Hi I'm -Eric Ford for made here - every year on made here.

- We feature - film work from the students.

- At Champlain College.

There's always fantastic - films.

- Being made by the students, and this year is -no exception.

- Three short documentaries.

- Feature a look at sheep - farming history.

- And practice in Vermont.

- How guitars are crafted.

- Locally, - and a trip to Ireland.

- From the Champlain.

College Dublin campus.

-You can watch the 2024 -Champlain College Student.

- Showcase.

- And other great made here films -streaming on our website and through the PBS app.

- Enjoy the films.

- And thanks for watching.

- First step is talking.

- To the customer and saying, - you know what kind of guitar.

- They want it to - sound like.

- You know what I mean?

- Put the the wood choices.

- Together for sound, and then it's all about -how do you want it to look -and feel and play and sound.

- The short version.

- Of How to Make a Guitar -is cut off the wood, -get a dimension just right.

-Once the body is together, -then it goes on to the neck.

The neck gets set on here.

- It needs to be.

- At the right pitch.

-Otherwise, you know, -the strings may sit too -high or too low.

- Prep it for finish.

- Finish it.

Polish the finish, - and then it'll go to the set.

- Up room.

- Looks.

- Where it gets the strings.

- It gets the nut.

- In the saddle slot.

You know, set.

And then there's the -wiring up the electronics, -putting it all together, - playing it.

- And doing the set up.

And then - taking pictures of it.

- And sending it off to the client, -hoping they're happy.

- Oh.

Moved.

- To Burlington in 1996.

- And, I've been playing.

- Guitar quite casually for, I don't know, you know, - 6 or 7 years prior.

- To that, but.

- And also, as a day job.

- Cutting up wood and, I realized I could merge - those two.

- Things was sort of the - why didn't I think of this.

- Sooner kind of epiphany?

- It's been a.

- A long journey to get here.

- I started -as a guitar player, I guess.

- When I was in fifth grade, - my family owned.

- A manufacturer company in, - New York and then moved up.

- To Burlington in 2012.

- And that's.

- When I really started, you know, making more instruments - under the Circle Strings.

- Brand name.

Those were, - you know, custom -made one off guitars.

- For players that were, - you know, pretty expensive.

- And highly detailed, I guess about 2017, 18, - my friend Pat -was working with me.

- And he said, - why don't you try.

- And make a guitar that's, you know, a little cheaper.

- And that's when I started.

- The Irish brand.

Playing on a stage.

Somewhere, -people would take note of it -and realize - it wasn't just like an off.

- The rack guitar - and come and ask me about it.

- Afterwards.

- Those people look me up.

- And so I sort of went from - just like a basement hobby.

- To having a full time job inside of a year.

You know, Trey was, - you know, when I built the.

- First guitar for him, he was -he wasn't famous, -but he became famous.

- And, I mean, I can't.

- Put a price on that, really.

- You know?

-And he's a successful.

- Player.

People -love their instruments.

I don't know, for, for -some reason, maybe guitars, !

they're a little bit anthropomor that makes sense, that, - people have more of.

- A, like a relationship - like they might have with a.

- Pet or something like that.

I don't know.

Gentleman came -in, last year - and fell in love.

- With an Irish guitar - and ended up buying it.

- And taking it home -and then, -he came back a couple couple months later, -and was thinking more -and more about, you know, - building out his collection.

- Further, - getting something.

- Custom built for himself that was a little -higher end.

- And so we started talking.

- About, circle strings, - and then it was off.

- To the races.

His his name.

It starts with the J.

It's Jonathan, I don't know, -I won't say his last name, -but he he, - he approached us.

- And asked us to build him - a pretty special guitar.

- Out of, old growth -cedar for the top.

- And he really wanted.

- To use the back and sides - of a figured mahogany.

- From a special, - tree from Belize.

- Called the tree.

- The tree.

- The tree is, it's a enormous, -mahogany tree that -fits but was felled, -back in the 70s.

Took them years -to figure out - how to get it.

- Out of the jungle.

-And it sort of has this, -you know, mythical quality for multiple reasons.

I think one is that, -you know, it's beautiful.

- It's this beautiful.

- Figured mahogany.

- And I've seen other figured.

- Mahogany, but none that's quite -as beautiful and consistent -as as the tree is.

- There's not much of it left.

- That isn't on, milled - or turned.

- Into something already.

-So that part of this, -the rarity, the scarcity, - you know, drives.

- A lot of the prices of, - Tony Woods in particular.

- For a guitar building.

- We have an on -milled piece of it.

- That was about six figures.

- So, so it's Will Hylton.

- Is doing the neck and inlay.

- Nick Durkee is the one.

- Who did the body build.

-Esau and, Will Esther, -who'll be doing the the neck set.

-Andy Arizona will be doing.

The finish.

And storm gates.

- I'll be doing.

- A final set up on it.

So the guitar body - is comprised of basically.

- Three main parts the top, the back, - and the sides are formed.

- Through - a pretty simple process.

- Involving heat and water - to loosen up the fibers.

- Of the wood enough - to allow us to bend it.

- Over a shape, - or molds of the guitar.

- That we're working - on, then be taken out.

- And be put into a separate mold kind of boxing mold.

- Another way we can adjust.

- The the stiffness of a top - is by adding braces.

- To the inside of it.

In certain areas.

- And again, the goal.

- There is just - you add stiffness.

- To the parts we want.

But when you add braces - what you're also doing.

- Is adding weight.

So what you want to do -is then go in and carve away -weight from the braces - while still trying.

- To maintain the strength -that they're, -you know, giving the top - the back goes.

- To kind of a slow process.

- That strength to weight.

- Ratio isn't as important.

- You just want the back.

- To be just solid.

- So once those three main.

- Parts are done, - they can be -assembled together.

- In a process - called boxing up or actually.

- The assembling body.

- Together we'll add.

- This material called curving or lining around the edges - of the sides.

- For extra surface area.

- And a little bit.

- Of extra strength - to and everything.

- Will be lined up.

The top and back -will be lined up on center -with the head and and block, - and they'll be sandwiched.

- Together in a press.

- And once those once.

- That is all dried up, - they can be taken.

- Out of the press.

- It can be taken.

- Out of the mold.

- The final time -the top and back usually.

- Have a little bit of a lip, - so they'll be routed.

- Flush with the sides.

- And then once that's flush.

- The entire sides length you the edges and top and back.

Once the binding is done, -everything will be leveled - and sanded flat.

- And flush with each other.

- And then from there.

- We'll go move on to Will, - and he'll take care of the.

- The next set.

I'm the head CNC, operator - programmer engineer.

- At the shop.

Most modern guitar shops - are going to have some form.

- Of CNC capabilities.

- CNC stands for Computer.

- Numeric Control.

- It's essentially a computer.

- Guided robotic machine.

- You feed information.

- To the machine - and in turn.

- It can create parts for you.

- There's two.

- Main types of software you're going to need -for CNC.

- One is CAD software and.

- The other is Cam software.

- CAD stands for Computer.

- Aided Design and Cam stands for Computer -Aided Machining.

With those programs, - you are essentially drawing.

- Geometry, - engineering and geometry.

- And how you want it to work.

- And you can essentially.

- Create parts with the CNC from there.

What we're doing in the CNC - realm.

- Is subtractive machining.

- So you're starting.

- With a larger object - and milling it down.

- To the desired shape.

- You need.

-You see me.

- Engraving the neck -blank first, -which is laying out - all the information.

- I'm going to need.

- From there.

-It's flipped and machined.

- Precisely - to the exact angles.

- And specifications I need.

-From there it's carved, -and once it's measured, my job is complete.

The part is inspected, -measured, -and then handed off to Will.

- Esther, who is going.

- To be fitting the guitar?

- Yeah.

-So the first thing I do is.

- When I get the neck, - I kind of carve out a little.

- Hollow in the heel area.

- Then I just pull sandpaper.

- Through until - it matches the heel.

- Of the neck up with the body as tightly as possible, - and dial.

- In all of my measurements - so that the strings.

- Are going to run - straight across the neck.

- And not be too high, not be off centered.

- Glue the fretboard on.

- And then root the slots - and start carving.

- And sanding it.

After I'm done with it.

Then I go -put it on the shelf and Andy will -finish, sand out the body, -mask everything off and then start -spraying color and get some -build coats on there.

-I get the next from Will, -Esther and -just prepare them to get, -you know, color and clear, - give it a protective.

- Clear coat finish.

So that's a lot of, you know, masking off the portions that - we don't want to have color.

- Or clear coat on and then laying the stain - down into the wood directly.

- And applying the sealer and clear coat over - top of that color.

- With spray equipment - usually get about anywhere.

- From 12 to 18 coats with sanding in between.

- We let it sit.

- For a couple of weeks - after all.

- The coats have been applied, -and then it gets, -polished treatment with very high grit sandpaper.

- And and then I, hand.

- The instrument off to storm to be assembled and set up.

- Yeah.

-So first it comes in and.

- Parts, it's all taped up.

I remove the tape and make sure I don't lift - any of the lacquer.

- That Andy has so lovingly - gotten ready.

-Then you put the neck.

- And the body together.

- I check the set of the neck.

- And the bridge.

-I get it all glued up, -and then it goes -on the fingerboard, -planing and pluck, - which it scans, measures.

- All the high and low spots on the fingerboard -and gives it a perfect.

Radius, just a very important -part of the process.

Using that machine.

- And then it's time for.

- Appointments like tuners, - nut and saddle.

- Carving those by hand at that point -get strung up, -then it's going to be scanned again -under the pluck.

- So it's all scanned.

- Under tension - and the flight goes through.

- And measures the frets - this time and grinds.

- Those all down.

- So you have a perfect clean.

- Fingerboard machine.

Perfect.

Yeah.

Once it's all plucked -and we'll polish the frets, -I'll give it a quick QC, -put it in a case and, -shipped off to the customer.

It's all good to go.

- But.

This is going.

- To sound kind of weird, - but it does make me feel.

- Sort of powerful.

Not in a gross way.

-It's like wearing, you know, -a piece of beautiful jewelry or something.

- Although I don't want.

- To wear long jewelry, but.

- But I wear this guitar.

- As a piece of jewelry.

- This guitar will not rarely.

- Go out of tune.

That was a big thing for me.

- I said, like, -that's.

- Probably my number one thing - even compared to.

- Anything else.

- I just want it.

- To be really solid so it doesn't go -out of tune.

Usually, - I was really trusting.

- Creston and giving him - my thoughts.

- About what I like to play.

- I would send in.

- Sounds of guitars.

He would send me sounds -with different pickups.

What they sounded like.

- I knew I wanted something.

- A little -more intense sounding, -I guess.

- So just every detail there.

- Was, every, - you know, even.

- You know, what color, - what color.

- I wanted the pickguard to be - and what type of pickguard.

- And just every detail.

-He asked me about it.

-Of course, -I have my engraving.

- You probably heard this.

- From a lot of musicians.

- Like I'm very socially.

- Awkward generally, actually, - when I'm on stage.

- And connecting with people -in that way, -like this sort of circle - of like an unspoken.

- Sort of energy that happens.

- I feel more at home.

- Or more comfortable -in the world -than any other time, -which is really weird.

I guess.

- You know, I'd say every week.

- We get an email from -somebody new who said, -we got a guitar.

- You know, I've been looking.

- For a guitar like this - my whole life.

- That I can afford.

And most of them are - either too expensive or just.

- I haven't connected with.

-So when somebody says, -you know, I've been playing -guitar for 30, 40 years, -and I picked up your guitar - and connected immediately.

- And had to buy it, - I mean, there's nothing.

- Better, nothing better.

- When Trey Anastasio.

- From Phish got his guitar, -the day he got it, -he came here and just said - he loved it -so much and connected.

- With it immediately and, - and gave the whole shop.

- A little acoustic concert with it.

So -that was definitely the best.

Feeling Ive ever had.

- He texted me the other day.

- Saying, - this will.

- Be my lifelong guitar and, I'll never have another one.

And you know - what could be.

- Better than that?

And.

- When you think about.

- Vermont's staple industries, - you probably think of maple.

- Sirup dairy or craft beer.

-But in the mid 1800s, -Vermont's biggest product was wool.

-Looking at Vermont today, -with its - dense forests, steep slopes.

- And harsh winters.

- It's hard to imagine.

- That it could have ever been - home to open green pastures.

- Dotted with fluffy sheep.

Even more surprising - is that nestled.

- In those mountains, there's still a passionate, close -knit community of sheep - farmers, shearers.

- And spinners.

- Continuing this.

- Historic process so deeply intertwined - with the state's environment.

- And its culture.

It all starts with merino sheep.

- Centuries of selective sheep.

- Breeding - in the Iberian Peninsula.

- Led to the Merino, a breed - with soft, fine, superior.

- Quality wool and lots of it.

- The Spanish.

- Had every intention - to keep these sheep.

- For themselves.

But when Napoleon -invaded in the early 1800s, -they were forced to export.

The first place -to get them in the United States -was Vermont.

At the time, this guy - by the name of William.

- Jarvis was a U.S. Consul to Lisbon, Portugal.

- Apparently.

- He had a good eye for sheep, - so he brought some of.

- The finest merino U.S. - and rams he had and had them.

- Shipped back to his farm.

- And whether it's field.

- Or moment - in the 19th century, Vermont.

- Looked very different.

- The forests had been cut.

- For lumber, leaving vast - green pastures.

- Perfect for raising sheep.

- Vermont's.

- Settlers already had sheep, - but the wool was coarse.

- And scratchy.

The merino wool was fine.

- Texture was unlike.

- Anything they had felt, - and thus.

- Came the Vermont sheep boom.

-Between 1824 and 1840, -the population quadrupled - to 1.6 million sheep, an.

- Average of six per person.

-These sheep produced 3.7 -million pounds of wool, - which all had to be.

- Processed at mills.

- In 1836.

- There were 33 mills.

The next year -there were 334.

-And then in the 1820s, -raising sheep became - the primary agriculture.

- Enterprise in the state.

And in the 1930s, -Merino were - the state's.

- Principal livestock.

So what happened?

As it turns out, -there are better places.

Than Vermont for sheep.

Sheep need land to graze, but they can't do that -during Vermont's long, -harsh winters.

They also need shelter -and supplemental feed, -which costs money.

- Eventually, the Erie Canal.

- And the railroads connected.

- New England to the western.

- United States, - where huge swaths of land.

- Make it possible for sheep - to graze.

- Year round.

Of course, that.

Vermonters couldn't compete.

- Today, the West is still the.

- Easiest and cheapest place to raise sheep.

-Plus, -the government subsidizes - the land, -allowing farms.

- To raise flocks in the tens of thousands.

- The entire state of Vermont.

- Only has 17,000 sheep, - and they're scattered.

- On sheep farms -throughout the state, -ranging from small to tiny.

- In Berlin, Kristen Gallagher.

- And her family - raised sheep on the Dodge.

- Farm.

- We've been here on this farm.

- For 14 years, and I have worked on farms for 25 years.

There are some border, -Lester.

- Those are the ones.

- Without fuzzy faces.

- They are much more friendly.

- Than the Merinos.

Pretty.

We have chickens, -cows, sheep and two cats.

- This is one.

- Of my favorite sheep - because she's so friendly.

- And she is very curious.

At Dodge Farm, the sheep are raised for fiber.

- Once a year, -Mary Lake comes to shear.

- The flock.

Kristen -used to take her wool to mills around New England, - but the turnaround.

- Time was too long - and the wool would often.

- Get mixed with other breeds.

- So Kristen started.

- Aurora's beanery.

- It was obvious to me.

- That there is a need for this scale mill -in New England, -because a lot of people have small flocks - and specialty breeds.

- That they don't want mixed with other wool.

Thanks to all this -machinery.

- Kristen.

- And her family are able - to process wool.

- Exactly how they like.

- Much of the equipment.

- Is for cleaning the wool and improving its texture, - resulting in bags and.

- Even rooms full of fluff.

- Yesterday we had a batch.

- That was so staticky -it stuck to the ceiling, -the walls and the door.

One of the things that's - really great.

- About this equipment - is that we don't just make.

- Yarn, - we make lots.

- Of different products to - to try to offer different.

- Avenues to use that wool.

- Aurora Spinner -makes yarn in a wide.

- Variety of sizes and colors.

And then here you've got a skein of dark.

-For Kristen, -it takes about a week - to process her.

- Entire flock's wool for most of the year.

- Kristen works -with other small flock.

- Farmers from around Vermont out in the East.

-We've said, okay, well, -let's just have different.

Let's have heritage breeds.

Icelandic, Shetland.

-Lots and lots of breeds, -but different colors.

And so now you can - have yarns that look great.

- Without dyeing.

And I appeal to a wide - range of knitters.

- That appreciate the variety.

- And they appreciate things.

- Coming from a small farm.

And they can maybe be.

I like the idea of some milk?

But Vermont farmers aren't - all raising unique breeds.

- For artisan yarn.

- Processing wool is costly.

- For many farmers.

- It's more profitable.

- To raise sheep for meat, mutton, and lamb.

Chet Parsons -Farm in Richford - actually started out.

- As a cattle dairy farm.

So this is a Parsons farm.

- It's been in the Parsons.

- Family since 1919.

My grandfather wanted an experienced farmer.

Chet started teaching about - livestock.

- At the University of Vermont.

-Extension in 1985, -but the job required - knowledge.

- Of more than just cows.

- But I didn't know.

- Much about sheep, - so I went out.

- And bought a flock of 30 and then jumped right in.

- Chet only just retired.

- From sheep farming, - selling his flock.

- To Shelburne Farms in 2023.

-And for all those years, -they weren't - raised for fiber.

- They were raised for meat.

Looking at the economics, - it's not hard to understand.

- Why in Vermont, mills - buy raw merino wool.

- For around $6 a pound.

- The sheep.

- Only get shorn once a year, - and that produces.

- Only 8 to 10 pounds of wool, -so that amounts to about $60 -per sheep per year.

And that's for merino wool.

- Meat breeds have far lower.

- Quality wool, which isn't worth much.

- The wool from Chet's.

- Last shearing -season sits in his barn, -unused.

-The wool is considered, -you know, a byproduct - or something.

- That is not highly valuable.

- Some of the medium to coarse.

- Grade wool is still useful.

I mean, it's just amazing -anti-microbial products - that can be used.

- In many different ways.

- So a lot of people do.

- Want to raise fiber sheep to the challenge.

Turning wool into yarn - is a labor intensive, time.

- Consuming process.

- If farmers want to sell.

- The product themselves, - they have to pay mills.

- For their services, then figure out -how to market their product -on their own - while managing the finances.

- Of raising the sheep.

- So I figure out.

- My food costs for the winter - and my shearing costs.

- And the mill costs.

- So I know a skein costs.

- Me X amount - and then I price it.

- Accordingly.

- There's no lack of demand.

- For yarn during the Covid -19 pandemic.

- Many people took up.

- Knitting and crochet, but this new customer base isn't flocking -to local wool.

- It's easier and cheaper.

- To buy from craft store - chains, who mostly sell.

- Yarn made from plastic.

- A normal ball of acrylic.

- Yarn costs around $5, while - a skein of aurora spinners.

- Plain white wool is $30.

Plastic or rayon?

- Any any sort of synthetic.

- Processing of fiber - to make yarn has huge.

- Environmental costs.

- We pay those costs.

- And other ways to our health - to the detriment of of.

- Our waterways, of our land.

- For many years, Matt Becker.

- Has worked in environmental - cleanup for the Vermont.

- Agency of Natural Resources.

-Two years ago, when Covid 19 -had him working from home, he bought six merino sheep - from the same New York farm.

- As Kristen Gallagher.

- Life is short, and I wanted.

- To learn something new.

And being in Vermont -is an excellent opportunity -to learn anything - agricultural.

- Or farming related, because - we still have those lands.

- Available to us.

- Matt is already planning.

- To expand his flock, and what I can do is - I need to start.

- Introducing these girls - to during their last month.

- Of pregnancy.

- So they need to start.

- Getting a little bit of grain.

So we're going to give them.

Oats.

Yeah.

And.

- I'm trying to make it.

- More than a hobby.

Yes.

-Having said that, -now that I have them - and I have so few of.

- Them, they are principally.

Hi, sweetheart.

Okay.

And.

All right.

I mean.

There we go.

Well, -I was surprised to learn -that, like, -they all have personalities.

- Just like your dogs.

- Or cats do.

You got just shy one.

You got your fence jumper.

- You know, they all have.

- Their own little thing.

Vermont's small -but passionate community of fiber producers - provide a powerful support.

- Network for each other.

- But getting started is still.

- A tough road to tread.

Everybody's -really encouraging and offers advice.

But what I have realized is that we've lost - a lot of -institutional knowledge just.

- About sheep and farming.

- People like myself.

- Are learning it over again.

- Yeah, and sometimes we meet.

- People like chat - and Mary Lake.

- And Kristen, who can fill in those blanks.

- The bitter.

- Cold snow and ice serve - as a yearly reminder.

- That raising - sheep in Vermont isn't.

- And never was easy.

-But every year, -the field will thaw.

Come on, girls, come on.

- And with the arrival of.

- Spring comes new life.

Hi.

It's.

I'm Melanie and.

- Partnering.

- With local filmmakers - to bring you.

- Stories made here.

-For more, -visit Vermont public.org.