During the peak of Vermont’s “Merino Mania” in 1837, there were six sheep for every human in Vermont and 373 sheep per square mile in Addison County. Sheep were fundamental to the establishment of Vermont’s early economy, agricultural practices, and communities, although today we tend to associate the state with dairy cows.
For my senior project at Middlebury College, I explored how sheep have shaped and continue to impact the land and cultures of the state through archival research and oral history interviews. To celebrate community voices and ensure this work endures, I crafted this website which features audio clips from twelve interviews with Vermont sheep farmers and fiber artists on the role sheep play in sustainability, community building, joy, and resistance to industrialization.
I hope you enjoy exploring this site and listening to the perspectives of many Vermonters to whom sheep are not of the past. This site is organized around themes and under each tab you will find historical context along with modern voices.
About me
My name is Viv Merrill and I’m a senior at Middlebury College, graduating with a Food Studies major and Gender Studies minor. Raised in Bellevue, Washington, my interest in sheep started with fiber crafts. My Grandma Sandy was an avid knitter and growing up, I was blown away by the masterpieces that came off her needles. After she passed away, I learned to knit with her stash of yarn, but was dismayed when I realized how many commercial yarn options were synthetic. Last summer, supported by Middlebury’s Innovation Hub’s MiddChallenge Grant, I became aquatinted with Vermont’s sheep communities while learning to process, spin, and naturally dye wool.
I was shocked when I first heard the story of Vermont’s “Merino Mania”. I wondered how it could be that sheep were such an integral part of Vermont’s past, yet are left out of many modern agricultural and environmental conversations. I spent the fall immersing myself in the state’s sheep history in order to understand the nuances, biases, and central themes to this anecdote. I reached out to the farmers, artists, and wool lovers whose voices are featured on this website in order to gain insight on the modern-day reality of sheep in Vermont. I’m grateful for the kindness, generosity, and interest of everyone who shared their perspectives with me and contributed to this project.
Beyond the incredible people whose voices are featured on this site, I’d like to thank others who supported me in this project. I enjoyed talking through ideas with my professor, Catharine Wright, as we explored many similar topics together for her research. Catharine and I co-conducted two interviews that are featured here, and she’s pushed me to think deeply about the broader implications of our relationships with animals and the land. I’m also grateful to my advisor, Molly Anderson, for encouraging me to pursue this idea and signing off on a three-term independent project. My interviews were made possible by a senior work grant from Middlebury College, which funded my transcription software and travel expenses.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this project! Please reach out to me at vivianmerrill@gmail.com