The shearing of a Nanaimo senior含羞草研究社檚 sheep was a neighbourhood affair last week, attracting family friends to see their first shearing, a neighbour含羞草研究社檚 hand to help out and, of course, a professional shearer needed to make it happen.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 going to give them all a pair of scissors and we含羞草研究社檒l be done in a minute,含羞草研究社� joked shearer Lorea Tomsin as one of the ewes was brought out.

Deborah Wytinck, 75, wanted to be a farmer since she was nine. In the late 1970s she and her late husband Don arrived in Nanaimo and began raising their livestock, dubbed coneygeers flock.

At its height, the couple had a hundred north country cheviot breeding ewes, but now it含羞草研究社檚 just four: Beanie, Beanita, BWX and GGW. The sheep are bred for lambs which then are either sold to larger operations or used for mutton.

But the money isn含羞草研究社檛 why Wytinck does it 含羞草研究社� it含羞草研究社檚 the holistic benefits that keep her farming even after her husband含羞草研究社檚 death in March. She said she doesn含羞草研究社檛 know what the long-term future may hold, but for now she含羞草研究社檚 keeping the farm going.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a good, healthy life and you feed well and you keep active,含羞草研究社� Wytinck said. 含羞草研究社淲e make a certain amount of profit, but the inputs always exceeds your output it seems in farming.含羞草研究社�

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The flock require about three hours of work a day. Wytinck said it含羞草研究社檚 mostly comprised of keeping the holding pens clean, with a bit of time toward feeding the animals grain and hay.

含羞草研究社淵our biggest thing is having safe perimeter fences, number one. The next thing us having divided pastures,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淯nfortunately when you含羞草研究社檙e like me who is no good at fence building it含羞草研究社檚 pretty difficult because all 含羞草研究社� lifestock can be difficult on fencing. Especially Beanie含羞草研究社檚 mother over there, Beanita.含羞草研究社�

In the past, the unprocessed wool would be sold for processing in Duncan, but with the mill no longer in operation there, it has to be sent off Island.

含羞草研究社淲e used to sell the very best to hand spinners. In fact, we still do, but not to the same degree since it takes a lot of time and effort,含羞草研究社� Wytinck said. 含羞草研究社淭hese are a hill breed, therefore it含羞草研究社檚 not a wool you wear next to your skin, it含羞草研究社檚 an outer.含羞草研究社�

With wool comes the need for an annual shearing.

A fellow wool producer, Tomsin has spent the last 57 years shearing sheep 含羞草研究社減regnant or otherwise含羞草研究社� visiting farms throughout Cedar, Courtenay, Sechelt and other places.

Along with a cut, she gives each an oral boost of de-wormer, and the young get their ear identification tags, done similarly to a piercing.

Tomsin said she has seen a 含羞草研究社渉uge decrease含羞草研究社� of sheep and cattle farms in the past number of years.

含羞草研究社淭he economics of feed production has been really hard hard because the animals eat 含羞草研究社榵含羞草研究社� amount of hay per day or feed and it含羞草研究社檚 so expensive,含羞草研究社� she said.

According to Tomsin, a producer needs a large number of animals if they want to turn a profit, and even then they may need an additional income.

含羞草研究社淭he reality is, in agriculture in Canada, almost every farm has an outside worker, a person bringing in money, but what I call that is cash flow throughout the year. To be waiting for harvest at certain times of the year means you含羞草研究社檙e without money for certain months. So people are always working a job.含羞草研究社�

This is why Wytinck said she and Don began focusing on purebreds. Last year they sold a set of triplets for $6,000, but Wytinck warned not all lambs go that well.

含羞草研究社淲ith a purebred animal you are reproducing, maintaining the character, but you know that the offspring, that含羞草研究社檚 what you含羞草研究社檙e going to get,含羞草研究社� Wytinck said. 含羞草研究社淚nto totally producing meat, you含羞草研究社檙e definitely going to need to cross breeds and that will give you a higher percentage of meat most times.含羞草研究社�

With the urbanization of Nanaimo, she said she believes she will be the last to run the farm since she can含羞草研究社檛 imagine the agricultural zoning will be granted to the property again if it含羞草研究社檚 ever lost.

含羞草研究社淚t will die when I die or leave it,含羞草研究社� she said.