Submitted by Margie Smith, BLU member
1st place BFL fleece in 2014 MS&W fleece show
The fleeces shown, are from Marlindale Farm in New Oxford, PA. Margie
and Lynn Smith have been running Marlindale Farm since 1990 having moved
from Emmitsburg, MD to New Oxford in 2004. With support from BFL
breeders (giving us our foundation stock for BFL sheep) as well as our
sheep shearer, Emily Chamelin, and that of fellow Maryland Sheep
Breeders’ members, we started placing rather well in the Fleece Show at
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in 2011. We’ve had the 1st place BFL
title for the past 3 years. We mostly have purebred BFL now, but have
crossbred BFL x BL with stunning results.
The 2nd place fleece in 2015. Marlindale also had the 1st place fleece
Our fleeces sell from $45/ lb to $95/lb. We keep the sheep covered with Rocky Payne’s sheep sheets
which has kept the fleeces wonderfully clean.
A couple of us, in
conjunction with Rocky are try to develop a sheet sheet with a
“turtleneck” to preserve and keep clean the lower neck and shoulders. We
average about 1.5 pounds of “waste” from that area, which is just too
good to lose each year. Ours is a learning experience that is taking us
quite a few tries to get right!!