Introducing Tamarack Farms
Introducing Tamarack Farms, a 390-acre working farm in Northumberland County, owned and operated by Nancy and Richard Self. The land, which lay fallow for more than 50 years, is being rehabilitated as a mixed-use, ‘high-welfare’, operation using sustainable, ecological farming practices, and as a re-investment in the local, rural economy.
Essential to the farm's philosophy is a deep, and uncompromising commitment to the principles of animal welfare. Tamarack Farms has earned an Animal Welfare Approved certification for their sheep and pig operations and SPCA certification for their sheep operations.
The Tamarack Farms sheep are sheared in May when the temperatures start to warm. Once shorn, the fleece is sent to MacAusland's Mill in Prince Edward Island, Canada's oldest family owned mill. Once there, the fleece is spun and woven into blankets.
Nancy and Richard were motivated to begin this project when they witnessed the large amounts of fleece being thrown away from commercial flocks in Ontario. Due to an industry perception that Ontario fleece is too course to be spun into wool, and the lack of textile infrastructure in the province, Nancy and Richard found their own solution - MacAusland's Wool Mill.
Tuck Shop is proud to carry this Canadian raised and manufactured product. From the production of the wool, to the creation of the blankets, Tamarack Farms supports local Canadian industry along all steps of the production process.