ct sheep BREEDERS ASSOCiation, inc.
2026 BLANKET
Plan NOW as 2026 Wool Collection is Sunday, May 31st from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at UConn in the Lower Swine Barn, Horsebarn Hill Road, Storrs, CT.
If you are interested in participating in the 2026 CT Blanket you must be a member of CSBA, Inc. and have taken the Wool Quality Workshop. The last chance to get certified before the May 31st collection date will be held at the CT Sheep, Wool & Fiber Festival on Saturday, April 25th. This year we have decided to have multiple workshops. The fleeces from the sheep that are shorn at the Shearing Demonstrations, occuring every hour, will be skirted immediately following shearing. There will be a sign in sheet for anyone wanting certification at that time.
Things to keep in mind for the 2026 wool collection.
- The area we have to work in is very small so please be prepared plus we have to be done & out of there by 2pm. Please do not arrive late (ex. 12:30 with a boat load of wool.) Done & out means wool bags sewn up, labeled, stacked on the upper level of the barn, equipment put away and floor swept, list of bags by color, pounds, how many bags total and a picture taken of all of them.
- Please provide number of fleeces and approx. weight so we can allot the proper amount of time for you. Letting us know whether it’s White or Natural Color wool will be helpful as well.
- Please keep wool from Black faced breeds of sheep separate as has to be counted as Natural Colored.
- YOUR WOOL ABSOLUTELY MUST BE SKIRTED AHEAD OF TIME. We spent way too much time again in 2025 inspecting fleeces.
- Your fleeces should be skirted well enough to dump from the bag. We give it a yes or a no and off the the scale to be packed it goes! (We rejected alot of wool again last year because producers didn’t do a good job skirting.)
- Make sure it is at least 2.5″ long with a maximum 6″. (Wool from dual coated breeds must be separated so as only to have the softer undercoat, NO guard hairs, no kempy wool.) We do not accept wool classified as Carpet wool. Check it for wool break.
- In order to process custom orders, the mill requires a minimum of 1800 lbs.
- Sizes available are projected to be King, Queen, Full and Long Throw.
- Email Sylvia: smurray@ctsheep.com with your poundage, and any other questions.
BLANKET CARE INFORMATION
To clean your blanket DO NOT put it in your washing machine. Agitation, soap & water temperature changes make felt. You can take it to the dry cleaners or you can dry clean it at home in your dryer using dry cleaning sheets from brands such as Dryell, Woolite and others. Some people put a sheet over it to help keep it clean and then on a nice sunny day hang it outdoors on a clothesline, over a railing, several lawn chairs, etc.
Timeline
The wool is usually collected at UConn in late May to early June where it is inspected for cleanliness, structure, length and more and then packed away in large wool bags. The bags, each weighing over 100 pounds up to about 200 pounds are shipped out to begin the processes of washing, drying, carding, spinning and weaving. We will re-evaluate the 2026 offerings once the 2025 edition is completed and we get feedback from the farms.
The Connecticut Blanket is a cooperative project open to members of the Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association, Inc. which adds to the sustainability of member shepherds’ farms by obtaining a value-added product from the wool of their sheep. Based on the amount of wool contributed the shepherds create an order for the sizes they want and when finished the blankets are sorted out into those orders and delivered to them to do with as they please.
There is a list of farms that participated in the most recent blanket as well as information from farms that have asked to have their contact information for selling their Connecticut Blankets at the bottom of this page and also on the Marketplace Classifieds page If more information is needed please contact the Blanket Inventory Coordinator via email at smurray@ctsheep.com.
2025 CT Blanket Contributors
Mark, Janet, Evan Dudley, Dudley Family Farm, Guilford
Katherine Hermonot, Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, Sterling
Bobbie Emery & Anne Foss, Clatter Ridge Farm, Farmington
The Connecticut Blanket Gallery
THE FOLLOWING FARMS HAVE BLANKETS FOR SALE
* has Facebook page
FAIRFIELD COUNTY
SEPE FARM, LLC *
Sandy Hook
www.sepefarm.com
pete@sepefarm.com
HARTFORD COUNTY
HILDRED’S FARM
South Windsor
hildreds.farm@gmail.com
MELHURST FARM
Broad Brook
albert_grant@sbcglobal.net
LITCHFIELD COUNTY
WETAWANCHU BROOK FARM
Falls Village
lawlovejoy@comcast.net
860-824-0620
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
COLD GOATS FARM *
Haddam Neck
www.coldgoatsfarm.com vivmcgarry@gmail.com
NEW LONDON COUNTY
COUTRY CLUB FARM *
Stonington
horsesnhockey@sbcglobal.net
TOLLAND COUNTY
TURTLE CREEK FARM
Coventry
rgamalsbary@gmail.com
WHITE BIRCH FARM
Coventry
rferguson03@snet.net