J- It’s giveaway time!!! I know it has been a while since we did a giveaway here on the blog but we couldn’t be more excited to offer our readers some wonderful goodies again. This giveaway is going to have 3 lucky winners! Each winner will receive Whiskey Whiskers mustache wax, Spearmint & Eucalyptus Whipped Shea & Coconut Butter and two lip balms. Today’s giveaway is coming from a fun local company located in Rio Dell called Ewe So Dirty . To enter please follow Ewe So Dirty on Facebook and then leave a comment below answering the question, if you had a farm what would be your favorite animal on it?

EweSoDirty2

I sat down with Jamie Cohoon, owner of Ewe So Dirty to learn more about her wonderful company.

JB- I just learned that Ewe means female sheep. How did you come up with the company name?

JC- Because I make soap fusing sheep fat, it just came naturally!  When ‘EWE’ get dirty…ya gotta wash up, right?

JB- That’s right! Very clever. What inspired you to start making your artisan soaps, lotions, balms & salves?

JC- I saw a need at one of the markets where I vend, for soaps and the like.  At the same time, I have a terrible case of Psoriasis…just about everything that I could find in the store to use on my body made me break out in an awful itchy rash…  The solution for me was to do a lot of research and ‘feed’ my body.  I firmly believe that you should put on your body, only what you can safely ingest!  I use all organics when I can source them, and I try super hard to use as much local product possible.

Once I got started, it became a sort of obsession.  I really want to be able to create products that are ‘like’ store bought, but safe!  I have a large bunch of customers that give me the greatest ideas and I go from there!

JB- Good for you doing all that research and finding what works for you. And I agree, we should only be putting things on or in our bodies that we can safely ingest. How long have you had your sheep farm?

JC- My husband and I have been farming sheep for 12 years now.  We began with 2!  I currently have 79, of which 2/3 are pregnant!

As a child, I lived in Wyoming.  Our family worked for a HUGE sheep producer there, as well as growing a small flock of our own.  We did a lot of 4-H and FFA as well.  We lease our property where we run our sheep, but some day hope to be able to purchase a good piece of ground where we can live along side our animals.  That would make life so much better.

JB- Wow, 2/3 of your 79 are pregnant! I’m going to want to come visit in the spring when you have lots of little lambs running around. What is your favorite part about working with sheep?

JC- Their personalities!  Gosh, sheep are just the sweetest critters I know.  It is funny that you can see the resemblance in personality from ewe to lamb!  They are very much like people, moody, happy, grumpy, sad at times.  They are loving, inquisitive and fun!

JB- You are making me want to get a sheep for a pet, they sound so sweet and fun. What’s your least favorite part about working with them?

JC- It breaks my heart when I lose a lamb.  Period.  As a mother, I have empathy for the ewe.  That is a bad way to run a ‘business’, with your heart, but that is the way we do it.  They provide for us, and it is our job to provide the most for them!

JB- That would break my heart too. I would much rather see more business’ run with peoples hearts, keep up the good work! Tell me a little about the yarns you can make from the sheep you have on your farm?

JC- I do spin wool!  A LOT of wool!  I have a dual purpose herd.  Some for meat (which we also sell at Farmers Markets locally) and the majority for wool.  We raise Romney, CVM (California Variegated Mutant) and Targhee that are like Merino.  The finer the wool, the more wearable near the skin, so Targhee are our most popular for yarns.

I make a ton of wearable’s (hats, gloves, etc.) for market as well as yarns for others to use in their projects.

I normally knit with a single ply (meaning only one strand of yarn) while the yarns I sell are all two ply.  It makes really amazing sweaters and more!

JB- I had no idea you did all of that too! You sure are a busy lady. Lastly, what animal would you love to have on your farm that isn’t there now?

JC- Someday, I would love to have a livestock dog or two!  The protection they offer is amazing!

I would REALLY love to have a few Yak!  Their fiber is amazing!

JB- Thank you so much Jamie for taking the time to talk with me and to offer this awesome giveaway. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

To learn more about Ewe So Dirty go check out their website here . To enter to win, please follow Ewe So Dirty on Facebook and tell us which animal you would want to have on your farm in the comment section bellow. Remember there are 3 winners this time so your odds are even better. Contest winners announced on Facebook Thursday, February 5 th . Good luck!

Ewe So Dirty did not pay for this blog post, however they did supply us with the giveaway items. All opinions are my own.