Dairy farmer wife’s crocheting outsells husband’s dairy operation

By Tom Collins
LAKEFIELD — A dairy farmer’s wife, in Lakefield, near Peterborough is making waves with her original shark and mermaid patterns, creating a business that is now earning six figures in annual sales and could soon be out-earning the family dairy operation.
Her creations turned into an online viral hit within a few months last year and from August to December she earned more than $200,000. She expects to earn six figures again this year. Michelle Moore says while she’s now “almost the breadwinner,” there have been some necessary changes to the family’s working relationship. Moore and her husband, Aaron, are first generation dairy farmers milking about 60 cows.
“We were busy with just (farming),” she said. “I would help my husband on the farm milking and all that. I don’t do any of that anymore. He’s helping me now. That’s the funny thing. I’m recruiting him now to help me with my business. It’s been quite the drastic change in our life. He’s already got a seven-day-a-week job.”
Her husband helps with shipping and social media. His friends should know he does not crochet.
Moore — who taught herself how to crochet three years ago — sells unique patterns that people who knit and crochet can use to make imaginative blankets. For example, a shark pattern makes it appear as if a shark is eating the sleeping victim. Another pattern gives a mermaid tail to anyone who wears it.
The patterns are selling in 46 countries, and Moore has sold about 12,000 of the shark blanket patterns and 7,000 of her mermaid patterns. Moore has hired seven employees to help with production and has added new patterns, such as a dolphin, dragon, anaconda and largemouth bass. Moore recently hired her father to help with shipping and a social media company for marketing. Her husband’s dairy farm has two employees.
Her work was recently featured on supermodel Tyra Banks’ TV show in the U.S.