Produced in partnership with Teagasc and the Irish Grown Wool Council, the ‘Shear Success’ guide is aimed at supporting sheep farmers to maximise the value of their wool. The practical guide offers recommendations to sheep farmers on how best to prepare before, during and after shearing, in order to maximise their wool value and avoid reducing its potential value and use.
The ‘Shear Success’ guide will be officially launched at the National Ploughing Championships on Tuesday 17th September and will be available at the Irish Grown Wool Council display in the Sheep Shearing Tent (Block 1, Row 1, Stand 3) and available for download and print below.
Produced by the Irish Grown Wool Council (IGWC) in partnership with Teagasc, the leaflet is aimed at supporting sheep farmers to maximise the value of their wool. The practical guide offers recommendations to sheep farmers on how best to prepare before, during and after shearing, in order to maximise their wool value and avoid reducing its potential value and use. The guide emphasises best practices for maintaining fleece quality before and during shearing plus wool handling techniques to ensure that fleeces are rolled and stored correctly post-shearing to preserve their integrity and value.
The ‘Shear Success’ guide will be officially launched at the National Ploughing Championships on Tuesday 17th September 2024 and will be available at the Irish Grown Wool Council display in the Sheep Shearing Tent (Block 1, Row 1, Stand 3) and is also available for download and print below.
The ‘Shear Success’ leaflet and videos are prepared and presented by sheep farmers:
David Hearty of Irish Grown Wool Council and Irish Sheep Shearers Association outlines “Both Jayne Harkness-Bones and I are featured in the ‘Shear Success’ guide and videos because we are experienced sheep farmers, shearers and wool handlers who understand the challenges that farmers face during shearing.”
The printed and digital guide and videos, created in partnership with Teagasc are designed to offer clear, practical advice that can be easily implemented, helping farmers to maximise the value of their wool.
David Heraty explains “It’s been 25 years since there has been a formal educational piece on Wool Care and Presentation for sheep farmers. This campaign is to encourage better awareness and training on Wool Handling and Presentation. With a view to reinstating traditional wool handling and presentation standards for farmers, producers, shearers, merchants and graders. Wool quality and presentation is important to ensure that farmers are presenting fleeces in the best possible condition. We see that value is often lost at shearing time due to a lack of preparation or presentation. Additional resources may then be required to bring wool up to standard, which reduces both the price for the farmer and the potential development for the wool. Advancing the standard of wool presentation at the farm gate is essential, this enables industry to begin to develop new markets for Irish grown wool across a range of sectors.”
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The ‘Shear Success’ leaflet is being published to complement the earlier launch this year of two comprehensive short videos produced by the Irish Grown Wool Council and Teagasc. These videos available online and via Youtube are presented by sheep farmers David Heraty, Irish Sheep Shearers Association and Jayne Harkness-Bones, Ulster Wool, both participants of the Wool Quality & Presentation working group in the Irish Grown Wool Council. The video content provides best practice for sheep farmers to ensure enhanced wool quality and presentation so that wool is presented in the best possible condition for sale onwards to wool merchants and exporters.
Visit the Irish Grown Wool Council in the Sheep Shearing Tent (Block 1, Row 1, Stand 3) at the National Ploughing Championships for the following activities:
Tuesday 17th September 2024:
- Information and display of Irish grown wool products
- ‘Shear Success’ guide for farmers will be available
- 12pm: Talk by Tim Yeomans, Shannon ABC on the Springwool project
Wednesday 18th September 2024
- Information and display of Irish grown wool products
- ‘Shear Success’ guide for farmers will be available
Thursday 19th September 2024
- Information and display of Irish grown wool products
- ‘Shear Success’ guide for farmers will be available
- Sharon Wells and Tamara Fiabane (Feltmakers Ireland) demonstrating crafts using Irish grown wool including peg loom weaving, needle felting, baskets making and spinning.
Also coming up in October, the Irish Grown Wool Council will once again join in the West Kerry Wool Marquee at Dingle Food Festival from Saturday 5th – Sunday 6th October 2024. The Wool Marquee returns to Dingle Food festival following its success and engagement with visitors last year during the Festival. Spearheaded by West Kerry Wool, INFHA Kerry and Kerry Lamb Co-Op. Expect expert panel talks on wool, display of Irish grown wool products and wool spinning over the two days of the festival. www.dinglefood.com
An all-island initiative, the objective of the Irish Grown Wool Council is to transform Irish-grown wool; an underutilised and undervalued resource, into a branded, value-added product for the benefit of farmers and the wider supply chain. The Irish Grown Wool Council are developing collaborations to apply innovative solutions to address current challenges and create pioneering innovation in wool and sustainable practices.
Produced in partnership with Teagasc, our short sheep shearing videos outline tips, techniques and conditions for farmers when shearing to ensure the best possible presentation and value for wool.
Preparing for Shearing
Produced in partnership with Teagasc, our short sheep shearing videos outline tips, techniques and conditions for farmers when shearing to ensure the best possible presentation and value for wool.
David Heraty, sheep farmer and shearing contractor outlines the key preparations for shearing to retain value in the fleece.
David Heraty is a sheep farmer and shearing contractor based out of Mayo, who also works as a tutor, teaching agriculture for Mayo Education Training Board. He is a founding member of the newly formed Emerald Romney Sheep Group and a member of the Irish Sheep Shearing Association. David is a member of the Irish Grown Wool Council’s ‘Wool Quality & Presentation’ Working Group. His main aim of being part of the Irish Grown Wool Council is to help promote the quality and presentation of wool through education with the end goal of improving the payment the farmer receives for their wool.
Top tips on how to harvest wool at shearing time
Jayne Harkness-Bones shares tips for harvesting wool and demonstrates simple techniques for rolling fleeces for packing.
Jayne Harkness-Bones works as Joint Depot Manager for Ulster Wool (a joint venture with British Wool) in Antrim, Northern Ireland. Jayne was born into the farming industry and is a seventh generation farmer on her family’s farm. She’s also represented Northern Ireland at 8 Golden Shearers World Championships spanning 20 years experience as a competitive wool handler, making world semi-finals, and more closer to home has won the All Ireland Wool Handling Championships on numerous occasions, in addition to National Champion at Balmoral Show and making finals across the UK & Europe. She is a member of The Worshipful Company of Woolmen and a freeman of the City of London. Jayne is a member of the Irish Grown Wool Council’s ‘Wool Quality & Presentation’ Working Group.
OviCast is the Teagasc Sheep podcast. Presented by Ciaran Lynch it brings you the latest advice, insights and technical updates for the sheep industry. On 11th June 2024 Jayne Harkness-Bones, Depot Manager with Ulster Wool, joined Ciaran to discuss the factors that influence the quality of wool, the challenges in the marketplace in recent years and what happens to the wool from purchase until it reaches market. They talk about shearing, wool handling and storage, with Jayne highlighting some simple practices to make the process easier and improve the quality of the wool harvested.
In the latter half of the podcast, Jayne who is also a council member of the Irish Grown Wool Council, discusses some of the work the IGWC have been involved in to realise the potential of wool, develop further opportunities and provide support to the industry.
About Irish Grown Wool Council
The Irish Grown Wool Council (IGWC) is a voluntary body with an all island approach. Its purpose is to promote an Irish grown wool brand both domestically and internationally. IGWC is creating, developing and overseeing structures designed to bring disparate groups together for collaboration, innovation and scaling activities to advance the standard and develop markets for Irish grown wool.
IGWC Vision:
- Bringing wool stakeholders across the island of Ireland to realise the potential of wool as a natural, sustainable and versatile material.
- Building on wool’s rich heritage to enhance understanding and appreciation of the characteristics of Irish ‘grown’ wool.
- Facilitating collaboration in product / market research and ultimately applying innovative product solutions to address current challenges and create future opportunities.
IGWC Aims Include: - Establish an All-Island Irish “Grown” Wool Council to promote the brand
- Collaborate with a Wool Research Innovation Hub for innovation with wool
- Develop an Irish Grown Wool standard and ensure traceability from farm to needle regardless of where scoured
- Encourage Better Awareness and Training on Wool Handling and Presentation. Re-instate traditional wool handling and presentation standards training programmes for primary producers, shearers, merchants and graders
About Teagasc
Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority is the national body providing integrated research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry and rural communities. The organisation is funded by State Grant-in-Aid; the National Development Plan; fees for research, advisory and training services; income from national and EU competitive research programmes; and revenue from farming activities and commodity levies. www.teagasc.ie