A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm

Incredibly soft home grown Maine fiber for felt artists, knitters, spinners, and weavers. It started with the animals…We wanted to keep the rocky fields from growing into woods and the neighbor said sheep would do a good job. Soon we had a flock of sheep and lambs. Our pastures now have an abundance of green lush grass that the animals graze all summer. Then we had more than 3 bags full of wool. What to do?We learned to wash wool, card, spin, needle felt and weave our incredibly soft home grown wool and provide it to others who share our passion for fiber arts. We stay connected to the animals and our environment, enjoy an outlet for creativity, and keep ourselves and others warm and comfortable when the Maine winter winds blow. A Wrinkle in Thyme Farmis a women-owned and operated, small, diversified farm using organic practices in the foothills of the western mountains of Maine. Moving to Maine from Illinois in 1995, we, Mary Ann and Marty, came seeking 100 acres of wooded land for the purpose of building a log cabin with no intentions of farming. As luck would have it, we settled into our 1850s farmhouse, surrounded by 32 acres of fields, woods, and apple orchard. After we acquired a small flock of sheep and purchased the draft horse, we decided we needed a barn, so with the help of a neighbor we built a 36×48 foot timber frame barn in 2003, complete with a barn swing for the grandchildren and a hay loft. We applied for and received a “Farms for the Future” grant that made it possible to build a sugar house, pole barn, and Tesseract Fiber Building. With the help of good friends, Mary Ann built a sugar house in 2011, just in time for the maple season. We produce a significant quantity of maple syrup each year using about 400 taps and our wood-fired evaporator. We worked our draft horse to collect sap and firewood until he retired. In December, 2021 he was laid to rest. Addition of a pole barn with a sheep feeding station for hay and grain in the cold seasons of the year made it possible to increase the size of our flock of sheep for fiber. The pole barn is also used for equipment storage so that the timber frame barn is available for lambing. The ewe lambs are improving fleece quality. Ram lambs are sold for breeding and, when necessary, they provide meat and pelts. Now we are cutting back on the number of sheep and lambs and purchase fleece from other farms who love their animals. Farming allows us work at our own pace though often we have more than enough to do. To round out our diversified farm and increase our self-sufficiency, we keep laying hens for eggs, grow broilers, and grow vegetables, blueberries, and a few herbs for ourselves and a few friends. We enjoy fiber arts and creative expression amidst the daily and seasonal rhythms of our small, diversified farm. The Tesseract Fiber Building and Learning Center opened in 2010 to provide a space in which to expand our community. This building includes a farm store, a dye kitchen, a gathering and learning space, and equipment for washing, picking and carding wool. The hex sign on the front of the building was donated to us by Ute Simons, and symbolizes abundance and joy.  The Maine-based artist is Virginia Stoltenborg. To see more of her work, check outher website. We are grateful for the community of people who who gather weekly to knit beautiful wool projects and enjoy fiber art. We were the first farm in Maine to offer Fiber CSA Shares! The local members of our CSA are also willing workers that contribute their time and talents throughout the year. We seek to live simply and nurture our connections with family, community and the earth. We produce high-quality food, help to build a successful rural economy, and experience a healthy life. We value collaboration and integrity. We share a passion for spending time with nature in the woods and fiber arts. Sustainability is based on a simple principle: everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, ei