2002 Annual Report for FNE01-371
Fiberworks Blanket Project
Objectives/Performance Targets
The goals...To help producers develop ways to manage their feeding setups to help produce cleaner wool. And to explore breeding and feeds which will help produce a more quality wool
Accomplishments/Milestones
What did I do for my project?...I looked how they fed out their hay and made simple suggestions for getting the hay to the animals without it covering their bodies. I also gave them plans for feeders that are in the Pioneer catalog. Some people received a trial bag of seaweed. I heard back from one women who wants to continue feeding this out. I saw sawdust being
used and discussed ways of how to not have to use this stuff. I told them that spinneries and not have this in the wool...once it gets in the wool it will not come out!!
I demonstrated how to skirt wool and how to build a skirting table. I noted the really nice wools in their flock and that these are the ones to keep for breeding stock as long as they also produced a nice meat lamb. I talked about ways of marketing their own wool if they wanted to. I talked to them about pricing, where to get the wool processed.
Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes
I had a skirting workshop at a farm with Montdales. It was hands-on, and we skirted over 20 fleeces. This was a well attended workshop and I now have a waiting list for next year.
Fiberworks is now in the process of doing a test run for yarn. We are processing 300 lbs. as we speak. If this works I will want to visit farms
next winter in the hopes of finding more wool for our yarn. The blankets are nice, but it takes a long time to sell them. Perhaps yarn will have a
quicker turn around.