Cashmere Goats - Stoney Meadow

(A division of Maple Lane Homestead)

Okay I admit it! I am addicted to fiber and a sucker for a cute face. So when we arrived to pick up my sheep and I spotted a pen full of beautiful cashmere goats overflowing with ready to harvest fiber I was hopelessly in love. Once I sunk my fingers into that soft, lustrous coat it was all over but the loading.

Cashmere goats are not really a breed but are a type of goat, producing a soft downy undercoat that is covered by a longer coarser coat of guard hair. Most all goats can produce this soft undercoat, just not a significant amount. They are also considered to be a multi purpose animal as they grow quickly and can be used for meat purposes as well. Though not a registerable breed, many have pedigrees tracing ancestry. Cashmere goats start growing their coat around the summer solstice and stop around the winter solstice. Sometime around February to March the fiber is ready to harvest either by combing or shearing. If not harvested they will naturally shed out. According to the North American Cashmere Breed Standard all four harvest sites should produce cashmere. The sites are neck, shoulders, side and rump. The fibers should be 1.25 inches in length in its crimpy or relaxed state and be not more than 18.5 microns in diameter.We are raising our cashmeres to meet the North American Cashmere Standards and are members of the Eastern Cashmere Association. This year all of our herd will be micron tested.

We comb out the cashmere as it is ready sometimes taking a couple of weeks to harvest the entire coat. It is then sent off to be de-haired, it is then ready to spin or blend with other fibers. Please see our farm and fiber page for availablity.