History of Anchorage Farm

This Romney flock began in 1981 at Wethersfield Farm in Amenia NY, under the flock name Wethersfield, with the purchase of 3 ewes from Brenda Bothe (NJ) and of a ram from Peter and Patty Drape (NY).

Additions of white ewes since: in 1982, one Sattler (MI); in 1984, one Oaklawn (MI); in 1985, two Kessi (OR); 1987, eight Judah (WA); in 1988, fourteen Bellairs (MI), 3 Loesch (MI), 2 Gavin (MI), 1 DeBano (MT), 1 Williams (MI); in 1989, two Judah (WA); 1992, two North Star (VT), 1 Rogue Romney (OR) and 13 Judah (WA); in 1994, three Judah (WA) and 11 Running Battle (NY); in 1995, five Marsh (MA); in 1996, one Bolton (NY); in 1997, one Gavin (MI); in 1998, twenty-six Nudd, 2 Guild, 2 Allou (NY), 1 Bristle (MI), 1 Sandhill (Ullman); in 1998, one Bullock (WA), 1 Kikitangeo (Imp NZ); in 2005, eight ewes from Pin Oak Farms (OR). The North Star and Running Battle ewes were nearly all Judah first or second generation.

Natural-colored ewes: in 1995, one Rozalia (MA); in 1996, one Weymouth Walk (NJ); in 1997, nine Bellairs (MI) and 2 Weymouth Walk (NJ); in 1998, one Sears (OR), 1 Sand Hill (Hordyk) (WA)

Banklea 390/01 (Imp), bred by R.A. Brown.

     White rams: in 1985, Sassafras Meadow Apollo (KY); in 1987, Judah 667-86 (WA). "Henry!" the National Champion, was a son of the Judahs' imported Offord ram; in 1992, Springfield 921 (MD); in 1994, Running Battle 92-039 (NY) ; in 1995, Green Corner 226/93 Tw (Imp NZ); in 1998, Kia Ora 203/96 (Imp NZ); in 2000, Bullock 9906 (WA); in 2002, Banklea 390/01 (Imp NZ); in 2005, Banklea 639/03 (Imp NZ); in 2005, Bullock 0460 (WA).

Natural-colored rams: in 1995 Weymouth Walk 9321B (NJ) ; in 1997, Silver Creek 557-93B (AI) Tw (OR); in 2003, Weymouth Walk 0206 (NJ); in 2005 Pitchfork Ranch 388 Tw (MI); in 2007 Pitchfork Ranch 461-07 (MI).

In 1992 we moved from Amenia NY to Saugerties and changed the flock name from Wethersfield to Anchorage to match the name of our new place. Saugerties, forty miles south of Albany and ten north of Kingston, has a strong Dutch heritage. Anchorage Farm is the old Brink homestead on the Sawyerkill, farmed since 1750. Benjamin Myer Brink wrote in The Early History of Saugerties (W.Anderson, Kingston 1902) that

View from the ridge above the barns toward the Platte Clove, Catskills Mountains

“ ‘an old sawyer’ or ‘a little sawyer’ [h]ad a sawmill at the mouth of the little stream known as the Saw creek, and by the Dutch his mill was spoken of … as de zaagertjes or the sawyer’s. From this came the name of the stream on which his mill was erected, then of the locality, in time of the town and lastly of the village.”

The British under General Vaughan sent a raiding party to fire the house of Capt John Brink, Jr in 1777 when the redcoats were pillaging the Hudson Valley and Captain Brink was with the Continental Army at Saratoga. The party was recalled on the news of Burgoyne’s defeat at Saratoga. Andrew Brink, John’s son, piloted the world’s first commercially successful steamboat, later called the Clermont. The vessel anchored overnight at Saugerties on her first voyage to Albany in 1807.

The mission of Anchorage Farm is to support and advance agriculture in the Hudson-Catskills region, realizing this with Romneys -- the world's most economically important dual-purpose sheep breed.

Our goals: true dual-purpose sheep; flock fertility exceptionally high for Romneys; longevity; uniformity of fleeces.

2006 ewe lambs November 2006

Braided wool rug 100% Romney all natural-colored   With the inspiration of our neighbor Robin Goss, Steve has been making rugs in Robin’s unique tradition. The yarn is made at Green Mountain Spinnery from wool grown here. The picture shows a 38” x 60” rug made and bound by Steve in 2004.

Anchorage 514-06B Tw at 12 months

Anchorage Farm Registered Romneys 8 Mynderse Street Saugerties NY 12477-1704 ...in the mid-Hudson Valley
"Zephyr," barn cat	Graeme L. Stewart, Manager 845-246-7685 Anchorage1@earthlink.net Steve and Elizabeth Shafer, Owners 845-246-4947 212-222-5703 sqs1@columbia.edu shpcount@earthlink.net
Group of 2006 ewe lambs, November 2006

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