A haven for creativity, sustainability and the love of animals, Withers Wool and Farm is more than a fiber farm. Owned and operated by Marc Withers, the 23-acre Woodbine farm is home to Merino sheep, Angora goats, Blue Cochin chickens and even peafowl. With a focus on producing yarns and roving, Marc has created a farm that offers a unique blend of artistry and nature, making it the perfect destination for holiday gift shopping.
Withers Wool and Farm began in Tucson, Arizona, where Marc and his late wife started with a few Angora goats and llamas. Over the years, their passion for fiber arts and animal husbandry grew, leading them to relocate to Maryland in 2012. “We wanted to live and work on a real farm versus the desert ranch we had in Tucson,” Marc says. The Woodbine property provided the perfect setting with a stream, lake and wildlife.
Today, the farm is a hub for fiber enthusiasts, offering everything from handspun art yarns to finished goods. The 10 Merino sheep and 19 Angora goats provide the wool and mohair that define the farm’s products. “A Merino and Mohair fiber blend is a great combination,” Marc says. “Merino wool is next-to-skin comfortable and offers good warmth, reasonable strength, elasticity and luster. Mohair is lightweight, warm and insulating, has nice drape and is sturdy. Blended, the Merino Mohair mixture provides a yarn that is next-to-skin-soft and light yet strong, hard-wearing and moisture-wicking.”
At holiday time, Withers Wool and Farm transforms into a treasure trove of handmade gifts. For the fiber artists, the farm offers over 40 types of mill-spun yarns and 750 handspun yarns, many dyed in vibrant colors. “We believe everyone can be an artist,” Marc says, “and we believe in empowering others to develop their own creative talents. We also have a passion for creating unique finished goods that customers can purchase for their own use and enjoyment.”
For spinners and felters, the farm carries a variety of roving (twisted fiber strands) and batts (flat fiber sheets) — over 500 different bags in various colors and fiber blends. For those who are less hands-on and prefer finished goods, the farm has cozy scarves and shawls to charming coasters, dryer balls and felted soaps. “Everything, except the mill spun yarn, is made at the farm by hand and on various machines. For example, we have a needle felting loom which we use to make some of the shawls and our cat mats,”
Marc says that some mill-spun yarns are available online, but he encourages folks to experience the farm store in person. The farm’s renovated 3,000-square-foot barn serves as a store, where guests can purchase goods that came directly from his animals. Plus, the farm hosts a variety of classes from beginning spinning and knitting to needle felting and “painting with wool.”
But the real magic lies in the farm itself. Visitors are invited to tour the property, meet the animals and even feed tortilla chips to the friendly Angora goats. “When the goats see us coming with a bag of chips, they run up to greet the visitors,” Marc says. “Our passion — for the farm, the animals and the environment — has inspired us to educate the public about animal husbandry and the many uses of natural fibers to empower others to develop their own creative talents.”
Visit the farm this holiday season to explore the shop and experience the joy of a place where animals, nature and creativity come together in perfect harmony.
Hungry for more? Read about alpaca fiber. Learn more about sheep farms.
