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All of our animals are intimately connected with the land on which they roam and graze. Healthy soil produces healthy forage grasses and legumes, which feed healthy animals. The Abbey’s leather products are made by Mother Augusta and our postulant Stephanie who also care for the Belted Galloway beef herd and its pastures. This allows for a rare and meaningful opportunity to experience a process from its conception (of the calf), through the total care of the animal’s life, and into the final gift of its body.
 A beef herd steer will provide us with healthy cuts of meat and with a hide, which we scrape and salt to be tanned and used to create art. Thus the making of a belt or purse actually begins on the hay field, years earlier, by the artisan who will lovingly create many products from each hide. A deep respect is given to each animal through the continuity of its whole body being valued and brought forward. In this way we can share with our customers and guests, not only the meat that nourishes us, but also the leather products that can be used over and over again.
Our leather products, made from the tanned hides of our beef herd, are available on a limited basis in the Art Shop. They are our original designs and are hand-dyed and sewn. Each is one-of-a-kind. Items include leather coin purses, pouches, rosary bead cases, book covers, larger shoulder purses, and rugs or furniture covers made from hair-on hides from which the soft luxurious hair of the animal has not been removed.
GALLERY
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