'I see this company getting bigger and bigger.'
Four years ago, Abigail Donkers of Faribault, Minnesota, went to the Scott County Fair. There she discovered the Olde English Babydoll, a breed of sheep known for their calm disposition and diminutive size.
“I said, ‘Hey, Mom, we need to get some of those!’” Donkers remembers. “My mom grew up having sheep, so it’s always been in the family. Because I’m in a wheelchair, it’s easy for me to work with this breed.”
Today, Donkers works as a project manager for her family business Big Woods Babydolls.
“My brother hooks up with feeding, because I can’t get down to our barn very well,” Donkers said. “He feeds them. I check the books. I order their medication as needed. I order the feed and keep them registered in a book. In essence, I’m in charge of the paperwork aspect.”
Her hard work has paid off. Clients buy Babydoll sheep for breeding purposes, since their progeny offer fine fleeces for the market. And in April, her business earned her a college scholarship: the NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award.
“There aren’t a whole lot of Babydolls out there,” Donkers said. “Not long ago, we sold a ram to Canada for breeding. We also sold a sheep to a lady who has a petting zoo for kids with Down syndrome and autism.”
A recent high school graduate, Donkers will be attending South Dakota State University to study agricultural education. She will continue to work with Big Woods Babydolls from the university.
“I see this company getting bigger and bigger,” Donkers said. “I see better quality sheep in our future.”
