Martha’s Vineyard is one of those places where dreams come true. I know that sounds cheesey – but it’s true. This place is magical, and it invites innovation, especially of the green kind.
Susan Gibbs is a perfect example. Once upon a time, Susan was a producer for CBS – now, she’s a shepherd. But, she’s not just a shepherd. She started the world’s first natural fiber (wool from sheep and angora goats) CSA. CSA stands for community supported agriculture which essentially means that shareholders buy the wool or products of the upcoming farming season. Think of it like not pre-selling your inventory before you place any orders.
The best part is that the shareholders of the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm are so invested in the farm, the business, the animals – they’ve really become a community. They read Susan’s blog religiously, comment like mad, travel long distances for shearings and events, help her raise money for charity – and support her to no end when a lamb is sick or anything else bad happens.
For her part, Susan blogs every day, works her buns off and is hilarious. We’re thrilled that she and the Fiber Farm call the Vineyard home!!! You can find her here with her flock, at Fiberfest and at the Farmer’s Market in West Tisbury all summer long…
The Fiber Farm has been wildly successful. They’ve been written up in the Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair – and I’m sure Martha Stewart is not far behind!
(Oh, and she has a second flock up in New York’s Hudson Valley too!)
Great post on Susan and the MV/HV Fiber Farms. My daughter and I have only know Susan a little while and we just love her … the first time we met her she hugged us like long lost friends. My daughter is a shareholder and we were at the first fiber festival on MV last April. It was a wonderful day, and we fell even more in love with the sheep and goats after meeting and petting some of them.
Oops…almost forgot the website for my MV blog 🙂
They’re adorable! I’ll have to look into doing a farm visit at the one that’s close to home in the Hudson Valley.