Black Maple Farm

Black Maple Farm, Tunis sheep, New Douglas, Illinois, Madison County and the Metro-East near St. Louis. Owen Akers has raised Tunis sheep here since 2010 with the American Tunis Sheep Association, maintaining a small registered flock that undergoes annual health checks and rotational grazing.

Owen participates in regional sheep breeder gatherings to share husbandry practices and support sustainable fiber production. Lambs spend their first weeks indoors on straw bedding with hands-on socialization before moving to open pasture, where they graze alongside laying hens and local cattle for varied nutrition.

The farm’s fleece is prized by local spinners for its soft handle and natural luster. Many fiber artists value the consistency of fleece weight and micron counts from this flock. Its origins date back to Akers’s grandparents, whose legacy of careful land stewardship guides daily care routines. Visitors often note the relaxed temperament of the sheep and the neat, tidy layout of the barns.