Island Crossing Farm

01/18/2026

Another video of Ann.

01/17/2026

Joe has decided to sell his 4 yr old Ann (DOB 11/26/21) as he has too many dogs and not enough time. She is beyond started and has been competing competitively in ProNovice. With a bit more time, she could move up to Open as she does know how to shed and has a “look back.”

Ann is easy to live with and gets along with the other dogs, cats and horses. She is crate trained and travels well. More video available upon request. Pedigree in comments.

10/08/2025

Quick reminder that there are no longer herding lessons with Joe being offered. He has taken a new job and is not available unless you have contacted him directly in person or via email/messenger.

09/11/2025

Good morning everyone!

I'm writing to provide an update regarding lessons with Joe at the farm.

Joe has accepted a full-time position with a great company starting in mid-October. He will continue to offer lessons on a very limited basis, likely a couple of weekends per month.

Please contact him directly for scheduling and availability.

Thank you!

08/02/2025

We have an 18 month old, tri colored smooth coat male available to a performance home. Heather has started him in Barn Hunt and he's a natural. He would also excel in nose work, agility and obedience. If you're looking for a herding dog, this isn't him as he doesn't have the outrun for field trials (AKC, ASCA, ABHA would be ok). He gets along great with all sizes of other dogs, cats, kids and horses. We will be screening homes as we do not want him bounced around.

06/16/2025

Hey everyone!

We're planning another sheepdog clinic this summer and want to make sure we cover what you want to learn. What topics are you most interested in?

Some ideas we have include:

Driving
International Shed
Competitive Strategy
Sheepdog Trial Judging
Stockmanship
Penning and shedding

But we're open to your suggestions! Let us know what you'd like to dive into.

Put your suggestion(s) in the comments!

06/10/2025

Hey everyone, I wanted to share a little trick I've learned for battling those pesky mosquitoes. I swear they're always after me! To keep them at bay, we've started putting goldfish in our stock tanks years ago. It's honestly such a simple, cheap, and kind of fun way to manage them.

Another cool thing we do is keep a boat buoy in the tank. It's a quick visual indicator for the water level, especially since the tank is a ways out with the cows. I can just glance at it as we drive by to see if it's low. Hope this helps anyone else struggling with mosquitoes!

06/04/2025

We are going to try something new and use SignUpGenius for the weekly lessons with Joe. Please sign up for the dates/times that you want. We do ask that if you cannot make your time/date, please cancel you sign up asap or email Heather at [email protected] Spots are $75/dog.

At this time, we are limiting spots to Border Collies unless you've already spoken with Heather or Joe. If you have other herding breeds, please PM us as we may be able to help you or refer you to another trainer.

Here is the link for lesson times:

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Payment ($75) will be due at each lesson (cash, check or Venmo). If you cannot make a lesson, please sign back into Signupgenius and delete your spot so that someone else may have it. Thank you!

05/26/2025

Beautiful pen after qualifying in the double lift.

05/13/2025

We will be offering herding lessons a few days a week starting in June. This is currently open to only Border Collies of all training levels. Lessons will be $75/hr and catered to your dog's individual needs. We can work dogs from starting in a round pen through working the turn back for double lifts. Please message for more details or you can send an email to [email protected]

04/08/2025

Editing to add: Clinic is now full. We do have audit spots available for $75/day. We are looking at additional dates for later this summer in which to offer a similar clinic.

Ok, here we go again, due to popular demand, Joe will be giving another shedding and penning clinic June 28nd and 29rd ($350/weekend). There will be a lunch break each day. Dogs must have both flanks and a stop. There will be a limit of 10 spots, unlimited audit spots. Please pm or email Heather ([email protected]) to sign up.