About St. Mary Meade Farm Wool Mill
Our mill sits on St. Mary Meade Farm, our beautiful 155-acre farm in northern Alberta. We raise and shepherd rare-breed, registered Cotswold sheep for wool, having the largest flock in Canada. We also raise Clun Forest sheep as well as Blue-Faced Leicester, Finn, and Border Leicester crosses. We are a regenerative farm, where the health of the flock and the land serve each other.
When we purchased our mill equipment, we specifically sought machines that could process a broad range of wool lengths – especially our long wool Cotswold sheep wool. Our Brother mill does just that – and does it superbly!
Our Goals
The goals of St. Mary Meade Farm Mill are four-fold:
- Process our rare-breed Cotswold wool into beautiful products and in doing so, advocate for this magnificent heritage breed and its wool;
- Support local sheep producers who want to have their wool put to productive use by purchasing their wool at a fair price;
- Educate consumers and producers about the value and uses of wool through courses, seminars, and mill tours;
- Provide a place of warm community.
Our Story – Our Legacy
We moved to our 12-acre parcel on July 23, 2021. In the summer of 2022, we welcomed the first sheep to the farm – a small group of 18 that comprised registered Clun Forest and Finn-sheep crosses. We had our eye on Cotswold sheep because of their beautiful wool, their docile natures, and their rare-breed status. We’ve always enjoyed fighting for the under-dog!
In September, 2022 we had an opportunity to purchase a flock of 13 Cotswold sheep from a local fibre artist – and our love for the breed deepened. We were working with a colleague in Saskatchewan to bring some registered ewes and rams to Alberta when he asked whether we might consider taking the whole flock. So, in September, 2023 we added almost 40 more Cotswolds to St. Mary Meade Farm. We knew we were now the largest flock of Cotswold sheep in Canada, and took this responsibility very seriously.
We saw the demand for Cotswold wool as we sold our raw fleeces – and sold out each year. Their beautiful long, lustrous locks were winning the hearts (and hands!) of hand-spinners, felters, and fibre artists alike. But we ran into challenges in getting our long wool processed, and decided to research what it would take to start our own mill on the farm.
My husband, Robert and I finally had a chance to connect and swap research information on July 26, 2024. We talked into the wee hours of the morning, excited and passionate about the prospects of our own mill – what it would do for our farm and how it could serve local producers. And then, a few short hours later, Robert passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at home of a massive heart attack.
Our sons, Joshua and Joel, and I prayed and sought counsel from trusted friends and family and decided to pursue the vision that had been laid out that night. Within 6 months, our mill building was completed and the mill equipment installed. We were trained by Brother consultants, Donalee and Rodger of Rodger Family Farms, a well-established mill in Oregon. And thus our journey of wool processing began in April, 2025. Joshua and I now co-own and operate the farm and wool mill, and Joel cheers us on from Ontario, lending his sage business advice and encouragement.
We hope that you can see that our mill is much more than a business, a building, or equipment to us. It is a family legacy, built on the vision that we had while Robert was still alive. We have been blessed by neighbours and friends who have supported us with their encouragement, wisdom, and help and through these we continue to experience God’s blessing.
We see the mill as a place of community, warmth, and healing – and we wholeheartedly invite you into our journey. Stop by anytime for a cup of coffee or tea, goodies, and a chat!
With much warmth,
Dawn, Joshua, and Joel Kingston
Touring the Mill
Many people who have come to the mill have told us they had no idea how wool was processed. Here’s a wee picture tour to give you a bit of a glimpse into the life of the mill!
