Frolicking at Fiddle Knoll Farm
TL;DR: Fiddle Knoll Farm, a charming Michigan destination, joins Harvest Hosts, offering RVers a unique stay surrounded by sheep, llamas, and dog training expertise. Experience the farm's history, operations, and warm hospitality on your next trip.
Harvest Hosts is a unique RV membership program with a large network of available hosts. So far, locations have opened their hearts and their homes and/or businesses to members of the Harvest Hosts RVing community. Through this program, members receive overnight accommodations with no camping fees in beautiful and unique places across North America. In return, members must make a purchase to patronize the small business that hosts them. Of these Hosts, Fiddle Knoll Farm is particularly inviting. Here, you can learn all about this farm’s history, its operations today, its origins within the Harvest Hosts community, and what future visitors can expect to experience. Want to see more? Find more RV camping in Michigan and start planning your trip.
The History
Located in the Upper Peninsula in Chatham, Michigan, the origins of Fiddle Knoll Farm stretch back to the early 1900’s with its beginnings as a Finnish Dairy Farm. Nearly a sentury later, in 2006, Dale and Susan Kapla purchased the property and began their own farm. They began raising CVM and Clun Forest sheep for wool and meat. In 2011, they acquired Kona, who is their guard llama. Yes, you read that correctly! Kona stays in the same enclosure as the sheep to protect them from coyotes, wolves, bears, and stray dogs. The sheep move to a new area twice per day, and Kona goes with them every step of the way, keeping them safe.
The Business Today
Today, Fiddle Knoll Farm continues to shear their sheep each spring. They offer raw fleece, tops for spinning, yarn skeins, and pelts available for purchase. They also run an Etsy shop for convenient online purchasing. Fiddle Knoll Farm strives to produce clean, quality, luxurious fleece with guaranteed quality. In addition, they sell lamb meat seasonally, although it is best to call ahead to confirm meat availability. Similar to their wool, they strive to provide the best quality meats for their customers. All lambs are pastured and grass-fed, and they only receive antibiotics if absolutely necessary. Dr. Susan Kapla also runs a dog behavior and training business on the farm. She is one of just fifty Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists with the Animal Behavior Society in the United States. Her training abilities range from puppy obedience to behavior modification. She offers group sessions, individual sessions, or even remote Zoom lessons, depending on the type of training being administered.