We are the Steven Schmiedeknecht Family and we shepherd a flock of purebred Merino sheep in West Michigan.

The name, Wool Haven, was born from a longing to create a safe place (“haven”) for all things wool related.

Here’s a snapshot of our story, if you would like to know…

In 2014, Steven and I were married. The Lord has blessed us within the course of the last eight years with five beautiful children so far, Elsie (8 years), Sydney (6 years), Walter (5 years), Naomi (2 years) and Genevieve (Genny) (born October 2024).

In 2017, Steven, and I, purchased a couple of older purebred Merino sheep (Molly and Maggie) to see if shepherding was for us. It was love at first sight and we began on our shepherding journey.

In 2019, we introduced three purebred Merino ewes (moorits and a white) to our farm from Mendenhall Wool Ranch (California).

In 2021, we introduced a heritage breed, Tunis wether from Leatherwood Creek Farm (Tennessee), to our flock.

In 2022, we introduced Cezanne, a horned purebred Merino ram (black/dark silver/white spotted) from Black Sheep Farm (Virginia) who was named Champion Natural Colored Ram at the 2022 Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. As a lamb (~6 months old), Cezanne’s wool fleece tested at 16.7 micron average and with a 100% comfort factor.

In the spring of 2024, we moved the family and farm to the countryside and also introduced more purebred Merino ewes (moorit, dark brown, black and silver) and Brunetti, another purebred Merino ram (moorit) from Black Sheep Farm (Virginia). As a lamb (at 5 months on full feed), Brunetti’s wool fleece tested at 18.7 micron average and with a 99.5% comfort factor.

We now live on 60 acres, where we hope to continue growing and raising our family, flock and farm.

With the help and encouragement from experienced Merino shepherds and shepherdesses from around the USA, we have been working very earnestly toward our desire and the prospect of offering premium quality purebred Merinos and fine fleeces here in the upper Midwest and are thrilled to announce that we are adopting a January/February lambing program here at Wool Haven. We are anticipating lambs being born here on the farm in early 2026!

Here at Wool Haven, our desire is to raise beautiful and thriving purebred Merino sheep with superior genetics, giving exquisitely dense and uniform fine wool fleeces with lovely, soft handle (low micron count and high comfort factor), impressive crimp, staple length and lock structure, from sheep with proper and sound body conformations that display the Merino breed standard honorably. Holly has a particular interest in the recessive color genetics of Merinos and hopes to focus on a breeding program that will allow for the expression of the gorgeous range of beautiful fleece colors (moorit, dark browns, silvers and variegated fleeces) in future lambs.

We are members of the Natural Colored Wool Growers Association (NCWGA) and the American & Delaine Merino Record Association. All of our Merinos are registered with either the NCWGA or the American & Delaine Merino Record Association according to their fleece color.

Wool Haven is in Oceana County, Michigan, near the Lake Michigan lakeshore, between Muskegon and Ludington.

Currently, our offerings include:

Yarn. A limited supply of Merino wool roving and yarn made from the fleeces of our sheep at our local mill.

Raw fleeces. After shearing, fleeces are skirted well (have very little vegetable matter); suitable for handspinners and fiber artists. Every fine fleece made available for sale is sampled and sent to be tested to be able to reference specifics: micron count (average), comfort factor, staple length, et cetera. Each fleece is weighed.

Handwovens. Most of our heirloom Merino wool handwovens are sold out, however if this is something of interest to you, please contact Holly (please click here). We show our fleeces in the Michigan Fiber Festival’s Fleece Competition. Any of our well-skirted fleeces that go unsold at the festival will be made available here on our website.

Lambs/Breeding Stock. Exciting news! Beginning in 2026, we hope to have lambs available for sale!

We showed our sheep for the very first time at Michigan Fiber Festival 2025 in Allegan, Michigan.

We give you our best from our growing farm,

~Holly

Wool Haven ~ The Steven Schmiedeknecht Family