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Meet the Co-Op Members
Learn About the Animals
Fiber Education Cards
Become a Member |
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Our Co-Op Continues to Grow! Welcome to our newest members:
Harry Carr, Friesian Sheep
Mint Creek Farm - Steele, Illinois
Patricia Lamesch, Icelandic and Ramboullet Sheep
Winfield, Illinois
John and Connie Seraphine, North Country Cheviot Sheep
HeatherHope Farm - Syacamore, Illinois
Kathy Koning-McClure, Montadale Sheep
Winnebago, Illinois
Garceau Family, Columbia Sheep
Elburn, Illinois
Mary McCarty & Susan Stillinger, Merino Sheep
Cozy Hollow Farm - Elgin, Illinois
Beverly Klusel, Hampshire Sheep
Elgin, Illinois
Rick and Barb Gast, Alpacas
Albo Acres - Newark, Illinois
Randy and Terri Carlson, Icelandic Sheep
Red Brick Road Farm - Dixon, Illinois
John and Charlotte Nadig, Merino Sheep
Dekalb, Illinois
Barry Smith, Suffolk Sheep
Sandwich, Illinois
Steve and Tracy Riddle, Border Leicester Sheep
The Shepherd’s Wife - Worden, Illinois
Kendziora Family, Jacob Sheep
Elburn, Illinois
New member bios and photographs to come soon.
Julie Barr, Columbia Sheep
Barr Farms - Dekalb, Illinois
Julie Barr, owner of Barr Farms in rural DeKalb, Illinois discovered her passion for owning and caring for sheep at an early age. A 4-H project started with two bottle lambs at the age of seven has grown into a lifelong commitment to raising and selling top quality breeding stock, market lambs and beautiful Columbia wool. Read more... |
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Lane, Carol & Martin Burnidge, Dorset Sheep
Enjoy Pioneer Farm - Hampshire, Illinois
The Burnidge family’s roots in Kane County date back to the period just after the Black Hawk Indian Wars of the 1830’s when two brothers bought 40 acres of land just 10 miles from the where the current farm is located today! Lane’s father began showing Dorset Sheep at local fairs and the International Expo held at the old Chicago Stockyards in 1946. Son Martin continued the family tradition when he chose Dorset Sheep for his 4-H project. Read more... |
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Dick & Florence Getzelman, Cheviot Sheep
Bo-Peep Cheviots - Hinckley, Illinois
Both Dick and Florence Getzelman boast a rich family tradition of breeding sheep on the lush, hilly pastures of Illinois. Florence’s family started breeding Dorset Sheep in 1919, showing their prize breed from Kane County to the Chicago International Livestock show. As a youngster, Dick started raising sheep for a 4-H project. Together they started their flock of Cheviots with four sheep that have now grown to more than one hundred. Read more... |
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Connie Gustafson, Merino Sheep
Gustafson Merino Sheep - Kirkland, Illinois
Connie Gustafson’s love for sheep began with a lamb named Harry nearly 40 years ago! From that simple beginning the Gustafson family has raised sheep as well as a number of agricultural crops on their 1500 acre centennial farm. Over the years, many sheep have become such treasured members of the family that they were lovingly buried in a cemetery near the barn. Read more... |
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Scott, Donna, Natasha & Eric Lehrer, Cheviot Sheep
Lamb of God Farm - Big Rock, Illinois
Truly a labor of love for the entire family, the Lehrer’s started raising sheep six years ago. When a neighbor gave the family a spinning wheel the journey into the creative world of fiber arts began! Read more... |
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Judy Maierhofer, Navajo Churro Sheep
Loveless Fiber Farm - Newark, Illinois
A hand spinner since childhood, Judy Maierhofer bought her fleeces at local sheep shearing days. In the mid-90’s, years of drought in the Southwest decimated the Navajo Churro Sheep causing the genetic pool to become threatened. During one of her fleece buying trips, a local farmer offered anyone with a barn one ram and three ewes to help replenish the breed. Once her herd grew, she was able to send fifteen ewes to New Mexico to help them diversify the gene pool. Read more... |
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Ray Mohr, Lincoln Sheep
Mohr Lincoln Farm - Danvers, Illinois
The Mohr family’s love of sheep began thirteen years ago when the boys started showing Oxford Sheep in 4-H. Some years later, the Mohr’s daughter Kayli was ready for 4-H but the Oxford breed was a bit large for her to handle. Ray turned to the smaller Lincoln Sheep and the rest, as they say, is history! Read more... |
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Bonnie Ogle & Eleanor St. John, Montadale & Polypay Sheep
Ogle Family Farm - Sugar Grove, Illinois
The Ogle Family’s entrée into the world of sheep raising began when one of Bonnie’s daughters won a 4-H essay contest. While many county fair winners bring home colorful goldfish swimming in clear plastic bags, the prize for this contest was a Montadale Sheep! Obviously blessed with extraordinary luck, this same daughter subsequently won a starter flock of three Polypay ewes at another 4-H contest – thus the Ogle sheep herd was formed! Read more... |
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Carol Revzan, Shetland Sheep
Threadworks Farm - Earlville, Illinois
Carol Revzan’s love of knitting began as a young girl learning the skill at her Grandmother’s side. That creative spark led her to take up weaving some years later. She finally realized her dream of starting the process, literally from the beginning, when she moved from the city of Evanston, IL to the rural town of Earlville in 2001 and began her spinners flock with seven ewes and two weathers (neutered males). Read more... |
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John Shelton, Romney Sheep
Shelton Romneys Farm - Fieldon, Illinois
John Shelton’s experience raising sheep goes back to his family farm where Dad taught him to shear as a teenager. The Romneys are the seventh breed John has raised, which resulted from his son’s search for a smaller, easier to manage breed featuring natural colors for his 4-H project. Read more... |
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Sandra Schrader, Cormo Sheep
Clear View Farm - Waterman, Illinois
For Sandra Schrader, owning and caring for livestock is the culmination of a lifelong dream. Owning and operating Clear View Farm is the realization of that dream come true. Read more... |
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Drs. Glenn & Julie Smith, Alpaca
Cedarhill Creek Farm - Freeport, Illinois
Glenn and Julie Smith founded Cedarhill Creek Farm in 2000 when they moved from Chicago to Freeport, Illinois to start a Complementary Medicine department for the Freeport Health Network (FHN). Their move to the country allowed the Smiths to satisfy two dreams; raising animals and running their own health care practice. Read more... |
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Dee Stielow, Alpaca
Salt Creek Alpacas - Farmer City, Illinois
Salt Creek Alpacas began with just four alpacas—two bred females and two crias (baby alpaca)—as well as two Great Pyrenees puppies, who serve as the guardians of the herd today! Just like most families, Dee’s alpacas exhibit distinct personality traits. Half sisters, Linen and Black Magic, have very different temperaments. Black Magic is very easy going and accepting of new members while Linen serves as the herd “Queen” and insists on checking out each new alpaca brought into the herd! Read more... |
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Mary & Kate Stough, German Angora Rabbits
Happy Hoppers Rabbitry - Kaneville, Illinois
Mary and Kate Stough’s love for rabbits began when Kate elected to raise show rabbits for her 4-H project. Their “rabbit-habit” evolved into a business when they added German Angoras to their rabbitry. Particularly suited for their lifestyle, the German Angoras are phenomenal animals, gentle, easy to handle with a easy-going disposition that makes shearing a joy for animals and owners alike! Read more... |
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Andrew Tokarz, Friesian Milk Sheep
Phona Agricultural Circle - Chicago, Illinois
After attending the seasonal migration festival of Transhumance in Idaho with a local Polish dance troupe, Andrew Tokarz envisioned a cooperative sheep farm near Chicago where members could express their love for the land and sheep and ensure that their traditional skills were not lost. The group, known as the Phona Agricultural Circle, is comprised of emigrants from the highlands of Southern Poland with a centuries old tradition of raising sheep. Read more... |
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Howard & Shirley Walter, Hampshire Sheep
Willow Pond Farm - Crete, Illinois
Devoted to breeding show stock, Howard & Shirley Walter have 15 head of Hampshire Sheep as well as white and naturally colored Romney Sheep. The Walters attend many shows around the country and typically place well for both sheep and wool. Showing their wool at the national show earned them blue, red and white ribbons for the black Romney. Read more... |
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Kim Weems, American Fuzzy Lops Rabbits
All American Fuzzitry Farm - Plainfield, Illinois
Kim Weems’ love for rabbits started with one show rabbit as a 4-H project. When her pet got too old to show, she researched breeds that she could show and start her own wool producing business. She fell in love with the American Fuzzy Lops, a distinctive breed with “floppy ears, big fat heads and chipmunk cheeks”! Read more... |
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Jane & Nicole Zeien, Shetland Sheep
Gone With the Wind Shetlands - Belvidere, Illinois
A breeder of Shetland Sheep for the past five years, the Zeiens currently own twelve Shetlands and are delighted to report that this year eight of their ewes are having babies! Since Shetlands come in such a variety of colors, one great delight in lambing is seeing what new colors and patterns are represented in the lambs! Read more... |
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