Just like homestead cooks take great care in selecting fresh and sustainably raised produce to present on the farm table, there’s a band of fiber artists who are looking for high-quality fiber from sustainably raised livestock. This is something Kathleen Cunningham, owner of The Black Sheep Fiber Farm in Sardinia, Ohio, takes to heart.

Cunningham has been raising natural fibers for more than 30 years with her small flock of Angora goats, Lincoln Longwool sheep and Lincoln/Corriedale crossbred sheep. On her farm, she not only cares for her animals but also processes the fiber after shearing and spins or weaves it into items that she sells on the farm, at fiber festivals and through her farm’s website.

In this slideshow, Cunningham demonstrates how to card fiber from your own flock to get superior results.