farm & Fiber Knits. To discover more, including exclusive articles by Alice Starmore and Meg Swansen and 10 original knitting patterns, get your copy today.
Karin Strom has worked in the yarn industry for many years. She was the editor-in-chief of Yarn Market News, editorial director at Interweave, and most recently editor of the premier print issue of Farm & Fiber Knits. She has served as creative director and consultant for yarn companies and publishers. Karin lives, gardens, and knits in an 1850s farmhouse in northwest New Jersey. Find her on Instagram @yarnstrom.
