speaker-0: Welcome to the wooly way of podcast specifically for dairy shepherds. is folks wanting to raise sheep for the purpose of harvesting milk. I'm your host, Rachel. speaker-1: and I'm Liv Fox. We cover all things pertaining to raising dairy sheep here via animal nutrition, housing, health care, lambing tips, cheese making, and even some butchery and fiber arts. speaker-0: After all, if you raise dairy sheep, you are going to have wool, and if your operation is successful, you'll eventually have surplus lambs to decide what to do with. speaker-1: Ethical animal husbandry is the focus here, as well as sustainable agriculture. We want to provide you with the information you need to start and continue your dairy sheep operation in the best way possible for you, your sheep, and the amazing world we live in. speaker-0: So grab a nice cup of sheet milk and let's dive in. Liv: Welcome back to the wooly way. Rachel, I feel like we owe our listeners maybe a heads up or if they've seen the title. We're labeling this episode, That's a Wrap for season two. Rachel Hester: Yeah. I see I also mean to be like, Well, guys, I'm done with you, I'm done with live, I'm done with this, and just like be dead silent for a minute, and then be like, for the season, but you're probably nicer than I am, and like let's just let them know graciously. The season's coming to a close, but Liv: Yeah, I'm usually pretty direct and straight to the point. Rachel Hester: Yeah, darn mishigander. but yeah, you may have noticed that our posting's been a little erratic and inconsistent. And the darned thing about Liv and I is we actually live the life that we are talking about on this podcast. We don't just Liv: do. Rachel Hester: you know, talk about it or hypothesize about it, or actually, you know, in the fields checking fence lines and Jeep Famacha scores and milking them and all that got Liv: Yeah. Rachel Hester: gooks. So I feel like wintertime is very easy. You know, fall, everyone's out in the breeding groups. You know, winter we're just throwing hay, making sure ice is chopped and buckets are flowing and Liv: Mm-hmm. Rachel Hester: that kind of stuff. And then you know, I hit lambing and I feel like Liv you were able to kinda fill in that gap, but then once your lambs started dropping was like, you know what, we we need to have a conversation about seasons and podcasts are a good thing. Liv: I feel Right. probably moving forward, realistic expectations potentially for our listeners is like airing new episodes September through end of April. And then I feel like once May 1st hits, we're both like in the thick of things. And it's just, it's really... It's not Rachel Hester: Right. Liv: hard to do the interview. It's hard to find the time to then go through and edit them. I don't think people Rachel Hester: No, that's yeah. Right. Liv: really realize how much editing we do to try to have a professional Rachel Hester: Right. Liv: episode where we're not umming all the time or long pauses and that kind of thing. And it just takes Rachel Hester: Right. Right. Right. Liv: time and we don't, we don't have time once summer hits. Rachel Hester: No, and I've I don't know about you, Liv, but for me, I mean, winter has its own type of intensity, but I feel like summer is just next level intense. that's when parasites hit, that's when dehydration for the animals and you I mean, that's when we're milking, that's when we're trying to figure out what we're doing with all of this milk. so it's just it's a lot busier than I feel like winter is. Because I winter you still have the animal care, but hey, we're probably not milking if it's sheep in the winter time. And then That just adds a whole different dynamic. And then you the pesky thing is that you and I both also don't just have the sheep. Like we have jobs and children and significant others, and all of them Liv: Right. Rachel Hester: all of them want food consistently for some reason and cleaned underwear, which Yes, and attention and they want you to be happy as well. Yes. Don't Liv: Yes. And attention. Attention and love. Rachel Hester: know why. and I know some helpful person's gonna write and be like, you know, you can you can like schedule posts and all that gobbledygook and it yes, we can. In order to do that though, you have to build up interviews in the hopper there was a couple of times where you and I were able to find times that worked for all of us, but we had to batch Liv: Yeah. Rachel Hester: record and then we were able to schedule post. I'm sure we will do some of that, but Liv: Mm-hmm. Rachel Hester: neither of us are making enough money where it justifies the amount of time it takes to coordinate with everyone, schedule everyone, block off time to batch record and then Liv: Yes. Rachel Hester: do all that kind of stuff. So, you know, unless there's some fabulous listener who wants to sponsor, wink wink, the podcast so we can manage this a little differently, I think. I think you're right. I think Liv: Right. Rachel Hester: we'll mainly be airing Woolie Way you know, fall through early spring and then once late spring hits, we'll probably wrap up our seasons just because A, I don't I mean, again, I'll probably be corrected by someone about this, but I don't feel like there's a ton of podcasts listening in the summers as much as other times of the year because that's when people are on vacation and school breaks and that kind of thing. there's more worrying Liv: Unless you're like me and like stockpile your podcast episodes so that way you can listen to them on a road trip. But if there's something I really like, I'll just Rachel Hester: Well true. Liv: re-listen to it. Rachel Hester: True. I just am grateful that I go, look, our numbers are up. People are listening to us, hooray. Liv: Right, yeah, 100%. And I had to chuckle when we said, you know, we don't make enough money doing this. For those of you who don't know, we don't make any money doing this. We actually pay to do this. So, yes, it is a lot of fun. I Rachel Hester: No, this is not where we get our project. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Which we're happy to do. We we are happy to do. I mean we get we get different perks for drinks. Liv: do enjoy it. Rachel Hester: Yeah. Yeah. I d I honestly feel like When you say, Hey, I have a podcast, like a lot of people are more willing to talk with you in podcast form than if you're like, Hey, I think you're an interesting person. Would you wanna have a phone chat someday and just we chit chat? Like I feel like having the podcast opens doors to like talk to the interesting people and pick their brains 'cause they're Liv: Absolutely. Rachel Hester: being recorded. Liv: Right? And I know there's a couple of people we would really like to chat with, but they just don't have good enough internet service for us to utilize our recording studio Rachel Hester: Right. Liv: how we normally do. And so hopefully during this off time, I put off in quotations for those of you who aren't watching this because there's no such thing as off time. But I'm hoping that maybe can figure out some tech to be able to at least do like the phone call Rachel Hester: Mm-hmm. Liv: and record it and be able to air it that way. You know, there wouldn't be a video for the folks who watch on YouTube, but there are some people out there that they they're willing to do it. We just have to make it accessible for them to be able to do it. So maybe Rachel Hester: Yeah. Yeah, I agree. Liv: in all my spare time, I'll try to figure that out. Rachel Hester: I don't even know what spare time is. Like, it doesn't happen as much anymore, but Liv: I know. Rachel Hester: like when I first started posting about like my knitting projects and stuff, I would have folks come in come to me and they're like, you know, in your spare time, there's this ministry you could knit for and just donate this stuff. And I didn't laugh at the time. And and people don't do that as much anymore now because I think I'm posting so much about farm stuff, but now if anyone says anything about spare time, I'm like, I don't know what that is. I don't have any Liv: I know I have friends that say all the time, like, I don't know how you do all that you do. And I'm like, well, there's a reason why the podcast hasn't been posting consistently. And that's because I'm insanely busy. And if there's something that has to give, unfortunately, the podcast is it. But I usually have a plan. And if that plan goes to Kaput, I have multiple backup plans, but like, When I wake up, like I typically hit the ground running, like I have a to-do list and things aren't going to get done unless I buckle down and do it. So I Rachel Hester: Yeah. Liv: am very busy. I won't disagree with that, but I enjoy the things that I do. So for me, it's not just a bunch of work all the time. Like it's a labor of love. Rachel Hester: Right. I think it would almost be easier, if we had these we had like the things we really hate doing and then like the things we love doing. But the problem is we love doing all the different things. So Liv: Yeah. Rachel Hester: but point being we are Wrapping up season two, we will be starting season three, probably in I would say mid to late September. I'm I would say once everyone goes into breeding groups, then we'll we'll come back and start giving you all the lovely content that our adoring fans are so appreciative of. Liv: Yeah, well, and that'll be good timing for us anyways, because the North America Dairy Sheep Association's annual Dairy Sheep Show happens at Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. Rachel Hester: Okay. Liv: And that show, the Dairy Show specifically is Friday, September 11 at 1pm. And I'm hoping to take my computer and my mic and maybe chat with some of the people that enter in the show and, if they're willing, figure if I have it, then I can use it. maybe Rachel Hester: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Liv: chat with the judge kind of deal. So it would be great Rachel Hester: Yeah. Liv: to, you know, we could kick the season off with kind of recapping the show and stuff like that. Rachel Hester: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And then in October you and I are going to Homesteaders of America. which by the way, there are still tickets as of mid July twenty twenty six. So if you want to come, there are still tickets available. Liv: I can't believe there's still tickets. Rachel Hester: I c I can't either. I feel like part of it is there's so many other homesteading events popping up all over the country. Like it's not the only one. So people are able to kind of pick and choose. So Liv: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Or finding ones closer. Rachel Hester: Yeah. So I I know it's kind of a first though for them to not be sold out this late in the year. But point being, if you want to come, you still have the opportunity. so Liv and I will be there. Kacha from Savic Beauty is gonna be there too at our booth. So she'll be explaining how the cream separator works and all that and any questions you have about clabber. I will be speaking on Friday about just general sheep care and then on Saturday about dairy sheep specifically. my book will be there in droves. So if you'd like to get a signed copy, you totally can or bring your copy and I will sign Liv: you Rachel Hester: it for you if you don't have it that already signed. Liv: I'm going bring my coffee and have you sign it for me. Rachel Hester: there you go. It's always funny Liv: you Rachel Hester: to me when when friends like, we want you to sign our copy. I'm like, I like you know me. Like I'm right here. Liv: Well honestly Rachel Hester: Okay. Liv: that book is your introduction of coming into my life. I mean at the time I Rachel Hester: Yeah. Yeah. Liv: got I pre-purchased it so I got it in October. It was like a birthday gift to myself Rachel Hester: Okay. Yeah. Liv: and read it you know front to back Rachel Hester: Yeah. Liv: and gosh I'm trying within a year is when we had an opening for the North America Dairy Sheep board, we had someone who needed to step down. So I was like, Rachel Hester: Well you you contacted me before that because Liv: I'll reach out to Rachel. What do you guys think? And they're like, if you can get her. Rachel Hester: Yeah, well, but you reached out to me before then because you're like, Hey, we're formulating the North American Dairy Sheep Association. Would you be willing to give members a discount? Liv: Yes. Rachel Hester: And I was like, great, more book sales. Yes, absolutely. Liv: Yes. Yep. Rachel Hester: Let me do you that favor. And I think then we we had to talk a Liv: you Rachel Hester: couple of times because I kept running out of stock and like I I would know I was run out of stock because you'd best be message me and be like, Hey, you're out of stock. My members need to be able to get to your book. And I was like, well, I'll just have to take care Liv: You Rachel Hester: So that was like our preliminary conversation. And then you were like, W would you wanna be on the board? And I was like, I will be the world's worst board member, but sure I'll show up when I can. So Liv: If we were super tech savvy, which I really am not, I would insert the clip from Step Brothers where it's like, did we just become best friends? Yup. Rachel Hester: Exactly. showed up and everyone was like Liv: Because now we do. We practically talk to each other every day. Rachel Hester: I came onto the board and everyone was just like, my gosh, you're actually here, you're actually on the board. I'm like, you guys have literally no idea how not big of a deal this is. That like I I'm I feel bad Liv: You Rachel Hester: for you all, to be honest, because I am like when you look at ideal board member in the dictionary. My picture is not there. Like, that's not what I'm there for. Is like the I think the first con the first board member meeting was like we were trying to figure out merch and then awards for the the sheep show. And like Liv: Yup. Rachel Hester: I I remember turning off my camera and Kyle would come in, he's What are they talking about? I'm like, I don't know. I have no idea what they're talking about. I don't know what opinion I'm supposed to give. I Literally just here listening and trying to learn because I don't know what I'm doing. And he's like, Do you need something? I'm like, Tea, get me Liv: you Rachel Hester: lots of tea. Liv: Well, we're happy to have you. if you stuck around this far, nomination open up for board positions if you're interested in running for a position on Rachel Hester: Yeah. Yeah. Liv: any current NADSA member in good standing can run nominations start. after our August meeting and they go through September, we vote in October and we announce the winners at our October meeting. So if you're interested, you can nominate yourself. I mean, there's not Rachel Hester: Yes. Liv: enough people for us to say, somebody else needs to nominate you. By all means, nominate yourself. No one's going to be like, they think high of themselves. Rachel Hester: Right. And and if you're if you don't necessarily want to be a board member, but you do want to help with like making banners or advertisements or you have another idea or you'd just like to be a helpful, friendly person, we are starting committees, I believe, and formulating little groups of people who can Liv: Yes. Yep. Rachel Hester: do our busy work for us and then we can do, you know, the admin stuff and then Liv: Yes. Rachel Hester: figure out things like when the podcast season will keep going or what webinars to do next, or You know, st stuff like that where that's really only something the board can do. And then we have the committees of people who are like, We're here, we're creative, we want to help, we want to put things forward, so give us something to do. We're like, well, here's an event we fit decided we're doing, you get on Canva and make it look like a very pretty announcement. Not a big deal for you. We just don't have time Liv: Mm-hmm. Rachel Hester: that way. you have the involvement you want, but not all the commitment of, being a consistent. Board member Liv: it's exciting that NADSA has grown so much to the point where I need help. I historically have done a lot of the behind the scenes, the flyer making, sending out emails, that kind of thing. Rachel Hester: Yeah. Liv: We've just grown and my involvement with my new career, I'm busy. I don't need to control everything. And there's people out there who also love to create flyers and would love to just like give them the details and they can put something together and then we can tweak it how we want it. And Rachel Hester: Mm-hmm. Liv: they're willing to just donate their time and then we can share it on social media, put it on our website. It's nice to have people who are willing to like step up and Rachel Hester: Yeah, sure. Liv: and help with those things. Rachel Hester: For sure. Liv: yes, we're starting committees and like the committee members are going to be able to attend our board meetings. So that way, you know, they can report back, you know, what they're doing or if they have any questions or anything like that. So that's a way to be get involved if you don't necessarily Rachel Hester: Right. Yeah. Liv: want to commit to being on the board. and if for some reason, if anyone wanted to run to be the president and take over the database and Rachel Hester: Right. Okay. Liv: printing the certificates and everything, we can ship it to you. I worry that they would think that they would hurt my feelings if they wanted to run and I just want people to know that's not at all the case. If somebody truly felt Rachel Hester: Yeah. Liv: like that they wanted to be in the president position, like I would not be offended at all. but I'm also happy to continue doing it until that person steps up. Rachel Hester: Yeah. Liv: And if nobody steps up, eventually it'll be my daughter when she's old enough to be an adult. Rachel Hester: goodness. What want to be when you grow up, Journey? I don't know, but I will be taking over the board of Natsa if no one else steps up. Liv: Thanks, mom. Rachel Hester: All that to say, we will be back in September. We've got some stuff going on with NADSA. so yeah, we probably won't be back with the podcast before these things happen. So just for those of you who like taking notes and like knowing these things, nominations for NASA board members will open in, did you say, August? And then and voting will happen in October. but if you want to be on a committee, you can email Now it's at any time and say, I I am your willing participant in that. What would you like us to do? and then Liv: Yes. Well, and for any current NEDSA members, they were sent a Google form. So if you're not a current NEDSA member, I encourage you to, because if you join August 21st for $25, you actually get a pro-rated membership. So you get the rest of 2026 and then all of 2027. Rachel Hester: Mm-hmm. Liv: So I do encourage people. to probably by the time this airs, it'll almost be August 1st. So you do need to be a member to run to be on the board. Rachel Hester: Right. Liv: our North America Dairy Sheet Rachel Hester: It should do. Liv: and then parentheses NADSA Facebook group. Rachel Hester: Yes. Liv: Like we'll post updates on there as well as our website. So, and if you ever have any questions, send an email to the Gmail account, which is listed on the website in multiple places. And we're more than happy to answer questions and Rachel Hester: Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Liv: all that stuff. Rachel Hester: So tentatively we'll be back late September. And then we actually do have one or two special episodes that are coming in between seasons because they are rather off topic of dairy sheep episodes, but all they're still information that I thought was valuable and I pitched it to Liv she's like, Yeah, that sounds great. So we We'll be having a couple special episodes airing between seasons that aren't dairy sheep specific, but I think are still valuable to the dairy sheep community. I have no idea when those are going to air, but just, you know, we won't completely disappear between now and season three, which I can't believe we made it to season three, to be perfectly honest. Very proud of ourselves. Liv: I know. Let's go through and count how many episodes have been done altogether. Rachel Hester: So that's all I have. So we will see you in the fall. Thank you. Liv: Yeah, that's a wrap. Rachel Hester: thank you everyone for for trucking with us up to this point and sharing the podcast and telling folks about it. Because really like I don't do any advertisement really other than just occasionally posting on my social media of like, hey, I posted something new, you should Liv: Mm-hmm. Rachel Hester: go listen. So Most of the listeners have found us either through word of mouth or their own interests and we do really appreciate that 'cause, like we keep saying, we don't get an income for this. We're just doing this as a labor of love of we really want to get more information out to people interested in dairy sheep. And so people letting us know that they appreciate the podcast and that we're doing a good job really does give us that oomphs to keep going Anyway, thank you guys. We'll see you in the fall. Liv: All right, so until Yeah, we'll see you later. Rachel Hester: Bye guys. speaker-0: Thanks so much for listening to the Woolly Way Podcast. speaker-1: We hope you enjoyed our episode and have gleaned at least one tip you can implement in your flock right away. If you like what you heard, please hit the subscribe button. And if you wouldn't mind, leave us a review. This helps others find our podcast so that they can enjoy learning about dairy sheep along with you. The Woolly Way podcast is a production of Whoopsy Daisy Farm and Crafty Fox Bakers. For updates and information about our show, follow us on Facebook or Instagram. speaker-0: Subscribe to our YouTube and email list and look us up at whoopsydaisyfarm.com to find both. Have a particular guest you'd like us to host or a topic you'd like us to cover? Fill out our contact form on our website or shoot us an email at whoopsydaisyfarm.gmail.com. See you next time!