The shearing of a Nanaimo seniorB次元官网网址檚 sheep was a neighbourhood affair last week, attracting family friends to see their first shearing, a neighbourB次元官网网址檚 hand to help out and, of course, a professional shearer needed to make it happen.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 going to give them all a pair of scissors and weB次元官网网址檒l be done in a minute,B次元官网网址� 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 itB次元官网网址檚 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 isnB次元官网网址檛 why Wytinck does it B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 the holistic benefits that keep her farming even after her husbandB次元官网网址檚 death in March. She said she doesnB次元官网网址檛 know what the long-term future may hold, but for now sheB次元官网网址檚 keeping the farm going.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a good, healthy life and you feed well and you keep active,B次元官网网址� Wytinck said. B次元官网网址淲e make a certain amount of profit, but the inputs always exceeds your output it seems in farming.B次元官网网址�

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The flock require about three hours of work a day. Wytinck said itB次元官网网址檚 mostly comprised of keeping the holding pens clean, with a bit of time toward feeding the animals grain and hay.

B次元官网网址淵our biggest thing is having safe perimeter fences, number one. The next thing us having divided pastures,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淯nfortunately when youB次元官网网址檙e like me who is no good at fence building itB次元官网网址檚 pretty difficult because all B次元官网网址� lifestock can be difficult on fencing. Especially BeanieB次元官网网址檚 mother over there, Beanita.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淲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,B次元官网网址� Wytinck said. B次元官网网址淭hese are a hill breed, therefore itB次元官网网址檚 not a wool you wear next to your skin, itB次元官网网址檚 an outer.B次元官网网址�

With wool comes the need for an annual shearing.

A fellow wool producer, Tomsin has spent the last 57 years shearing sheep B次元官网网址減regnant or otherwiseB次元官网网址� 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 B次元官网网址渉uge decreaseB次元官网网址� of sheep and cattle farms in the past number of years.

B次元官网网址淭he economics of feed production has been really hard hard because the animals eat B次元官网网址榵B次元官网网址� amount of hay per day or feed and itB次元官网网址檚 so expensive,B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淭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 youB次元官网网址檙e without money for certain months. So people are always working a job.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淲ith a purebred animal you are reproducing, maintaining the character, but you know that the offspring, thatB次元官网网址檚 what youB次元官网网址檙e going to get,B次元官网网址� Wytinck said. B次元官网网址淚nto totally producing meat, youB次元官网网址檙e definitely going to need to cross breeds and that will give you a higher percentage of meat most times.B次元官网网址�

With the urbanization of Nanaimo, she said she believes she will be the last to run the farm since she canB次元官网网址檛 imagine the agricultural zoning will be granted to the property again if itB次元官网网址檚 ever lost.

B次元官网网址淚t will die when I die or leave it,B次元官网网址� she said.