The Back of Beyond

 Usually the trip to the Wool Festival in Taos is a destination all on it's own - much anticipated during the year. This time the most exciting part of the trip took place on Sunday when we were invited to go to the Rio Nutrias Ranch and buy fleece. The ranch is located near Tierra Amarilla which is a couple of hours north and west of Taos through the Kit Carson National Forest. This national forest might be the best kept secret in the west as hardly anyone is up there. This time is year is even more beautiful with the aspens turning. We saw a few camps with hunters as it is elk season but even those were few and far between.

The Rio Nutrias Ranch is nestled in the foothills of this beautiful place. The sheep ranching part is run by two sisters, Veronica Montano Coale and Ana Padilla who I had met last year at Wool Festival. They raise mainly Wensleydale with a few head of Ramboulette to round out the herd of about 40 animals. This is sustainable sheep ranching at it's best. These animals are coated in winter and have one of the most beautiful and lush pastures I have seen in the west. It is unusual to find small growers like this who are not raising churro here as that seems to be the sheep of choice among those who don't raise the animals for meat. Churro is wonderful for colcha and rugs but not what I consider garment quality so to find these wonderful people raising garment quality sheep is akin to winning the lottery. 

 Sheep barns where the sheep and their dog spend the nights.

Sheep along the Rio Nutrias river. No fences in sight, just pasture and shade trees and clean water. What more could a sheep want?

This ranch has a good life affirming feel to it where you know that these animals are not dinner when they have been sheered. Veronica and Ana are building up their flock and I saw the new ram who is solid black. Most of the sheep are white but there will be more color in the future.

Updates in the shop as the week progresses - I'm busy washing fleece right now. I'll be back with you shortly.