Sheep Industry News October 2024

HEATHER PEARCE ASI Wool Production Programs Manager Northeastern U.S. Loves Wool Wool Marketing

I n late August, I traveled to the Northeast for a wool classing school in Vermont. But first, I made a swing through New York and got a look at the state’s wool industry. From new in vestments in wool research and scouring to a time-tested fiber mill in transition, the state has a lot to offer. Areas in the Eastern half of the United States have seen growth in the numbers of both sheep and sheep producers in recent years. The sheep barn at the Washington County Fair in Greenwich, N.Y. – just an hour north of the state capital in Albany – was filled with energy and literally bursting at the seems as steady growth contin ues to test the barn’s capacity. Most of the sheep on hand were wool breeds, as producers in the area tend to value both meat and wool. BATTENKILL FIBERS Named after the Battenkill River that flows nearby, Battenkill Fi bers Carding and Spinning Mill was founded by ASI Wool Council member Mary Jeanne Packer in 2009 in Greenwich. While the mill is in transition to new owners – Tim Holt and Angie Bennett – it’s a multi-year transition plan that will help the mill continue to operate without a glitch. As one of the larger “small to midsize” mills in the United States, Battenkill offers important services from scouring to pin drafting to spinning and dyeing. About 50 percent of the wool processed at the mill will go back to the original growers to be sold at farmers markets, farm shops and online. The other half goes to brands, designers, yarn stores – from New York to Colorado – independent dyers and others who work with the mill to curate a specific yarn or product. Some of those buyers request specific breeds of wool, as well as certified wool. Battenkill is always on the lookout for wool to meet those specific demands. While Greenwich is in a decidedly agricultural area, the mill sits just three hours or so from New York City – a major hub in the fashion industry. This creates the perfect union of raw wool and finished products. Battenkill also purchases wool top from Chargeurs in South Carolina to blend with other wools. The option to purchase from Chargeurs is critical to the operation, helping to reduce costs and supplement the wool that comes in from area producers. The mill also uses a commercial dyer for lots of more than 30 pounds. Dye

ing is a time-consuming process that Mary Jean would like to do more of if the process could be simplified. Learn more at BattenkillFibers.com . CLEAN FLEECE Thirty minutes back toward Albany from Greenwich, Clean Fleece is a new, mid-size scouring mill housed in a rustic brick building near the Hudson River. The mill is an initiative of the Hudson Valley Textile Project – a non-profit organization that is a community of farmers, dyers, millers, designers, makers, distribu tors and retailers who have come together to share their knowledge and resources. The scouring mill is helping to fill a gap in the local fiber pro cessing supply chain by scouring fiber at a scale that matches the output of the growing network of sustainable natural fiber farms in the Northeastern United States. This newly opened scouring line features a KiwiScour – a semi automated scouring line that washes approximately 60 pounds of greasy wool per hour. Wool is opened by hand and then loaded into a basket where it automatically travels through multiple bowls – the first with hot water and detergent and the latter with just water. This automation allows for a higher volume of wool to be

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