Soft Wool, Strong Roots: The story of our limited edition wool beanies

Blog | December 13, 2024

Soft Wool, Strong Roots: The story of our limited edition wool beanies

by Anna Mulè

Meet Our Farmer Heroes

In Pine Bush, NY, Lauren and Eric Taffera are transforming an old horse boarding facility into a growing and evolving farm with their family. Farm Aid is excited to feature their latest creation - wool beanies - in our shop now!

"I have a construction company in NYC with my brother Robert, and we were looking for a family getaway during COVID," Eric says. "We wound up buying a farm, and thought we were going to grow hops due to the geographical location. After soil testing, it turned out that the farm was better for wine and orchards. So we planted grapes and fruit trees. Each year, we've incrementally expanded. It's like 'The Biggest Little Farm' of NY."

With their new fruiting plants, they realized how critical soil health is. They introduced animals to the land for rotational grazing, and now have a flock that includes Baby Face South Down sheep ("they look like Ewok from Star Wars!" says Eric), Fynn, Lincoln, and Katahdin sheep. Besides sheep, they also raise turkeys, chickens, pigs, Scottish Highland and Hereford cattle, goats, peacocks, alpacas, emus and bees.

With those animals, they embrace new possibilities to diversify their production and markets. "The sheep grow wool out to stay warm in the winter," says Lauren. "You have to shear their wool in the spring so they don't overheat in the summer. It keeps the flock healthy. With all our harvested wool, we wanted to put it to good use, try a few things, and collaborate with locals and artisans in the Hudson Valley."

Lauren and Eric first connected with Battenkill Fibers. "We dropped off a bunch of raw wool, and they did everything for us, from skirting to processing." The wool was then sent to knitters in Queens, who made the yarn into hats. The Tafferas have a focus on education, sustainability and networking, so they joined the Hudson Valley Textile Project. HVTP was part of Farm Aid's HOMEGROWN Village this September, and we reached out about a winter merch collaboration. HVTP connected the dots, brought in Midnight to Mercantile to add a leather tag stamped with Farm Aid, and the beanies are now ready for our Farm Aid community! This is a beautiful way to continue to celebrate our Farm Aid 2024 festival region - New York - and the vibrant textile chain from farm to hat.

The Tafferas hope these beanies inspire people to connect with local farms like theirs. "The more we can make our farm an educational experience, the better," Lauren says. "One day soon, you can come enjoy a glass of wine from our grapes, pet some animals, see the process of making a hat starting with the sheep, and experience a harmonious farm ecosystem. Farmers are artists in our own way."

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