Dear Friends,
We’re getting close!
On September 12–13, Hestia’s Homestead will be at the New Jersey Sheep & Fiber Festival at the Hunterdon County Fairgrounds in Lambertville, NJ, and this year is especially meaningful to us.
The Navajo Churro sheep has been selected as the featured breed, giving us an opportunity to share the history, resilience, and importance of this remarkable heritage breed—and to connect that story to the people and traditions that have carried it forward.
We are honored to be welcoming several Diné (Navajo) presenters from the Southwest, who will be sharing their knowledge, stories, fiber traditions, weaving, and connection to Navajo Churro sheep throughout the weekend.
This is more than a sheep festival. This is an opportunity for our community to learn directly from the people who have preserved the Navajo-Churro through generations of dedication, stewardship, and respect for the land and animals.
Our invited presenters include:
Mick Nathaniel – Navajo-Churro breeder, and educator
Nikyle Begay –Sheep breed Judge, shepherd, spinner, and cultural educator
Irene Bennally – Traditional fiber artist and educator
Pamela Brown – Fiber artist and educator
Edith Simonson – Navajo-Churro breeder and advocate
Lorraine Herder – Shepherd, heritage breed educator and advocate
These presenters are traveling from across the country to share their knowledge of Navajo-Churro sheep, traditional wool processing, spinning, weaving, and the cultural importance of preserving one of America’s oldest heritage sheep breeds.
The Navajo-Churro is a living connection to history, agriculture, and conservation. By bringing this breed and its story to New Jersey, we have an opportunity to introduce more people to heritage livestock, inspire future shepherds, support fiber arts, and strengthen efforts to preserve a breed that remains critically important to agricultural biodiversity.
Come Learn, Explore & Get Your Hands in the Fiber
One of the special offerings during the festival will be a natural dyeing class with Irene Bannelley, where you can explore the process of transforming natural materials into beautiful colors for yarn.
If you love wool, natural fibers, traditional crafts, or simply want to learn something new, we hope you’ll join us.
And, of course, we’ll have our own Navajo Churro wool and other farm goods available at the festival.
One Last Push for Our Diné Presenter Fundraiser
We are also in the final stretch of our fundraising campaign to help cover the travel and lodging expenses for our Diné presenters.
Bringing these presenters to New Jersey is an important part of making this year’s festival meaningful. Travel from the Southwest is a significant expense, and we want to make sure these guests are able to be here without carrying that financial burden themselves.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, fellow shepherds, businesses, and sponsors, we have come a long way. We are asking for one final push to help us close the remaining gap.
If you’ve already donated, shared our fundraiser, or helped spread the word—thank you.
If you haven’t yet had an opportunity to contribute, now is the time.
Every donation, no matter the amount, helps us bring these presenters to New Jersey and make this exchange of knowledge and culture possible.
We hope you’ll come see us at the festival, meet the presenters, learn about Navajo Churro sheep, explore the fiber arts, and be part of this special weekend.
New Jersey Sheep & Fiber Festival
September 12–13, 2026
Hunterdon County Fairgrounds
Lambertville, New Jersey
We’ll see you there!
Diana
Hestia’s Homestead
Franklinville, NJ
