taking a stand for the farmers who raise sheep
I freely admit – today’s blog is definitely a rant, brought on by a conversation with someone who believes that raising and caring for sheep is animal enslavement and exploitation Here’s how the conversation went….
1. Use an alternative to wool
“Stop exploiting animals for human profit. Use an alternative.”
Knit Pickers PEI’s response: There is no better alternative than wool. It is a renewable resource. Most alternatives are petroleum based - awful for the environment because it remains in landfill forever whereas wool is compostable. When we wash alternative fabrics such as microfibers or polyester, particles too small to be captured by our waste water treatment facilities enter our waterways. Fish eat these particles and they believe themselves to be full, even though they are only full of plastic. They starve to death! Animals who eat these fish also end up with plastic in their bodies. Cotton requires massive amounts of water and is usually grown using heavy doses of pesticides that also poisons our ecosystem. Wool is flame resistant. In case of a fire, flames will self-extinguish on wool whereas alternative fibres will melt and give off poisonous gasses. (Photo courtesy of Campaign for Wool – Canada)
1. Use an alternative to wool
“Stop exploiting animals for human profit. Use an alternative.”
Knit Pickers PEI’s response: There is no better alternative than wool. It is a renewable resource. Most alternatives are petroleum based - awful for the environment because it remains in landfill forever whereas wool is compostable. When we wash alternative fabrics such as microfibers or polyester, particles too small to be captured by our waste water treatment facilities enter our waterways. Fish eat these particles and they believe themselves to be full, even though they are only full of plastic. They starve to death! Animals who eat these fish also end up with plastic in their bodies. Cotton requires massive amounts of water and is usually grown using heavy doses of pesticides that also poisons our ecosystem. Wool is flame resistant. In case of a fire, flames will self-extinguish on wool whereas alternative fibres will melt and give off poisonous gasses. (Photo courtesy of Campaign for Wool – Canada)
2. Humans should invent something to replace wool
“Humans are an inventive species. I'm sure we can come up with another product that's similar and environmentally friendly. There's no need to enslave other creatures for a piece of fabric.”
Knit Pickers PEI’s response: Wool is a gift we have been given directly from Mother Nature! Until such time that we inventive humans create fabric that wicks away moisture, keeps you both cool and warm, is environmentally friendly, is a renewable resource, is fire retardant and is compostable, I will stick with wool. (Photo courtesy of Fleece & Harmony)
“Humans are an inventive species. I'm sure we can come up with another product that's similar and environmentally friendly. There's no need to enslave other creatures for a piece of fabric.”
Knit Pickers PEI’s response: Wool is a gift we have been given directly from Mother Nature! Until such time that we inventive humans create fabric that wicks away moisture, keeps you both cool and warm, is environmentally friendly, is a renewable resource, is fire retardant and is compostable, I will stick with wool. (Photo courtesy of Fleece & Harmony)
3. Selling wool means that humans are treating sheep like slaves
“Sheep have been selectively bred by humans to grow more wool than they can keep without it eventually harming them. This means that yes, they have to be sheared. It doesn't mean their wool has to be sold, or that these animals have to be farmed, bred, or treated like slaves.
Many sheep farms also breed and sell lambs or sheep for slaughter, or send them to slaughter when they get older. This one I doubt is any different.”
Knit Pickers PEI’s response: Sheep need to be shorn or they cannot survive - the weight of their wool will eventually cripple them. Shearing sheep causes no pain and, in fact, can be quite relaxing for them. (Photo of Chris the sheep, unshorn for 6 years – courtesy of BBC News)
“Sheep have been selectively bred by humans to grow more wool than they can keep without it eventually harming them. This means that yes, they have to be sheared. It doesn't mean their wool has to be sold, or that these animals have to be farmed, bred, or treated like slaves.
Many sheep farms also breed and sell lambs or sheep for slaughter, or send them to slaughter when they get older. This one I doubt is any different.”
Knit Pickers PEI’s response: Sheep need to be shorn or they cannot survive - the weight of their wool will eventually cripple them. Shearing sheep causes no pain and, in fact, can be quite relaxing for them. (Photo of Chris the sheep, unshorn for 6 years – courtesy of BBC News)
Get to know your shepherds - learn how they treat their animals. You can choose to use wool from no-kill farms where the sheep are allowed to live out their senior years enjoying sunshine in the pasture. Yes - there are farms like that – right here in PEI! (Photo courtesy of Fleece & Harmony)
Sheep certainly are not treated like slaves. They are pasture-raised and of course, with PEI winters being what they are, are fed a balanced grain diet during the winter when the fields are snow covered or icy. Even in winter months, they enjoy being outdoors but have the shelter of a barn and fresh water. When farmers sell their wool, it helps to pay for the care and welfare of their animals. Winter feed is not inexpensive. There are vet bills to take into consideration. Shepherds will often have dogs that live in the barn with the sheep to ward off predators like coyotes - keeping their flock safe from harm. These dogs also need to be fed and cared for. (Photo courtesy of Fleece & Harmony)
As a sheep ages, the quality of the wool can decline. These farms have made a decision to thank their sheep for all of the wool that they have blessed us with by letting them live their golden years with their sheep family, enjoying pasture life. Yes, the older sheep are still shorn (it is necessary) but this wool may not be processed into yarn if the quality is not there. Instead, wool can be used for insulation – replacing fibreglass, for improving and enhancing the quality of garden soil and so on.
The other benefit to the earth when humans raise sheep is that these flocks improve the quality of the soil. In California, in areas where there is so much dead and decaying vegetation that contributes to dangerous brush fires, researchers have brought in flocks of sheep to graze. Not only did the sheep help clear up this dead and decaying vegetation, their "fertilizer" added nutrients to the soil. By getting rid of the old vegetation, it allowed new, healthy vegetation to grow. The land was rejuvenated! This is nature working together as it should to help heal our earth. (Photo courtesy of Dai Sugand/Getty Images)
The other benefit to the earth when humans raise sheep is that these flocks improve the quality of the soil. In California, in areas where there is so much dead and decaying vegetation that contributes to dangerous brush fires, researchers have brought in flocks of sheep to graze. Not only did the sheep help clear up this dead and decaying vegetation, their "fertilizer" added nutrients to the soil. By getting rid of the old vegetation, it allowed new, healthy vegetation to grow. The land was rejuvenated! This is nature working together as it should to help heal our earth. (Photo courtesy of Dai Sugand/Getty Images)
Sheep and humans can and should enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship. If you care about animal welfare (and I can see that you do as do I), get to know and support those farms that respect, love and care for their animals. I have personally witnessed the grief of a farmer who has nursed a baby sheep whose mother has rejected it, only to ultimately lose the battle. I have also witnessed grief at the passing of a beloved patriarch or matriarch of the flock. These sheep are dearly loved and cared for - are a part of a larger family that extends beyond just the human race. (Photo courtesy of Blomidon Farm)
4. My personal fear
“I will still be choosing not to buy wool because of the reasons I stated above. Choosing to support animal slavery to me is worse than the environmental cons of wool alternatives. I can definitely appreciate that the farm you talk about is more humane than most other farms, but that element of exploitation is still there. The animals are still treated like property and made a profit off of.”
Knit Pickers PEI’s fear: After explaining the benefits of wool and that Canadian farmers love and care for their flocks, someone would rather continue to contribute to the pollution of our earth rather than realise that wool is Mother Nature’s gift to us, not a case of animal exploitation. I worry for our future, the future of our children and grandchildren, the future of our planet. Thankfully, a comment by Barbara Graham Ritz gave me renewed hope: “Unless vegan products are sourced specifically from organic, “no-dig” systems, they are actively participating in the destruction of soil biota, promoting a system that deprives other species, including small mammals, birds and reptiles, of the conditions for necessary for life, and significantly contributing to climate change. Indigenous peoples for centuries have developed sustainable ways of living in harmony with nature. We can and should learn from them.”
To wrap this rant up…..please do not believe the misleading pictures used in anti-wool campaigns by groups such as PETA. They are staged; the “bloody” lambs are plastic. These shocking photos and ad campaigns bring in a lot of donations from people who love animals. I too am an animal lover. Just ask anyone who knows me – ask them about the 33 feral cats we cared for, and the 6 who now live in our house because they were not thriving in their colony. I believe that you can tell an awful lot about a person by the way they treat an animal. The wool industry is not cruel. There are laws in Canada to protect the welfare of animals, including farm animals. There are certain practices that are prevalent in other countries that have been banned in Canada. That is why I choose to use and to sell Canadian wool exclusively. Please take the time to get to know your sheep farmers. Their flock is a part of their family. If you are buying wool, ask the shop keeper about the wool – its provenance. Ask about the farmers, the shepherds. I am more than happy to share this information with you. (Photo courtesy of Blomidon Farm)
“I will still be choosing not to buy wool because of the reasons I stated above. Choosing to support animal slavery to me is worse than the environmental cons of wool alternatives. I can definitely appreciate that the farm you talk about is more humane than most other farms, but that element of exploitation is still there. The animals are still treated like property and made a profit off of.”
Knit Pickers PEI’s fear: After explaining the benefits of wool and that Canadian farmers love and care for their flocks, someone would rather continue to contribute to the pollution of our earth rather than realise that wool is Mother Nature’s gift to us, not a case of animal exploitation. I worry for our future, the future of our children and grandchildren, the future of our planet. Thankfully, a comment by Barbara Graham Ritz gave me renewed hope: “Unless vegan products are sourced specifically from organic, “no-dig” systems, they are actively participating in the destruction of soil biota, promoting a system that deprives other species, including small mammals, birds and reptiles, of the conditions for necessary for life, and significantly contributing to climate change. Indigenous peoples for centuries have developed sustainable ways of living in harmony with nature. We can and should learn from them.”
To wrap this rant up…..please do not believe the misleading pictures used in anti-wool campaigns by groups such as PETA. They are staged; the “bloody” lambs are plastic. These shocking photos and ad campaigns bring in a lot of donations from people who love animals. I too am an animal lover. Just ask anyone who knows me – ask them about the 33 feral cats we cared for, and the 6 who now live in our house because they were not thriving in their colony. I believe that you can tell an awful lot about a person by the way they treat an animal. The wool industry is not cruel. There are laws in Canada to protect the welfare of animals, including farm animals. There are certain practices that are prevalent in other countries that have been banned in Canada. That is why I choose to use and to sell Canadian wool exclusively. Please take the time to get to know your sheep farmers. Their flock is a part of their family. If you are buying wool, ask the shop keeper about the wool – its provenance. Ask about the farmers, the shepherds. I am more than happy to share this information with you. (Photo courtesy of Blomidon Farm)
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