Food Works Farm to Fiber Field Day
Date/Time
Date(s) - 06/06/2026
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location
Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch
Categories
(Carbondale, IL) — Join us Saturday, June 6th at the Food Works Farm to Fiber Field Day at Rolling
Oak Alpaca Ranch for an afternoon of hands-on learning, fiber arts, and fun on the farm! The Farm to
Fiber Field Day is a chance to experience the full journey from animal to finished fiber. You’ll meet the
animals, learn how fiber is produced and processed, and explore natural dyeing with plants.
Participants will tour Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch in Makanda, Illinois, 1335 Hall Church Road, Makanda,
Illinois 62958. The Livestock Production tour begins at 2pm, the natural dye workshop starts at
4pm.
Established in 2011, Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch began when Morgan Stevenson welcomed her first 3
alpacas to make softer yarn for her crochet projects. Today, the ranch is run by Morgan and her mother,
Judy Hoepker, a dynamic mother-daughter duo dedicated to every aspect of alpaca care and fiber artistry.
From breeding and shearing, to sorting, spinning, knitting, weaving, felting, and crocheting, they transform
the finest alpaca fiber into luxurious, one-of-a-kind goods. The ranch is now home to over 20 alpacas and
a couple of Pygora goats, who contribute their own unique fiber to the collection.
After the farm tour, attendees have the option to stay for an add-on natural dye workshop ($10). Learn
about the cultivation, processing, and use of plant-based dyes and fibers with Erin Luna of Black Rat
Farms! Erin is a natural dye craftsperson who has worked in the medium for the past seven years,
farming an acre in Hillsboro, MO, and teaching on the subject at a variety of institutions in St. Louis,
where she resides. Participants will have the opportunity to naturally dye a bandana and chat all things
fiber farming with Erin.
This field day is free and open to the public, but you must register at the Food Works website. The natural
dye workshop is in addition to the field day, and costs $10 to participate, all supplies are included.
About Food Works
The Mobile Farmers Market is a program of Food Works, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization facilitating
the development of a regional food economy in Southern Illinois. We believe that a truly enduring
approach emphasizes access to good food for everyone, which keeps food dollars circulating in local
communities, and balances human needs with the health of the air, water and land resources on which all
life depends.
Stay connected with our community initiatives by following @FoodWorks.Soil on Instagram
Contact:
Ellen Esling
Email: ellen@fwsoil.org
Website: Farm to Fiber Field Day Registration