The Countdown to Shearing Day: 15 Years of Wool, Sweat, and Community
A Corriedale sheep awaiting shearing @ Stoney Mountain Farm Burlington, NC
There is a specific kind of energy that settles over the farm this time of year. It’s a mix of focused adrenaline and the rhythmic hum of preparation. We are officially gearing up for our biggest event of the season: Shearing Day 2026
This year is particularly special—it marks our 15th anniversary of opening our gates for this tradition. What started as a necessary farm chore has evolved into a full-scale celebration of fiber, farming, and community.
Cozy chaos in my office
Behind the Scenes: The Prep Work
Hosting an event of this scale doesn't happen overnight. To make sure everything runs smoothly for both our two-legged guests and four-legged sheep, we’re currently tackling a massive to-do list:
The Farm Shop: We’re stocking the shelves with inventory and fresh products, ensuring that when you visit, you can take a piece of this farm or another farm home with you. Because Farms ROCK!
Spreading the Word: Between updating our social media feeds and hammering signage into the local libraries and roadsides, we’re making sure the whole county knows that "Wool is Coming!"
The Logistics of "Sweat Work": You can’t imagine the organization required to get our sheep sorted into their groups and moved into the right spaces at the right time. It’s a physical puzzle we have to solve before the first gate opens.
Hospitality & Fun: A farm event is only as good as its snacks. We’re knee-deep in food prep, organizing drinks, and setting up activity stations to keep the kids (and the young at heart) entertained.
Choreographing the Flow: We spend hours planning how you move through the farm. Whether you’re heading toward the shearing floor, grabbing food, finding the music, or heading to that perfect grassy spot where so many of you love to throw down a picnic blanket, we want your path to be easy and seamless. How many tables will we need, where they’ll be strategically placed and how they’ll be managed by who and how many! It takes a village!
The Heart of the Day: The Sheep
While the festivities are fun, the real stars of the show are the sheep and our shearer, Kevin Ford. Shearing is a feat of physical endurance and logistical precision.
Kevin Ford blade shearing a sheep @ Stoney Mountain Farm Burlington NC
As each sheep is shorn, the work doesn't stop at the shears. Our warm and lanolin rich fleeces are quickly transported to our team, ready at the skirting tables, where they meticulously clean and sort the fleeces the moment they come off the animal. This ensures every fleece is prime for public purchase or ready to be sent off for further processing into the yarn and wool products you love.
Women and fiber enthusiast skirting wool @ Stoney Mountain Farm Burlington NC
And finally, Fifteen years has taught us that while the wool keeps us warm, it’s the community that keeps us going! Without all the enthusiasts, volunteers and worker bees…we couldn’t make this happen!
We can’t wait to share this milestone year with you on March 14th! Whether you’re here for the fiber arts, the farm animals, or just a day in the fresh air, there’s a place for you at the shearing table.
Holding a spot in our hearts for Donnie Just.
We know you’ll be watching over the flock.