EPISODE 5 & 6 - Sorting the wool
What makes sheep farming in Norway so special?
Farming with sheep in Norway is a little different from many places because we have them inside in the winter and when the spring is coming we put them out on new grass and they go there for a few weeks. After that we send them up to the mountains and they can go whereever they like for three months. They have fresh food almost all summer because it's still snow up in the mountains, and when the snow melts then you get fresh food. Afterwards we bring them down in the autumn.
Why is Norway a perfect country for sheep farming?
Norway is a perfect country for having sheep because we have a lot of mountains and fjords, We have enough water. We don't use anything that could be better used for any other purpose. So I think the landscape together with the sheep is something special. It's not many countries having that kind of landscape, as I said, with the mountains, the fjords and everything. So that makes it perfect for sheep.
What are the most important characteristics of Norwegian Wool?
Norwegian wool is a very pure wool. We use very little, almost no pesticides. That's also due to the climate and good farming. The Norwegian wool has a very good crimp, so the mix between the breeding and the classifying of the wool makes it consistent for the buyers. Most of the farmers are part of a system where we register all kind of things about the sheep and also the wool. So we know who the father is and who the mother is and so on. Most of the farmers take part in this and that make us have a really good system to get a nice wool.
Could you please specify what „nice wool“ means for you?
Nice wool for me is like the C1 or B1 with a good crimp not any medulation. Feels really good and soft when you touch it. That's really good Norwegian wool. A good wool is like if a grader comes to work in the morning, he's not too happy and he gets really good wool, then he's happy the rest of the day.