Would your kids like to touch and feed baby sheep, goats, alpacas and llamas? They can do just that at the 3rd annual East Mountain Fiber Farm and Studio Tour on June 10 and 11.

Touching the bleating babies and learning about their role in producing textiles is an experience too wonderful to miss, says Connie Dyba, one of 11 artists –“farmers” who will welcome visitors for the tour.

At Fiber Farms, animals are raised for the quality of their fleece, which eventually is turned into yarn. On the farm tour, kids and their parents can learn about the fibers that go into making wearable art, rugs and wall hangings. The tour is also a chance to meet the spring babies, and for parents, a time to buy local products including knitting, weaving and spinning supplies, handmade items and fleece.

“Each of the farms will offer demonstrations and things for sale,” says coordinator Bethe Orrell, who owns one of the farms “We love to show off what we do.

”Several of the farms are raising animals with colorful histories, such as the Navajo Churro sheep at Dyba’s Shooting Star Farm. She tells the history this way: “Kit Carson tried to kill off all these sheep and burn crops to destroy the Navajo way of life. A few of the animals survived and we are one, among a growing number of farms, trying to help the Churro make a comeback.” Churro wool was the original fiber used to create Navajo rugs.

Debra Haden of Cuesta Farm in McIntosh raises colored Angora goats. She will show a video during the farm tour about colored Angoras, and display photos about the animal’s history. The mohair fleece from her animals range in color from white to black and copper to red.

The fiber artists of the East Mountain believe that visitors who come to on the tour will take home “a piece of the farm.” That turned out to be literally true last year. Tina Baltazar and her children were fascinated with what they learned, and as a result, Baltazar bought goats and a spinning wheel. This year she and her family are among the 11 who will open their doors during the tour.

Here is a list of the farms and studio on the tour. Each location will have maps and brochures describing the entire tour. Questions? Call Bethe Orrell at 281-5963.

1. Shooting Star Farm, 281-7775, Edgewood, (www.ashootingstarfarm.com), offers a Kids’ Tent with such activities as spinning with a drop spindle, finger knitting and spool weaving. Kids can pet and feed goats, sheep, alpacas, llamas, donkeys, dogs and a pony. The farm will have food for sale and exhibitors will be on hand—including an award-winning sculptor.
   
   
2. Earthways Fiber Farm and Good Fibrations!, 281-5963. Good Fibrations!, a store in Edgewood near Family Dollar on Rt. 66, will have brochures, information and resources. Earthways Farm has goat and sheep babies to visit and demonstrations on carding, spinning and weaving.
   
   
3. Robin Pascal Fiber Artist 286-1783, (www.perfectbuttons.com), Edgewood, creates unique buttons. She will demonstrate the process of hand-painting yarn. She is the only one on the tour without animals. Instead, she uses the fleece from other farms to create beautiful colored yarn—spinning, knitting and weaving it.
   
   
4. Enchanted Sky Alpacas, 235-0305, (www.enchantedskyalpacas.com), Sandia Park. Owner Lynne Fatkin says, “Come and play ‘Pin the Tail on the Alpaca’ with us.” There will be refreshments and other games for kids.
   
   
5. Westfarthing Farm, 281-6582, (www.westfarthingfarm.com), Edgewood, is home to sheep and goats. Owner Bob Bone will demonstrate weaving. The farm will have demonstrations and refreshments.
   
   
6. Prairie Wood Ranch, 281-8179, Edgewood, (www.prairiewoodranch.com), is home to African pygmy and Nigerian dwarf goats. “They make great pets,” says owner Lora Kniffin.
   
   
7. Milagro Moon Ranch, 286-1335, Edgewood, is home to alpacas. Owners Jim and Cynthia Daly also raise chickens and dairy goats. South Mountain Dairy will be on hand to pass out samples of their goat cheese.
   
   
8. Square Hole Ranch, 384-2293, McIntosh, has Angora goats, Angora rabbits and llamas. Learn how easy it is to pluck the bunny fiber. They’ll have demonstrations of spinning and weaving.
   
   
9. Rancho Baltazar, 384-2744, McIntosh, has goats, sheep, horses, ducks and chickens.
   
   
10. Crow Fly Farm, 384-3078, McIntosh, is home to a flock of registered Angora goats.
    
    
11. Cuesta Farm, 384-5301, McIntosh, is a showplace for colored Angora goats.