MARSHVILLE - About four years ago Christina Silver and her husband Chris took a giant leap of faith packing in their comfortable urban lives to seek simplicity in a rural setting.
The pair left their high-pressure jobs, in rehabilitation and the justice system, and found the catalyst of their dream life, a vacant farm in Marshville. Armed only with a plan to raise cashmere goats and ambition to succeed, they have grown from humble beginnings to producing the largest cashmere goat herd in the country, as well as earning the prestige of being the only cashmere wool farm in Canada that takes the luxury fibre from raw material to a finished product.
"It really shouldn't have worked but we were so optimistic and we knew what we wanted to do," she said.
Silver said they wanted to leave the city in search of a better, simpler life to raise their daughter, London Eve, age 12.
With few resources and no farming experience they learned on the fly from the school of hard knocks, moving to the farm the very same day their first six cashmere goats arrived from northern British Columbia.
As vegans, they decided fibre-farming best suited their values and envisioned lifestyle, and felt cashmere goats were the ideal choice because their wool is in great demand.
"Cashmere is the finest, warmest, softest natural fibre on the planet and the number one luxury fibre," said Silver.
Now their farm is home to about 115 cashmere goats, along with a miniature horse, donkey, llama, chickens, and geese.
"It has been a challenging experience no question about that," she said.
While carrying out labour intensive farm duties they educated themselves on herd health, organics, environment and medications and are now seeing the results of their labour of love.
This year was their first significant harvest, about 10 pounds, combed in the spring when the goats "blow" their coats, a natural release of the soft fibres.
The cashmere is hand-combed from the animals and each coat will yield between six to eight ounces of the precious fibre, which when finished will earn about $360.
The wool is cleaned at Belfast Mini-Mills in P.E.I. and then returned to the farm for dying, carding and spinning.
Christina learned hand-dying techniques to colour the luxury fibre using exotic and historic natural dyes.
The cashmere yarn is then hand-knit using historic 18th century patterns to create unique clothing items such as shawls, scarves, mittens, hats or other custom orders.
The Silvers' feel the animals are thriving there because they know they are loved and do not feel their lives are threatened.
"All we have to do its love them and keep them healthy and they give us such a treasure in the spring," said Silver. "It is tranquil and harmonious here. The animals know they are not at risk of any negative consequences. Whatever you give them is what they give back."
Since July, when the family officially began marketing the cashmere and finished products, they have gained customers from Europe, Saudi Arabia, northern Canada and the United States.
smartell@transcontiental.ca
Goat farmers making their mark
Goat farmers making their mark
- Published on November 3rd, 2009
- Published on Febuary 20th, 2010
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Sherry Martell
Couple trades in big-city jobs to operate cashmere wool farm with customers across the globe
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Comments
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- george
- - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:32:05
Are you kidding, they are probably fleecing people. Al kidding aside good to see such enterprising people around here and I wish them much luck and dont let people get your goat.
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- Al
- - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:32:03
This is a delightful story --
As one who was raised on a Farm I well appreciate the challenges this couple have faced from a start-up position.
I am discovering a large number of such courageous souls working away at their small niche businesses here in Nova Scotia and I think it is a notable and admirable trend.
It is this kind of courage that empowered our ancestors who came to this Continent and did the same thing.
Heroic!
Bravo! -
- Al
- - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:59
Oh George ---
Al is always fspeechless when confronted by a punster!
They strike quickly and without warning.
But worst of all, their humour is really
b-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-d! -
- Proud to be from New Glas
- - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:44
It is great that they are Vegans, but are they any different than slaughters making money off animals, I fully understand they don't kill them, my only question is do they question people who eat meat, that side of the story wasn't reported. If they love animals like they say they do, I assume, and it might be just me, they would lower their prices, in order to raise awareness of their lifestyle, unless of course all the money they are making is blinding them...
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- Kelly
- - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:41
I am grateful and encouraged that the Silver's have succeeded in their goals. It is not everyday that we find out how lucky and blessed we are to have them in our neighbourhood. Not only are they stimulating our local economy but they are doing it with care, love and respect for their land and ours. Their animals are blessed to have them as caretakers and I wish them ever success. We need to listen to people like them and make a change in our own lives and lean toward the simple lovely things than the complicated ordinary things.
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- James and Janet
- - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:38
Loved the writeup in the news, looked you up on the net to see your site. It really is a beautiful story, especially knowing the backgroud of how you decided on what you were going to raise. We wish you lots of success.
