We care about animals. A lot. So when we decided to write this page we had two options.
Do what everybody else is doing and tell you we are committed to only work with the best farms that adopt a strict animal welfare code. Or respect the incredible amount of work that goes into looking after animals, the challenges that come with it, think about where we can help as a responsible brand and what we should strive for. You know where we are going with this, don’t you?
Go See
We would not be walking the talk if we started this section by brandishing a standard to say we don’t need to worry about a thing. No. It starts with being on farm, observing, and getting a feel for the practices at play. It also means accepting that we don’t have all the answers, and therefore, listening, understanding, and respecting professionals in the industry is important. Without humility, progress cannot happen. Here’s a photo our founder Olivier took on farm. Beautiful merino sheep roaming free in a stunning landscape.
If you visited the farm, it would feel like you are in a natural reserve and you would encounter the occasional flock of sheep. It is that vast. Then we asked ourselves, how can farmers, Julian, Annabel and their team, look after animals scattered around in this jaw-dropping soul-inspiring landscape? We would not know where to start.
This is where standards come in handy because they give you a feel for what should happen and the problems that might arise.
Most of the recommendations used today come from the Five Freedoms of animal welfare, which were developed in 1965 in the UK and put into a code in 1979. A bit dated, but for anyone who cares about animals, it is common sense.
Five Freedoms of animal welfare
Great. That’s the intent. But what does it mean in practice?
Julian, took Olivier for a walk to explain how his extensive farm works.
Freedom from discomfort
He explains sheep need protection from the elements during lambing or extreme weather. Nature provides everything they need. They get shelter in the lowland grasslands (which are critically endangered and under conservation on the farm). Julian gets on the ground and pulls some grass to show the main two types that grow here: Kangaroo grass, which takes a beautiful orange colour in summer, and Poa, which are these big tussocks tufts you see on the photograph by Matthew Newton. Julian explains they are also an excellent source of nutrients for sheep that help create exceptional quality wool. Sheep must graze them sparingly though, and some areas are off limit for them. Sorry sheep! On a cold windy day, you can imagine sheep sheltering behind each grass tuft which are quite high, up to 1 meter high!
Freedom from pain, injury or disease
Sheep are not mulesed and are regularly checked to make sure they are healthy. Posture, weight, general appearance, Julian explains that animals that have problems generally end-up at the back of the flock. As we drive back, Annabel asks to park the car to observe another flock of sheep. “Look” she says, as a rainbow forms in the background. “Aren’t these sheep happy? I wonder if they also appreciate the view. If I was a sheep, that would be a pretty good place to be”. The passion and commitment to look after these animals is perceptible. Like in any business, processes matter, but passion and commitment to do good is what makes everything works. Julian looks at the skies. Hoping that the weather stays dry overnight. Tomorrow is shearing day.
Freedom from pain, injury or disease and freedom from fear and distress
Crisp morning, 8am, rock music coming out of the shearing shed. Inside, a very regimental process is taking place. A team of about fifteen is well in control of the operations. Sheep are waiting for their annual haircut in their pens, brought one by one by the shearers to have their fleece shorn.
Sweat dripping from the shearer’s forehead, you can tell the job is physical. Each sheep weights between fifty and eighty kilos. They do hundreds per day. The process is said to be stressful for sheep, but they look extremely docile and relaxed to the untrained eye. The shearers explain that they have a particular way of holding and restraining sheep to make sure the process is efficient, smooth, and without incident for both the shearer and the sheep. We can notice a few sheep have some minor superficial skin cuts. People who shave can easily get cuts. Doing hundreds of sheep a day is bound to see a few with minor cuts.
The goal is none. The reality is about getting a fine balance between speed and attention to minimise the risk. Of course, a sudden kick from a sheep is unpredictable. And a day of shearing is akin to a wrestling match. Each round, a fresh new fighter enters the ring to come wrestle with you. Experience is key and at play before our eyes. We wouldn’t even think about trying to shear a sheep. Let alone over two hundred per day. Having observed the shearing process for two full days, it was evident that sheep were treated gently and with care. We left with a huge amount of respect for the whole shearing team, who was dedicated and hard-working. This is a tough job without question.
So is this perfect? No, of course it is not. It is a tough, manual process which relies on honed skills, good physical endurance, and concentration. If we look at the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), the leading independent standard world-wide, we see clauses such as:
If we look at the ZQ standard (a standard used in New Zealand, and developed from the RWS standard) we can see a similar clause.
Does this tick the box? We don’t think so. The farm is RWS certified, which is good. But that doesn’t tell the complete story. No one is perfect at their jobs, day in day out. Therefore, brands that simply quote standards to discharge responsibility are probably missing a vital part: being on the ground. We are not trying to undermine standards. We value them and the people behind them. Our point is that having the right ethos matters. And talking to farmers and shearers, making sure they understand we value the care and attention they put in, as a brand and as consumers, is oh so powerful. After all, the sheep deserve the extra care. And people deserve recognition for their good deeds.
Getting well looked after
Besides looking after animals, there is another enormous incentive at play here, which helps these sheep get the extra care and attention they deserve.
It is something that cannot be grasped easily unless you spend time next to a wool classer, the person responsible for assessing the quality of the wool. They scrutinise, touch and feel wool every day. We spent two days with Peter, who kept getting excited about the quality of the fleeces. He would call and say “Look at this. The crimp, the brightness, the handle, the length, the strength. It doesn’t get better than this. Consistent, beautiful fleeces. This is gorgeous.”
And like a diamond grader, when you realise you are facing something exceptionally unique and perfect, you appreciate how lucky you are to touch it or be able to wear it. In our case, it also brings to life all the care and attention that goes into making the product.
There is no doubt that Tasmanian wool is the best in the world. This is why the prestigious Ermenegildo Zegna Perpetual Trophy is awarded at the Campbell Town show, down the road from Julian and Annabel’s farm, for the best superfine Merino fleece every year. A beautiful trophy which represents a merino sheep and luxurious yarn made from its golden fleece. This tradition has been going on since 1963. You bet they know what they are talking about. They’ve been pursuing excellence and perfection relentlessly for many decades.
To create this coveted wool quality, you must look after sheep. The five freedoms of animal welfare are just the starting point. You need passion; you need the right environment; the right climate; a mix of nutritious herbs; happy and striving sheep with a long refined genetic blood line, that over decades and centuries has led to Peter, our wool classer, getting so mesmerised by how incredibly luxurious this fibre is.
Beautiful hair does not grow on stressed people. You cannot get the best wool in the world with sheep that are stressed and not looked after.
There is no doubt you are going to love the feeling of this exceptional, and rare, wool. What matters above else is that we have satisfied ourselves animals are treated well. We look toward the future with an open mind and excitement for how we can further contribute to improving practices on farm and in the industry.
Perfection doesn’t exist. Its pursuit is a humble and rewarding experience.
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