We kicked the new year off with these words displayed on a 30 foot billboard in Times Square, NYC:
PETA
Keep 2019 Kind – Leave Wool Behind
Seriously?
In recent months, there has been an anti-wool movement sweeping across the nation from Times Square in New York City to the Pacific West Coast. It seems to be the trend to tread on sheep farms and put words in little lambs mouths. Haven’t you noticed? Long time American clothing companies to non-profits for animal rights have used anything from naked actresses touting anti-wool slogans across their behinds, to pitting 100% natural wool against 100% polyester all for the sake of selling synthetic jackets . Most of you who read my blog probably already know all of this as sheep people tend to flock together. Just in case someone out there has missed it….take a gander at the reputation being conjured up about sheep, wool, and shepherding in this country.
One company, Lands End, claims they have been “making sheep jealous since 1988”. Their online catalog for their sherpa jacket states:
Before 1988, warmth meant a wool sweater. Sure, it had a lot of history and romance behind it – none of which you cared about past the first itch. And then, sherpa fleece happened – a light, super soft, toss-it-in-the-wash wonder. It’s only gotten better. Get ready to bask in the softest fleece jacket you’ve ever felt.
Another Lands End product description for sherpa style jackets states:
“Lambs wish they had a coat like this. Yes, lambs are adorable and wool is warm. But for pure softness (without the itch factor), this new Sherpa is the golden fleece. Super light and easy to care for, with maximum snuggles per ounce.”
If you read the fine print, you discover that this sherpa jacket is made from 100% polyester, a petroleum based product, and tons of fuel was consumed in shipping it from it’s off shore factory to the United States. I am certain that none of my sheep have ever wished for a coat like this. Why must they state false claims about lambs and wool to sell their synthetic jacket?
The Future is in Wool
I am not here to argue marketing tactics, or the environmental effects polyester has lying in our landfills, or the ban on mulesing in sheep in New Zealand, or how it is unfair to lump ALL sheep farms under one title and then push for a nationwide ban on wool just because of the poor practices of a few, or how wool can be as soft as cashmere, or how there are many many breeds of sheep-each offering different properties making it extremely versatile, or how sheep have to be sheared yearly for their own health, or how ridiculous it is to claim you know what lambs are thinking. I am here to simply state that the future is in wool folks, something that small family sheep farms have known for years. Given the properties of wool, who could believe any different?
Amazing Qualities of Wool
Wool is:
- 100% natural
- warm
- biodegradable
- fire resistant
- multi-purpose
- recyclable
- able to regulate body temperature
- able to wick moisture away from skin
- hypoallergenic
- durable
- insulating
- versatile
The future is in wool. It leaves no footprint behind. Support American family farms that raise sheep. Know your shepherds. Know your shearers. Buy local. And Lands End, stop putting words in the mouths of my lambs. They are not jealous.
If you or someone you know raises sheep and sells wool products, leave a link in the comments below. Let’s see how many sheep farms we can represent here and show the world that the future IS in wool!
For further reading:
Why Pure Breed Wool Yarn?
International Wool Textile Organization
Wool Lovers Bleat About Activists’ Shear Madness
Duluth Trading Taken to Task Over Wool Comment
Mickey Willenbring
Navajo weaving traditions have produced some of the finest and longest lasting rugs, blankets, and clothing that the world has ever seen… all thanks to the beauty, versatility, and sustainability of Navajo-Churro Sheep. Across the sea, Middle Eastern to Far Eastern weaving traditions have embraced their own double coated breeds, resulting in textiles that have lasted millennia. Wool is one of our oldest and best agricultural products, and as a part of our cultural heritage on both sides of the family, it’s something that all of us here at Dot Ranch will always support.
Kim Goodling
Thank you for this comment! The best chore mittens I ever had were knit out of Navajo-Churro! They were so durable!
Amanda Barcenas
Prado de Lana Sheep Farm
Nicole Murray
Our farm is Covered Bridge Farm and of course I have many friends who are also shepherds including Iron Water Ranch, Rock Creek Romneys and Crabtree Farm. Our shearer, Darkside Shearing, also raises sheep and sells wool. We all love wool!!
Kim Goodling
Thank you Nicole!
Dianne MacDonald
The really scary part of this false and misleading advertising is that some people will actually believe it! Tanglewood Farm (@tanglewoodfarmsheepdreams on Instagram)
Kim Goodling
Yes you are correct. Thank you for sharing your farm here.
a little crafty nest
It is mind boggling to see how far PETA goes to manipulate the masses. I still am flabbergasted by the poster of a month or two old lamb being sheared, cut and bleeding and te shear job was just brutal. It angered me to see such misrepresentation. My flock are happy and thriving…up here in the mountains of British Columbia. I have merinos, one pure gotland and her daughter, and romneys. We are Gladsheim Farm in the Kootenays. Xo
Kim Goodling
We are glad to have you represented here!
Kathleen Oliver
Wool folk definitely need to speak up and do a bit of educating the public. At Sweet Tree Hill Farm, I raise a flock of Shetlands (and starting some shetland gotland crosses) and we produce yarn, patterns and socks. Wool is not only our future, but is thousands and thousands of years of our past. Whole economies were based on wool and without it, many civilizations would have perished. Wool’s properties have a proven record like no other fiber. And now a bunch of know nothings want to debunk wool? Really? With that proven history? It is like saying …nope …the world is flat after all if they are denying that history. And add to the list that grazing could reduce the spread of wild fires. So called environmentalists are preventing access to public lands. Grazing maintains pastures, instead of destroying them. Ok..thanks for the opportunity to vent..now putting on my wool socks and shawl and getting my coffee.
Kim Goodling
Thank you for sharing!
Kristen Langlais
I love my happy, spoiled sheep. Only have 4 now but used to have more and most are rescues. Shearing days are my favorite days. Handling the wool afterwards a joy! I sell wool when I get a chance and use it for felting. There’s nothing better than wool! https://www.facebook.com/laughingcrowfarmvt/
Emmaline Long
Hi! Orchard View Lincoln Longwools: http://www.orchardviewlincolns.com
Olga Elder
Deep breath I tell myself. in our current climate in the world today I am reminded it behooves us to try and understand where they’re coming from…not enough of that going on. Although I get excersized, I then realize they’re overreacting (and doing harm) based on a few situations they’ve encountered …it is up to us to inform and educate otherwise. I agree with everything my fellow shepherds are saying I just think we need to recognize a call to action.
Several years ago I was in a corporate board room negotiating some of our wool products and the CEO asked me how his company might tackle the presumed battle they’d encounter over the topic of sheep shearing…they showed me the YouTube they’d been watching. Argh! I directed them to other YouTube videos they ought to watch. Ahaa they responded…there’s a difference in farms!
That’s our job. Thanks for keeping this important topic going and all you do for sheep/wool Kim!
Kim Goodling
A huge part of my job is educating. We offer farmstay vacations on our farm mainly so I can educate others and shed some light on farm life. Education is so needed.
thecrazysheeplady
I’ve been following along with all this and am just… Looking forward to hearing how it goes with Clara Parkes at the ASI meeting coming up. Meanwhile, I’m happy and warm here with my small wool flock at Equinox Farm :-). Thanks for your post!
Kristi
This is a very informative and inspirational post and I absolutely love the picture! The red sweater is perfect for the drawing attention to the sheep and creating a “wooly” feeling:) I have been saying for too long that I need to pull it together and do something with my sheep, their wool, and myself. This is helping me focus…..
Thank you! And by the way, Lars is such a goof…..he has been doing happy dances with this snow and cold:)
Kristi
Harvest Thyme Homestead
Heather Laffin
I’m also obsessed with wool (and mohair) and have been disgusted with the campaigns against both. We are a small farm in Connecticut that raises a small handspinner’s flock of sheep and a small herd of angora goats. I use most of the fiber myself and sell small quantities to those I deem worthy of it. 😝
Nicholas Laskovski
We are Dana Forest Farm in Waitsfield, VT.
We pasture raise a tiny flock of lambs each spring, summer, and fall for lamb meat and lamb skins.
We hire our great friend Mary Lake, a wonderful sheep lady of Central Vermont to help us out in times of shearing, slaughter, and butchering. She is a true sheep master.
Kim Goodling
Great to meet another Vermont shepherd! Thank you for visiting my blog today!
Jane Woodhouse
I’ll start by saying, heaven forbid, if you are ever caught in a fire let’s hope you are wearing wool. It doesn’t melt to your skin at extremely high burning temperatures. It smells like burnt hair of course and kind of smolders and goes out. Naturally flame resistant. Yes you might get a minor burn but you won’t have plastic stuck tight to your skin. I decided 40 years ago while doing flammability tests in college that natural fiber was the way to go.
Further I don’t understand this recent attack on wool from several companies. Clearly these companies are feeling threatened or I don’t know if they would bother. It seems like an industry wide marketing campaign.
Kim Goodling
Go figure Jane. Thanks for visiting my blog and sharing your thoughts.
Patty McWilliams
I just made a cowl out of Gotland wool and just in time for this weather. It is warmer than any piece of faux fleece. Thank you to all the small sheep farmers!
Kim Goodling
Patty,
I find that my Gotland handknits are my warmest as well! The gray cowl I am wearing in the photo is knit from Gotland. 😊
Cathy Beshore
My husband and I just moved to our current property a month ago. I have been an avid fan of your blog, and I was so excited when I saw the flock of sheep just down the road from where we live. I am absolutely smitten by sheep, and I told my husband that I can definitely see sheep in our future. We are currently preparing our barn so that we can move our adopted Standardbred home with us and then perhaps some sheep???
I support you and all of the other shepherds and agree that education is needed!!
Kim Goodling
Kathy my vote is yes! on getting sheep, but I am a bit biased.😊 Thank you for being a faithful blog reader!
Laura
Thank you for this post! I used to be a natural fiber only kind of gal but had gotten away from that in the last ten years…this year I have rededicated myself to natural fiber clothing after reading a lot about #microplastic pollution from washing synthetic clothing. May 2019 be the year of #lessplastic !!
My son and I work at a sheep dairy, so not the same as a fiber farm, but the sheep are treated so well! Small family farms where animals are treated ethically are the past and the future!
Marion Davis
Thanks for you post. We are fortunate that a lot of New Zealanders understand that wool is an important fibre for all the reasons you’ve stated above, BUT it is still an uphill climb to get other people to recognise these qualities.
My aim, with our small flock, is to increase awareness about wool and to help the breed here in NZ to be recognised as a viable option to synthetics.
Good on you all for your part.
Kim Goodling
It sounds like you have a wonderful goal! Educating the public is an important part of farming!
Jane Woodhouse
Well this article adds some needed balance to the anti-wool rhetoric. While it is focussed on blankets it really speaks to anything made from wool. https://www.remodelista.com/posts/wool-blankets-pros-cons/
Caron Corbitt
Thank you for standing up for wool! We are Corbitt Yarn Farm in NH, and we have a small scale farm with Cormo sheep.
Kim Goodling
Caron,
Thank you! So nice to meet a NH farm!! We are like neighbors!
TeDi
I’m so glad to have discovered your blog! I’ve been watching in awe as this smear campaign unfolds. It is true that so much of what we do as shepherds is educate. It’s good hard work, just like being a being a shepherd, so I guess it suits us well. Sometimes it feels like hunting for a white lamb in a snowstorm. You know it’s out there, you just have to keep looking and listening and calling and trusting. Keep up the good hard work fellow Shepherds.
I’m TeDi from Small Acre Farm in Northern CO. We have a spinners herd and raise BFL, sell raw fiber to finished goods and host a fiber camp at our farm in the summer.
Thanks so much for this post!
Kim Goodling
Thank you too for all of your work there in Colorado and for leaving a comment to let us know about your sweet farm!
Melanie
I’m a city girl through and through – and one who doesn’t eat meat either – and even *I* know that PETA is crazy with this propaganda. And it worries me because this push towards synthetics is one of the worst things that can happen for our environment. Even putting aside the huge footprint that creating these synthetics cost (and vegan clothing is really guilty of this – even if a pair of yoga pants is environmentally friend because it is made out of recycled water bottles, doesn’t mean I want that amount of plastic next to my skin) yarn made out of acrylic is, well, gross. And feels gross. And smells weird. And when I wear it *I* smell gross and then that horrible smell is added to the other horrible smells. So I have no sheep farm to offer up but I am really glad you wrote this post because I keep reading about this and it has driven me nuts for years. (Now if you will excuse me I have to go and frog a sweater made with lovely local wool and then start again.)
Kim Goodling
Melanie,
Thank you for your comment and perspective from a non-shepherd. Thank you for supporting farms and for buying WOOL!!
Judith Falk
Hi Kim–I raise Dorpers, for their exquisite lamb, on Lucky Dog Farm in South Strafford, VT. We also raise Border Collies occasionally. I’ve let family and friends know that as a sheep farmer, I intend to support other sheep farmers–and that means buying wool, not synthetic “fleece”, and eating more domestically produced lamb. Thanks for your “amazing qualities of wool” list above–mind if I share it? One last thing–I met some of your sheep a couple of years ago at the VT Sheep and Wool Festival in Tunbridge, when I was trying to decide which breed of sheep was right for me. I have NEVER seen such beautiful sheep as yours before. I was completely smitten by them. If I was in search of a wool breed, they would have been it for me. Thanks for educating people about sheep and wool!
Kim Goodling
Thank you for stopping by! You can certainly share my blog post and list of the qualities of wool! The Gotland breed is quite lovely. In Sweden, they are raised as pelt sheep, so they can be dual purpose. We have put a couple in our freezer and the meat is very tender and mild. I am sure you are getting a much higher yield of meat with the Dorpers though. If you ever want a Gotland fix, just send me an email and you can come visit. You are not far from us!
Rose Marie Kendall
Hi Kim –
We raise fine wool Rambouillet sheep and there is certainly no “itch factor” in our “next to the skin” soft yarn and combed top for hand-spinning. You’re right with wool being the future and so much of our sustainable textile past! We now have quilt batts made from our Dorset sheep wool & the folks doing hand quilting for heirloom projects choose it over less expensive poly & synthetic batts. Lofty, warm, & it breathes!
http://wildrosefarm.blogspot.com