Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873
Travis Johnson wrote:I have two semi-ideas on the challenges of all this, and even then I am not sure of their validity. These are loose thoughts so bear with me...
One thing my wife and I have done over the years is raise sheep economically. We do that because we think outside the box and pretty much build everything we need ourselves. Use-what-we-got is our mantra. I think if I really spent some time on this, I could design a fleece washing facility that was economical and labor saving. I have not done that yet because the profit margin (71 cents per pound) does not justify it, and we can simply raise more sheep for meat sales right now. At some point we will however meet our carrying capacity though, and that is when wool sales will be more of a priority.
We do however have a house across the road that is unused. I know NOTHING about interns, and while it scares me to think this farm would have to care for the needs of additional people (what would be 8 in total), they (assuming they were a couple) could use the wool to aid in their subsistence. I am not sure about the details, but basically because they did not have the burden of owning their own flock and the cost of feeding, housing, and living in a rent-free home; they could devote their time entirely to the fiber arts. This is time my wife and I do not have to fully use the woolen resources grown here. Now I have done some time studies, and my wife and I are fully capable of doing most sheparding duties with the exception of shearing days; that we would have to get help for. On those days; and because it is related to the fiber arts directly, our neighbors (I dislike the term interns) would help out. In some ways this could be scaled up or down, or modified to other farms. Granted housing for the couple would have to be provided, but it could be done.
I see this as a win-win-win; full use of the sheep, supplemental help for our sheep farm, and by having low overhead, a person/couple could devote themselves to the fiber arts entirely.
Thoughts?
soloenespana.wordpress.com
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
Fibershed’s wool mill vision is the product of one year’s worth of research conducted by a study team of engineers, textile specialists, and the Fibershed staff. We sought to understand the viability of creating a regional milling economy fueled by our homegrown and currently undervalued wool resources.
We constructed an ideal technical roadmap for a closed-loop mill design utilizing renewable energy, water recycling, and composting systems. The products from the mill were analyzed and shown to have a high potential for net carbon benefit.
Currently only .03% of California’s wool is being processed within the state, and yet California remains a net importer of wool goods. The Mill design was created to support our local farms and ranches through placing a higher value on wool fiber, while providing livelihoods, as well as ecologically sensitive and ‘homegrown’ goods for the local population. The suggested model outlines the potential for a multi-stakeholder co-op that would close the financial loop between profits and the producers, furthering the positive economic impact for our ranching and farming communities. (Illustration above by Andrew Plotsky)
Work smarter, not harder.
Work smarter, not harder.
Wool is generally sorted into fleece, necks, bellies, cribs, 1st pieces, 2nd pieces and and anther half dozen variations on those like colour, length and cotting(felting).
Work smarter, not harder.
Amit Enventres wrote:This has been driving me crazy. You all are saying the wool has no market value, but I see wool pillows online for $80! Can we get an estimate of how much time it would take to shear, clean, and sew this $80 pillow? Is it 8 hours/ pillow? I feel like I must be missing SOMETHING!
"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."
Amit Enventres wrote:This has been driving me crazy. You all are saying the wool has no market value, but I see wool pillows online for $80! Can we get an estimate of how much time it would take to shear, clean, and sew this $80 pillow? Is it 8 hours/ pillow? I feel like I must be missing SOMETHING!
Todd Parr wrote:Here is the opinion of someone that knows absolutely nothing about cloth, sheep, knitting, yarn, fleece, blah, blah. In other words, an ordinary consumer. I have had two experiences with wool. One was in the military when they gave us wool blankets. These things could be used to sand a deck. They itched so bad I would use two sets of sheets in case one slid down, there was a chance this horrible vile stuff would not touch my skin and leave me itchy and rashed for days. To this day, I can't touch a sweater, no matter what material it's made of, because it reminds me of wool. The other experience is with my Darn Tough socks. These things are like heaven on your feet and are the most comfortable socks I have ever worn. They wear forever and never stretch out and I love them. There are $20 a pair. If you want to see the woolen industry rise from the ashes, convince someone like me that shudders at hearing the word "wool" that there is a way to make things feel as good as Darn Tough socks, and that those blankets that could only have come straight from the bowels of hell are not what wool normally feels like. Convince me that you can make something that feels and wears as good as the socks and won't cost me $200 for a shirt, and you will have a customer for life. Hopefully that means you will get a fair price for your wool.
Work smarter, not harder.
Amit Enventres wrote:I appreciate the factoring of raisng sheep and the supply and demand comment, but that doesn't give me any real numbers. If I can clean 10 pillows worth of wool in 2 hours, sew them into pillows in another 2 hours, and theoretically sell them for $25 then I can make $60/hr, which I can then split 50/50 with the animal care taker. I assume that probably comes out to about $24/ lb of wool, and a good price for everyone. So tell me why those numbers won't work out. How long does it really take to clean wool? Is $24/lb a good price for wool? What am I missing?
r ranson wrote:
I will easily spend large sums of money on something if I know it will last me a long time. heck, there's even a thread about that. But I have to know it's going to last a long time.
"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."
Work smarter, not harder.
Work smarter, not harder.
Josephine, Forest Witch
Work smarter, not harder.
Josephine, Forest Witch
Josephine Howland wrote:Dear Amit, Thank you for the link, I was picturing some overpriced decorator throw pillow, now I understand they are bed pillow stuffed with wool. There are hand carders for small production as well as hand crank carders for home wool processing. (I've also seen them used for processing dog fur into yarn). I wonder if the wool stuffing is better for people with breathing trouble who can't use down pillows? I just saw a set of hand carders on Craig's list but since I don't have any wool, I didn't check them out. Right now I can't have chicken's or livestock, because of my husband's lung issues. part of which is called farmer's lung, from being exposed to old moldy stuff in barns, etc. Mostly though his problem is a paralyzed diaphragm which has caused his lung to collapse and part of his trachea to collapse. He is in a state of walking pneumonia, daily. Even the world's best in Boston have given up so I just have to keep him away from barns.
Work smarter, not harder.
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
-Robert A. Heinlein
Josephine, Forest Witch
Josephine Howland wrote:Travis, I live in Albany NH just south of North Conway. There are lots of places to meet up between North Conway & Littleton so I'll give you home phone number in the purple messages, (we live in a dead zone for cell phones. And we can figure a time an place OK?
Amit, yes time is money and unless you have a status symbol brand name, it is difficult to actual $-hour profit. I've only sole two items on Esty that I made, both clothes pin bags. I used a downloaded free pattern, scraps of outdoor fabric, and buttons from my massive button collection. It helps to be a 3rd generation dressmaker. I still have supplies from mu grandmother. I also have some industrial machines that my mother passed down to me when she finally retired from sew when she turned 80. She's now 90 and still rocking it.
Some of the big projects that I've done I probably ended up working for a low wage, but it still gave me some money. I have a whole other building for my sewing workshop. I made awning for some mobile carts for a neighbor's plant displays, as well as coverings for a person's houseboat. Truthfully, with my husband being so sick, and me recovering from a bad work situation, my depression makes it difficult to o over and sew. I need a major input of sunshine and happiness in my life. Sorry if I drone on.
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