Tulsa's Family Guide

Jan. 3rd - May. 14th

Heart of the Shepherd'srnIntern / Apprentice Program at Shepherd's CrossrnSpring Semester January - Early MayrnrnShepherd's Cross is a working sheep farm, with several hundred sheep. There are many other animals and activities on the farm. The animals include cattle, horses, donkeys, chickens, llama, alpaca, sheep dogs, geese, and barn cats. Other areas of the farm include a Farm Museum, a Farm Store, hay harvest, pecan harvest, walnut harvest and hulling, a wool mill, shearing school, fiber arts classes, a Bible Garden which produces vegetables and fruit for farm use and for sale, and a Mission Shop. rnrnThe internship program at the farm equips students with basic farming skills. As well as supplies them with Biblical references to farming and shepherding. Students gain an awareness and develop skills of basic agriculture. They are taught historical agriculture, mixed with a healthy appreciation for industrialized agriculture and exposed to agricultural parables found in The Bible.rnrnThe internship is under the direction of Dr. Diane Dickinson. She is an agriculturalist with a Bachelors in Agriculture, a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, and over five decades of farm and livestock experience. She serves as an on-site veterinarian and operates a veterinary care unit on the farm. Students will learn in the same manner as an apprentice learns. Watch the shepherd, practice with the shepherd, and then preform the task unassisted.rnrnInternships may be geared toward one of the following six areas: rn1. Sheep and Shepherding Internship: this internship has a primary interest focused on shepherding. The busiest season is the spring season, with many opportunities for learning. Learn what Psalm 23 really means while being the shepherd to the pasture raised flock on the farm. Learn how to give Shepherding Tours, and work in the Farm Animal Barn. rn2. Bible Gardening Internship: Learn about natural gardening for sustainability, train to be a Bible Garden Tour guide, assist with Garden related educational activities in the Farm Museum.rn3. Wool Mill Internship: Learn how to process wool "green" - including washing, carding, spinning, weaving and more. Learn how to give Wool Mill tours and assist with Wool related displays in the Farm Museum.rn4. Farm Museum Internship: The Farm Museum & Educational Silo is an agriculturally based museum with hands on learning activities. The museum is indoors and outdoors. Learn how to manage a museum; assist with upgrading the farm museum, be a farm museum tour guide, and learn how the Bible and agriculture are related.rn5. Heart of the Shepherd Missions and Missions Shop Internship: Emphasis is on the International Mission Shop operations and fundraising. Learn how to tell the story of the nations and their needs, and how to maintain brick and mortar gift shops.rn6. General Farm & Shepherding Internship: This internship experience includes all the previous categories, working in the fields, working with the sheep and other farm animals; assisting with the Pumpkin Festival; providing Christian, agriculturally based educational tours; as well as a vast array of support farm tasks such as field and tree maintenance, harvesting, planting, cleaning & fence maintenance; assist in the Farm Animal Barn. rnrnThe spring semester is the busiest Sheep and Shepherding season to intern, as this is lambing season and sheep shearing on the farm. This is an authentic working farm, not a hobby farm.rnrnInterns will experience some of every segment of farm life and are not restricted entirely to their internship emphasis. Therefore, each Intern will be learning from all six categories. However, their primary focus will be in their interest area.rnrnSteps of the application process:rn1. Submit a Resumern2. Receive an Internship application & return the completed form to our office.rn3. Reference checksrn4. Personal interviewrn5. Background CheckrnrnCollege credit may be received for students enrolled in college classes.rnrnFollowing successful completion of the Internship, the student may apply for the Apprentice/Residency Program. This program allows the student to remain at the farm for eight additional months to experience all the activities of a farm year. This is beneficial in terms of understanding seed time and harvest, and the Biblical Implications. rnrnExperience is advantageous, but not required.rnrnInternships are full or part time and live on-site or live off-site. Compensation for internships may include room, board, and a monthly monetary stipend. The stipend is not a salary, and it is performance based. rnrnSeveral graduates have been hired to be part of the Shepherd's Cross and Heart of the Shepherd team. rnrnWebsite: https://shepherdscross.com/intern-residency.htmlrnEtsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShepherdsCrossrnFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShepherdsCrossrnInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shepherds_cross/rnrnrnContact Information:rnShepherd's Cross & Heart of the Shepherdrn16792 East 450 Road, Claremore, OK 74017rnDr. Diane Dickinson, president & executive directorrnSheepFarm@ShepherdsCross.com 918-342-5911

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Mar. 15th - Sep. 2nd

Sheep & Shepherd Tours begin when the lambs are born each spring here at Shepherd's Cross, an authentic working sheep farm, just north of Claremore OK on Scenic Route 66. Come to the farm and watch as the sheep peacefully graze the pastures, and rest by the still waters. The newborn lambs jump for joy and frolic in the pastures.

Sheep & Shepherd Tours:
Self-guided Tour - Donation Based
Enjoy watching the sheep in the pastures as you stroll the grounds in the visitor areas.
Virtual Tours: https://www.youtube.com/user/ShepherdsCrossInc/videos
Sheep & Shepherding Guided Walking Tour - Donation-based (suggested $5 per person)
Drop in or schedule.
Please Note: Walking Tour is not in the pasture with the sheep, but adjacent to the pasture per Animal Welfare guidelines.
Sheep & Shepherding Guided Wagon Ride Tour - $7 per person
Wagon Ride in pasture with the flock
Must be pre-scheduled.
Holds 20+ passengers per wagon load; ramp-loading.

Springtime also brings blooms in time for Bible Garden Tours. Shepherd's Cross is home to one of only a handful of Bible Gardens in the U.S.A. Over 100 plants in this garden have Biblical references.

Bible Garden Tour Options:
Self-Guided Tours - Donation based (suggested $5 per person)
Enjoy the English Country Garden, read the placards, pick up a brochure with map
Audio Tours
Available online: https://shepherdscross.com/bible-garden.html

All Tours also include the following:
Visiting the sheep, lambs, and other farm animals at the petting barn area.
Teaching Nomadic and Biblical shepherding practices.
Wool Mill Tour demonstrating combing, spinning, and weaving wool into a finished product.
The educational & interactive Farm Museum & Educational Silo.

Open for drop by visitors Tuesday through Saturday 8:30 - 5:30. Please preschedule Field Trips for groups of twenty or more (one free leader for every 10 paid participants). Picnic area available; bring your lunch with you; limited seating available. Snack and beverage concessions are available on site.

Be sure to visit our Shepherd's Shop for a host of "woolly" and farm related items. You can find yarn produced and processed on the farm as well as roving, batts, felting supplies, knitting needles, and spinning and weaving supplies.

Shepherd's Cross is an accredited Agritourism facility, a Made in Oklahoma Company, and is Animal Welfare Approved.
Website: https://shepherdscross.com/index.html
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShepherdsCross
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShepherdsCross
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shepherds_cross/

Heart of the Shepherd is the non-profit 501-C3 which operates at the farm and provides Biblically based agricultural education locally and internationally.

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Apr. 8th

On the second Saturday of each month, drop by the farm to watch or participate as we fellowship and work hand crafts and fiber arts. Bring a craft to work on or come for a "free help session" with fiber arts such as spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, or felting.

Shepherd's Cross offers weaving and fiber arts classes year-round, on an individual or group basis. Shepherd's Cross is an accredited Agritourism facility and a Made in Oklahoma Company that processes Animal Welfare Approved fiber (that is chemical free, hormone free, free range, all natural). Shepherd's Cross hosts a mini wool mill, processing wool from their own sheep, raised on site.

Heart of the Shepherd is the non-profit organization (501-C3) that operates at the farm and establishes wool mills in remote, impoverished areas around the world. Heart of the Shepherd teaches Biblical references to the harvest, the animals, farming, and gardening.

Shepherd's Cross and their unique Country Craft Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday 8:30 - 5:30, year-round (closed some holidays).

Website: https://shepherdscross.com/spin-n-knit-in.html
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShepherdsCross
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShepherdsCross
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shepherds_cross/

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Apr. 27th - 29th

Woolly Weekend is a "sheep to shawl" festival held at Shepherd's Cross, an authentic working sheep farm, just north of Claremore OK on Scenic Route 66. Come to the farm and watch as the sheep are shorn (given a haircut). Sheep shearing occurs throughout the day. After the fiber is shorn from the sheep you can watch the wool being processed on site. It will be combed, spun, woven, knit, crocheted, and felted into finished products.

This is a true Sheep to Shawl Event. Over the three-day period at least three shawls will be created entirely from the wool shorn on the first morning of the event. It is rare to find a true Sheep to Shawl experience.

Shearing and demonstrations take place inside the Amish built tour barn, which houses some of the animals as well as the wool processing, farm museum, and the gift shop. There are Short Course Fiber Classes available; learn drop spindling, hand carding, or needle felting during the event. Be sure to visit the Farm Animal Barn & pet the barnyard animals. Tour the educational interactive Farm Museum & Four Story Observation Silo, as well as the Bible Garden.

Bring the entire family. Children's activities include weaving, games, wool project, and coloring contest. This is a free event. Donations are welcome - suggested donation of $5 per person. If you have groups of twenty or more, please pre-register.

Volunteers are needed to demonstrate fiber arts. If you spin, weave, knit, crochet, or needle felt you may join our Sheep to Shawl Team. Anyone who works with fiber is welcome. Inquire for additional information.

Come shop at Shepherd's Shop featuring a host of "woolly" and farm related handmade crafted by Shepherd's Cross and over 50 local crafters; farm fresh USDA processed and Animal Welfare Approved meat (lamb and beef), Amish jams, health foods, yarns, and much more! Additionally, the shop features a mission section, where 100% of the sale price is returned to the indigenous craftsmen (countries include Afghanistan, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Uganda and more). Our Shepherd's Cross yarns are natural, chemical free, home grown and hand-picked here on the farm. The shop also offers roving, batts, felting supplies, spinning and weaving supplies, and much more.

Fiber Arts classes, Animal Husbandry classes, and Shearing lessons are available at the farm throughout the year.

Shepherd's Cross is an accredited Agritourism facility, and a "Made in Oklahoma" Company. The farm is also Animal Welfare Approved. It is home to a non-profit Christian organization named Heart of the Shepherd that hosts this event. Teaching basic agricultural principles and their relationship to the Bible are instrumental in the educational component of the farm.

Website: https://shepherdscross.com/woolly-weekend.html
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShepherdsCross
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShepherdsCross
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shepherds_cross/

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