wool dryer ball transparency
As a new decade rolls out I think it’s time to share some information that many unsuspecting consumers may not be aware of. I realize many consumers make their decisions solely based on price. I also realize there are a whole lot of us that care about the impact of our purchases and want to know what goes into and on the products we buy. We prefer transparency.
The time has come!
We have been making and selling wool dryer balls from our N.C grown wool for over a decade and boy have I seen some changes in our wool dryer ball market! For one, the growth is exponential. When we began, if I mentioned the product, folks looked at me like I had lost my mind. Today, many have not only heard of them, they own them.
When we began this there were a handful of folks making them. We jumped in the game because we are a sustainable sheep farm and to be sustainable we must use what we grow. We had a barn filling up with wool. Many other sheep farmers were struggling with their wool gatherings and what to do with their harvest. We were determined to make it work. SO, wool dryer balls, why not give it a try? They were a huge hit. Folks really want to eliminate chemicals from their environments and provide a healthier home for their loved ones.
When we began there were several players that were buying U.S wool to make their product. We were actually growing our wool while they sourced theirs. Both models work. I mean really, wool dryer balls work! How you source them is totally up to you. I personally would go the extra mile and know the farm(er) to be sure the wool was cleaned without chemicals, that the sheep were handled humanely, and lastly that they were made with as much LOVE as possible…to get that much LOVE requires a fair wage!
In the early days everything seemed very transparent.
What went awry? I cannot help but call it what it is, …people saw an opportunity to supply a niche market with a much cheaper alternative…isn’t that always the way? I hate to admit it but it sure seems there is always someone who wants to jump to the highest margins regardless of ethics. So, those that wanted to capitalize on our growing wool dryer ball biz went overseas (of course) where they could source everything cheaply. The foreign alternatives are cheap mostly because of labor costs but also wool is cheap. Foreign sourced wool is generally cleaned with harsh chemicals that wouldn't be allowed in the U.S. Goodness only knows how the sheep are handled. Recently I heard that much of the wool grown here in the U.S is bought on the dime (maybe penny) from all those farmers that are busy farming and not able to develop markets, then shipped to foreign processors where it will be bleached to death and washed with out any standards, then comes back to you (us).
A few years ago, as I saw it happening, I reached out to a fellow colleague. With a very positive attitude she said, “Know we’re doing the right thing and they won’t bother us”.
Along the way we had wholesale clients call and say they were going to start buying and supplying these imports because “they couldn’t ignore the increased margins”. Sadly these companies (I won’t mention names) very beginnings were about transparency and “for the good of mother nature”?
We are so grateful for the folks that KNOW the difference and really CARE about transparency. We are so grateful to all of the folks that continue to support us.
You ARE making a conscious decision when you purchase our wool products!
Thank EWE!