Lisa Merian

I visited Lisa's booth at various wool shows for years before I got to know her. I told her I wanted my own land to raise my sheep but couldn't afford a hundred thousand dollars an acre. She suggested I look in Central New York. The rest is history. Amazing how meeting one person can change your life so radically. Lisa's parents are from the same area of NJ as I am. Her father came up here after the Korean War and bought 350 acres in Bainbridge. Lisa still lives in the Italianate stone farmhouse she was born in. She and her brother raise sheep, hay, and most of their own food. Lisa has a fiber arts studio, The Spinner's Hill Shop, on the farm where she holds spinning, felting and weaving classes. She is the most all-around talented fiber artist I know and a fantastic teacher. Lisa came to BOCES and taught 40 kids and staff how to make felted purses. She was a big hit. Marie, Lisa's mom, is a world class knitter and rug hooker, and cards all Lisa's fiber right there on the farm. They are living a dream.