The Livestock Conservancy Shave 'em to Save 'em Challenge will be coming soon!

In our ongoing commitment to making it more profitable to raise heritage breeds, The Livestock Conservancy will launch Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em in early 2019. It’s a program that will reward fiber artists for working with wool from breeds on our Conservation Priority List while connecting shepherds of heritage breeds with customers.

When fiber artists register they will receive a passport that includes a page of information for each breed. Each page will also include space to put a stamp after they purchase wool from a particular breed. There will be a Facebook group and a Ravelry group where members can share pictures of their projects. As they work their way through the breeds, they will receive prizes for completing projects and reaching various landmarks.

The Livestock Conservancy has long said that the way to save endangered breeds of livestock is to give them a job. In the case of wool sheep, we need to start using their wool again. Because of marketing challenges, some shepherds discard or compost the wool after their annual shearing rather than cleaning it and selling it. In addition to encouraging fiber artists to try using rare wools, the program will also educate shepherds about how to prepare their wool for sale and how to reach customers and fiber artists, thereby making it more profitable to raise heritage breeds.

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