Growing Great Lakes Fiber Show adding a new workshop about livestock guardian dogs

WOOSTER - It has been a difficult past few years for the Great Lakes Fiber Show.

The COVID-19 pandemic canceled it in 2020 and, a few weeks after last year's show, the organizer, former Sterling resident Connie King, died, leaving the 2022 show in doubt.

To make sure one of the largest fiber festivals in the country would go on this weekend at the Wayne County Fairgrounds, members of the Medina Spinners and Weavers Guild and Algonquin Spinners and Weavers Guild from Carroll County agreed to organize this year's festival together.

When the free event opens at 10 a.m. Saturday, the new organizers have high hopes for one of the best Great Lakes Fiber Shows, especially since it's the 30th. The show wraps up at 5 p.m. Saturday, and continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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"If you are interested in fiber and fiber art and what you can do with fiber and the finished product, it's a great show because there is a little bit of something for everyone," said Gloria Mathews, one of the Algonquin Guild members who is in charge of the publicity for the event.

Matt Martin, Wayne County Fairgrounds manager, also is expecting another successful Great Lakes Fiber Festival, which attracts thousands of people over its two days.

"The Great Lakes Fiber show has been a mainstay event at the Wayne County Fairgrounds," Martin said. "It has significantly grown over the last several years and has added a sheep and equipment sale as well as an angora rabbit show to the event.

"This show/sale draws attendance from all across the country to Wooster," Martin said. "Visitors often stay in hotels and spend their evenings enjoying our local restaurants and shopping."

The sheep show and sale is actually not officially part of the Great Lakes Fiber Show, but runs with the festival and is organized by Banner Sale Management Service. It begins at 9 a.m. both days.

The Angora Rabbit Show is Saturday at Mini Horse Barn No. 28 on the Wayne County Fairgrounds. Judging starts at 10 a.m., with the show to follow.

Sheep dog demonstrations return with new livestock guardian dogs workshop

Sheep dog demonstrations will take place throughout the event, and a new offering this year is a workshop about livestock guardian dogs, which protect sheep herds while sheep dogs, usually smaller breeds like border collies, herd them. The workshop will be offered at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday under the grandstand by Rebecca Miller.

Miller owns one of the largest sheep herds in Ohio with her mother, Cynthia Koonce, in Columbiana County.

While the name of their farm is Blue Heron Farms because it is near Guilford Lake State Park, it is all about sheep with roughly 250 ewes on 200 acres, lambing several times a year and four Turkish livestock guardian dogs.

Miller said she is bringing one of her Turkish dogs for the workshop, which is for people thinking about getting a livestock guard dog.

"What I'm hoping to do with this workshop is pull back the layers, trying to help people figure out if a livestock guardian dog would work for them," said Miller, who first got livestock guardian dogs on her farm 15 years ago because of "persistent and costly coyote pressure for years."

Adding livestock guardian dogs to a farm or homestead isn't simply a case of placing them with a sheep herd and they will know what to do, Miller said. There a lot more to it than that, added Miller, who hopes to help people decide if this complicated decision is right for them.

Being friends with Miller and her mother in Columbiana County and wanting more for the show, Matthews asked Miller about offering this new workshop — one of many workshops people can enjoy.

Event includes vendors, competitions and make-and-take activities

"There are a lot of workshops and around 100 vendors who sell everything from crafting equipment to finished product — that can be anything from yarn to fleece to soap made from lanolin, which is made from sheep's fleece," Matthews said.

Knitted garments and skein (for those who spin yarn) competitions also are part of the event, as well as free make-and-take activities for children and adults.

While there a lot of regulars to the event over the years, Matthews said, quite a few new people come each year who say they want to learn to knit or just enjoy what the show has to offer.

"There are very talented people at the show who raise sheep and make things from wool and angora," Matthews said. " It's the perfect event for anyone who is interested in fiber."

For more information about the show visit https://www.greatlakesfibershow.org/