Please use wool. The environment (and the sheep) will thank you!
Text and photography: Alice Bernardo
We published this text for the first time in Aquela Kombucha, the monthly newsletter of our friends of Aquela Kombucha, in April 2021. You can read it here.
“Shearing is a mandatory annual practice to ensure animal welfare. So when we decided to domesticate a sheep thousands of years ago, we assumed a responsibility that will have to be fulfilled as long as it exists on the face of the Earth.”
Merino sheep from Monte dos Cedros (Évora)
Churras Mirandesas sheep in Miranda do Douro
Spring had already started. And here at Saber Fazer, we began to think (even) more about one of our favourite materials, Wool, because we are now in the shearing season!
In Portugal, we have 16 autochthonous breeds of sheep raised in an extensive regime. They graze freely throughout the year, making them essential agents in the maintenance of an entire ecosystem. Moreover, they are the basis of a unique way of life and constitute an important genetic heritage.
One of the activities we promote annually is a public Shearing demonstration with our favourite shearer, Martin O'Connell. It is a day that allows us to share an essential process for these animals with the public. We aim to raise awareness of the importance of autochthonous breeds and the extensive breeding method while clarifying doubts and deconstructing modern myths.
One of these great myths is precisely about shearing; therefore, the first question we like to answer is, "Why shear?".
Almost all existing sheep are domesticated animals. Contrary to what happens with wild sheep, whose fur naturally sheds in spring, the Wool does not stop growing in domestic animals. If we don't shear a sheep at the right time, it will overheat and lose appetite and mobility due to excess Wool weight. In addition to this, we have a year of growing Wool that accumulates dirt, which can cause burns and diseases and attract insects.
For this reason, shearing is a mandatory annual practice to ensure animal welfare. When we decided to domesticate sheep thousands of years ago, we assumed a responsibility that would have to be fulfilled as long as they exist on the Earth.
But our responsibility does not end there. We are also obligated to guarantee your well-being during shearing and honour the raw material we are about to receive. After all, it is a naturally renewable, biodegradable material with unique characteristics that took an entire year to grow. Nothing in this process should be left to chance. A good professional performs the shearing using a specific method: the Bowen technique. This technique, created in the 40s, is like a well-choreographed dance. It composes a sequence of movements that optimise removing the Wool and the comfort of the shearer and the animal.
The shearer's taste for the art of shearing and love for sheep is an essential factor we can share whenever we organise a shearing with Marty. In his hands, the sheep relax and often fall asleep as he gracefully removes their fleeces, like a dancer in wool shoes on his small stage.
Our small contribution is valuing the Wool of autochthonous breeds as a sustainable fibre and educating about its production in an ecological, ethical way and with quality standards. So that more and more people choose environmentally and socially positive solutions.
Saber Fazer, closely linked to Ofício, is an initiative that, since 2011, has dedicated itself to research and education on artisanal and semi-industrial production techniques in Portugal. It was created to ensure the transmission of technical knowledge and educate and sensitise the general public to environmental, social and economic sustainability issues.
Churra Galega Mirandesa’s wool
