Big & Curious The rams appear to be dropping a new album. They had a full month of grazing and relaxing. The boys have trees to nap under and boulders to climb - lots of fighting and a little sex (or at least some mounting).

The island's lilacs are a whisper at a life well lived. Lilacs take their time. The buds look dead in April. Have you ever felt like this? Gnarled up, and woody. It is good to be as the lilac. Flowering. The lilac will not bloom if she is cut back too heavily. This is not a place for brutes.

Jennifer Ramiston 👱‍♀️

This retired ewe has Bottlejaw - a condition that is most often a sign of severe anemia. We treated her low iron and will observe over the next week for signs of improvement or decline.

The face I make when I hear the words "Breaking News". @aaronparnas.bsky.social

2 of the "Teaser" rams have an adorable moment. Boudicca the Guardian Dog sunbathes, Jake gets a snuggle. #CanadianMade #Farm

The Shoreline 100% Canadian wool blanket 🇨🇦 www.topsyfarms.com

Spruce is a heart throb. He's so tall and imposing - blocking the sun and wind. Protective and a little domineering. An evergreen with a sticky trunk. Smells good. He's kind of a prick but that's just on the outside. Past that rough exterior and spiny needles is soft wood.

Farm kid clears a path.

Stormy Days Topsy has weathered some major storms over 53 years. Amherst Island has come through this ice storm ok. The road crew clearing trees from the road. We received alerts before the storm with info about ferry service. Chores will be a hassle. And that is ok. We will move with care

Hello friends. Leah has decided that it is too treacherous out to have the shop open. If you are needing yarn or other woolly goodies, please use the website, for it never sleeps or slips on icy sidewalks. Bundle up and stay cozy. Xo Team Topsy

Puttering Definition: the unhurried activity of working on one or more enjoyable projects. Puttering is beautiful. Yard puttering - planting & weeding, windows washed. A person moves all day. Cut grass & turned earth. Dirty knees. The cadence of puttering feels good because you set the pace.

Hippie Founded In 1972 a boat load of back-to-the-landers came to Amherst Island Escaping a society that was starting to smell 'off' They started a commune Searching for a life to share Sharing resources They were called hippies Not caricatures Not Shaggy from Scooby-Doo We are grateful

Winter Makes Wool The weather can be measured in the wool - just like with wine. Our wool is of exceptional quality because it has to be. Sheep want to be outside with the freedom to browse the hay and munch the junipers. The sheepness of the sheep.

Sprout the ram enjoys face touch in March Sunshine We're now into shoulder season The time between We start off the day in heavy jacket and coveralls, finish in a t-shirt The morning starts with a fire in the wood stove Fuel from wind-fallen trees Thank you tree for the warmth you provide

We have all felt creeping despair at some point in the last 5 years. Whether the cause be interpersonal, financial, political, or some nameless, lurking shadow. I.A.S.A.T I am scared and tired. There are antidotes: The forest. Name the shadow. Avoid the toxic. Find and hold gratitude.

Every year the lake takes more of the field Bedrock falls to the water's inexorable pull Stone that held the grass The once solid base eroded The shift The slip The fall The splash The water is an agent of chaos A kitten on a high kitchen shelf: Look at all these fun things to knock down.

Skipping Stone Secret Calm water, clear evening. The skipping stone is collected from a pile of 1000 candidates. The stone is not thrown by arm. The stone is launched from the head, the back, the guts, the hips, the knees and most of all: The stone is skipped from the feet.

The Lake Effect A farmer is humble beside a Great Lake West wind powerful Violence and serene calm on the same day The wind throttles up and rumbles through Buildings shake The tops of rolling white-caps aerosolized Blown far down the lake A crashing, frightening, leapfrog

Volunteers Needed 🙏 We need a few volunteers to work with the lambs and to keep them fed and watered starting mid-May through June. Stamina is needed, as well as a sincere interest in animals and people. Email [email protected] explaining your interest and experience. Thank you 🙏♥️

Topsy will be offering free composed sheep manure - details to come We'll talk of seed selection and garden techniques How to forage for free food at your feet We are a country of growers not showers Let us plant, tend, & defend To make neighbours family Elbows up, hands dirty.

Ferry Disruption March 12th 9:30am -1:30pm Living on an island has many benefits. One of the disadvantages is occasional service disruptions. For those of you who had intended a farm visit during those hours, we apologize for the inconvenience.

Free Range It is a joy listening to kids playing in the yard. As the snow melts and the clocks change, we look forward to these days. The sounds of exaltation as a toy tractor is discovered. The songbirds laying on a melody. The moments of quiet peace are incredible. Exhaled steam of breath.

International Women's Day Topsy has no tolerance for the intolerant. Equity feels like oppression to the morally reprehensible. Women's rights are under attack. No room for meek politeness or acquaintances with these grunting Gilead-glamorizing grotesques. Don't let the bastards get you down.

Sally's Garden organic fertilizer is a slow release pellet made from scrap wool. 9-0-2 NPK. Pellets hold 20 times their weight in water - longer intervals between watering. 100% Canadian. Indoor and outdoor. The 1 kg bag is good for 66 square feet/ 26 gallons of soil 6.13 sq. meters / 98.4 lr.

The ashes of our loved are spread here. This is what we are working so hard to preserve. To keep the farmland as a farm. Silver days; grey days. Tonal variance. On silver days the to-do list is plowed under. The grey days are lasagna-heavy. Go to the grey from a place of silver. Shine.

Hippies Sunbathe in March, 1973 The sound of chirping birds and dripping eves means only one thing... March will hammer us with at LEAST one more solid winter-wallop before folding into spring. The Headlands at the west end of Amherst Island has seen the first 'old-style' winter in a decade.

To The Mattresses 🇨🇦 In the original Godfather film, the phrase "go to the mattresses" is used in response to 'the family' being attacked. Members gather to prevent being picked off one by one - a mafia sleepover. To survive a difficult time there will be hassles and hurt. Plant your garden.

March Break Activities The Wool Shed will be open from 10-4 from March 7th to 16th. There are sheep in the barnyard and, of course, the cows. Walking trails are open (conditions permitting). Farmyard Bingo Kid's 'Seed Balm' workshop: March 15, 10-1130am. www.TopsyFarms.com

Spring Fantasy Gardeners are wet dreamers We have dirty thoughts (and fingernails) Winter is a chance to fantasize about spring planting before it becomes tangible reality Floral foreplay Gardeners are optimistic and we try to learn from our mistakes www.topsyfarms.com/pages/newsle...

Biodiversity We like the woods wild We don't farm the forest Sheep would eat every sapling and manicure low branches The global financial system sucks at keeping places wild Trees monetized only if cut down For a farm that exists on very tight margins, that temptation is huge

Boudicca's Shoreline The Shoreline blanket is very special to us here on the farm because the colours come from the farm. Ten years of dreaming. Five years of planning. Three years of supply chain disruption. Two years of working. One gorgeous blanket. www.TopsyFarms.com

Crown Shyness Inside the thick hedge rows, a healthy pasture grows. Tree roots snuggle in close beside each other. The canopy behaves differently. The roots are extrovert - having a party. The canopy leaves are introvert. Wanting and giving space. The name for this is 'crown shyness'.

Victory Garden 🇨🇦 Canada, this has been the strange winter. Victory Gardens saw this country through 2 world wars & Depression. Front lawns transformed. Citizen-gardeners reduce demand on the system allowing more food to be available. With glowing hearts we muddy the shovels and dirty the hoes.

This sign makes us proud every time we see it. The sign is an acknowledgement by the municipality that this is farming territory. Topsy can be found at the dead end of a gravel road, on an island, on the way to nowhere. Or as they say in the retail business: location, location, location.

'Microplastic' describes the toxic residue that comes off of synthetic fabrics during the washing process. The sludge ends up in the air, waterways, animals & us. The petroleum industry has a financial interest in telling people that wool equals animal cruelty. Topsy Farms vehemently disagrees.

February leaves no room for self-deception Or as Ian would have said "you can't bullshit reality" If we speak our truth In our own words In our own way There will always be more people who want to hear that message Than those who do not 📷 @ilanablock.photography

Topsy Raw Honey - available in store only 🇨🇦🤘♥️

The Large Barn The Topsy barn is large enough to shelter many different critters, coexisting in calm awareness. The barn is always under external threat. Gravity, wind, and rain weaken the barn to bring it low. Rodents undermine the foundation. Together, we make repairs as needed.

Snowy Sunday in the sheep field with Boudicca and her sister Freya

Sisters Crux and Polaris would like you to know that the Wool Shed is closed today due to snow drifts and wind gusts. Stay home intrepid Canadian wool shoppers, the shop will be open tomorrow for Family Day and the website is always open 🇨🇦🤘

Well hung 🇨🇦 It's weird to feel this good about the maple leaf. Complicated feelings about Canada's history still exist - all of the broken treaties - yet, a sense of national pride wells up. Thank you to our southern neighbours for the reminder of what we have - as imperfect as we know it to be.

Bagheera Patio panther Not a pet Not exactly wild Aloof This is the spot where I eat breakfast I do my best to keep the rodents under control I slink A shadow I will rub against your leg Yellow eyes on exit route This is my territory The gaps in the barn The shelter under the shed 📸i.B

Sheep have rectangular pupils

Happy birthday Leah - Our Purple Queen of Wool Shed retail Of accounts payable and receivable Webpage updates and foster lamb up-lates We see you, we love you

A shepherd must learn carrying capacity. How many animals can the land support? Every year is different. Will there be grass for grazing and hay? There are many examples of carrying capacity: Arms can only lift so much. A back can only twist so much. Sometimes, something has to give.

Wool Promise 🍁 Nature, we can do better Of this we swear We will plant new bushes and trees A hedge to calm your swirling breeze Give us back a fiber that is warm Let it repel wind, fire, and storm Long after these hands grow stiff and old May this covenant hold 🇨🇦

The idea of kids working gets a bad reputation. We imagine kids covered in soot, overseas factories, sweat shops. On the farm, children are encouraged to take an active role. A gradual layering of responsibility. The ability to work is a muscle that farm kids develop early and lasts a lifetime

A Farmer's Joy May our pathways curl 'til they lead back home May the kids know they are loved even after they're grown That the shadows play games on branches at night To discover by morning it was a trick of the light - Topsy Workboot Monologues

A prized possession Unsalvageable Tow me with tractor I like the view from here Squirrels make shelter under my hood and trunk Farm kids think me secret treasure I no longer speed the road I am become habitat Transcendent Feel not sad for an abandoned old car I could not ride forever