WELLSVILLE, Utah — It was a chilly morning in Cache Valley, but Bob King wore his homemade wool vest to keep him warm.
“Wool is primarily a really good insulator so most of the things we make are things for clothing,” he said.
Wool processing and carding are homestead skills. Bob is trying to preserve the dying art form by teaching others at the Homesteaders Conference and Fair at the American West Heritage Center.
“We had a hard time finding good wool and everything so we moved out West so we could have a horse and we were like we could have a couple sheep and have our own wool,” King said reflecting on when he started wool processing.
The Homesteaders conference features many interactive activities for people interested in learning to live a more self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle. Activities range from butter making to candle dipping to chicken corralling to egg glassing.
“We just feel like people are kind of going back to the basics now they want a simpler life,” said Sarah Gunnell a staff member at the American West Heritage Center.
While taking part in all the activities you can also watch some real horsepower as a couple pair of horses and their handlers show examples of team mowing and raking.
For people like King, a homestead lifestyle is a way to get away from the screens and he’s excited for others to experience that as well.
“It’s kind of a way of life it’s an agricultural way of life and we enjoy it,” he said.
If you want to attend the Homesteaders conference you can see the event schedule and purchase tickets here.