What to do with a mountain of wool? It’s a question Manitoba sheep producers ask every year.
Ingrid Stalman, who was at the Manitoba Sheep Association booth during the recent Manitoba Fibre Festival, talked about the annual problem.
“If I don’t do anything with the wool, I still have literally a mountain of wool coming off,” she said. “Each sheep would have about six or seven pounds of wool. Let’s say I have 100 sheep. That’s 600 pounds of wool.”
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Low prices offered to farmers for that wool often make it more attractive to discard or compost it.
“As a producer, I could either see this as a difficult chore or I take it as an opportunity. I take it as an opportunity,” said Stalman.
“That’s why I’m excited to be here. I source out to, and connect with, local fibre enthusiasts. Sometimes I sell fleeces to spinners. Some of the wool is specifically taken to the local wool mill, and it has been drawn into yarn. So that way I know I have an income coming in on the side, without only having to rely on the meat industry.”
After a two-year hiatus from business-as-usual operations, the Manitoba Fibre Festival is working to bring producers and craft people together again.
The festival just finished it’s 10th event and according to executive director Margaret Brook, everyone was thrilled to be back.
“The impression that we all got from the people who were coming to the festival was just a real sense of relief and joy at being back together with a particular community of people,” she said.
The relationship between crafters and producers is important to cultivate, she added, and involvement this year by the Manitoba Sheep Association was an important advancement.
“There’s always people within the organization that are supportive, but this is the first time they’ve had a booth, and I’m really glad about that.”
Wool sales don’t play a big role for many sheep producers because the price paid isn’t worth the effort and care that must be taken when shearing.
Brook said she’d love to see that change, but understands the reality when it comes to running the farm as a business that must focus on activities that make money. For most Manitoba sheep farmers, the money is in the meat.
“It becomes almost a liability for sheep farmers if they don’t get paid enough for the wool to make it worth hauling it to the shipping depot,” she said.
Stalman isn’t the only sheep farmer excited about the Fibre Festival. It received 47 fleeces from farmers to enter in the annual wool show, which pleased Brook.
“You never really know how many are going to show up so that’s great.”
The fleeces were entered in six categories and once judged for their quality, they were offered for a silent auction.
“Almost all of them then sold and we really love that all the fleeces go home with someone,” Brook said, noting the transactions are a “win-win” for all involved.
“A farmer can enter a fleece and then somebody who’s attending the show can just buy it right there through the silent auction and get cash into the hands of the farmer. It’s also a way to help sheep farmers recognize the value of wool.”
The festival organization continued to operate during the pandemic. It held a “Fibre Trail” that consisted of multiple events at mostly outdoor venues and brought vendors together at the St. Norbert outdoor market.
“It wasn’t as big an event, but we were still able to gather and support our vendors,” said Mandy Furney, the volunteer co-ordinator.
This year, the festival was back in person at the Red River Exhibition grounds and the number of attendees was similar to 2019 levels.
