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About Little Larch Farm
Little Larch Farm is a small hobby farm located in the Goldstream Valley in Fairbanks, Alaska. What started as two ewes in 2024 quickly grew to a larger flock and a passion project. Laura, the shepherdess behind Little Larch, is an avid knitter, amateur spinner, and certified sheep shearer. Each year, we learn more about the challenges and joys of raising sheep in Alaska, and we aspire to raise happy, healthy animals. In 2025, Laura attended the Sheep Shearing and Basic Care course in Hopland, CA to learn to shear professionally. Since completing the course, she has shorn small flocks in the Fairbanks area, including here at Little Larch. As a spinner and shepherd, she prides herself on high-quality shearing that prioritizes animal welfare and fleece quality.
Who we are
Hi! We're Justin and Laura, the people behind Little Larch. We met in 2019 while working seasonal jobs in northern Alaska. We fell in love with each other and Alaska, and, after returning to Fairbanks in 2020, never left! We purchased our home in 2023 with a hope to have a small garden and maybe some chickens. Less than a year in, we decided to go all in on some Craigslist sheep. While we both have full-time jobs outside of Little Larch, Justin loves to garden and is pursuing his Master Gardener certification, while I shear, spin, and knit. We both love and tend to our flock.
Our Sheep
Our flock currently consists of four ewes, with plans to expand in the summer of 2026. We have two Icelandic ewes (Barb and Penelope), one Icelandic-Finn cross (Phyllis), and one Finnsheep (Ethel). We hope to bring in a new ewe and two rams to breed for lambs in 2027!
Shearing is an essential and often overlooked part of owning sheep. My shearing journey started with the common difficulty of finding a local shearer and a desire to be involved in every aspect of shepherding. After our first shearing day with a great local mentor, I researched shearing schools in the lower 48. I attended the University of California's Sheep Shearing and Basic Care 101 course at the Hopland Research and Extension Center in April 2025. This weeklong course gave me the confidence and skill to shear my own flock and start shearing for other small flocks in the Fairbanks area. I'm passionate about providing shearing services for small flocks that are common in Alaska. Check out the Shearing Day page to learn more about what to expect from the process and our Services for prices and more information. Feel free to use the button below to contact us with any additional questions!
