Hedge Becker never planned on becoming director of the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, but a friend’s encouragement and her passion for fiber arts eventually led her there. Now, Becker is helping grow the September 11-13 event in Jefferson.

Becker tells Pam Jahnke the festival includes more than 115 fiber arts classes, sheep breed demonstrations, working dogs, shepherd education, and even discussions about using sheep to graze around solar farms. She also explains how it has become an annual family reunion for many visitors, thanks to the shared love of sheep, fiber, and the people who come together around them.