Finding out Time: 6 minutes
By Christine Heinrichs – Gretchen Frederick was able to unload their Virginia wool enterprise, piece by piece. If she couldn’t uncover a purchaser, that could be her exit to retirement.
Nonetheless, after years of labor, educating most people, and gaining fiber artist prospects who appreciated her wool merchandise, educated patrons emerged. Although she hasn’t closed a deal however, two potential patrons are ready to decide on up the enterprise when the sale is finalized.
Solitude Wool
It’s been a journey since Ms. Frederick and her associate bought the 10-acre farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, in 1992. They raised sheep and goats, whereas persevering with to work in Washington, D.C. until 2000. Ms. Frederick began spinning her private yarn in 2001. She and Sue Bundy of Purple Gate farm in Leesburg, Virginia, based mostly Solitude Wool in 2006.
Frederick obtained her financial underpinning when the small agency the place she was a graphic designer was bought by a enterprise capitalist. The company obtained bigger on e-commerce, she obtained stock, and that led to ample financial stability for her to stop working and start spinning.
She began to advertise her hand-spun yarn, then some garlic she grew. She leased additional land, raised additional sheep, and grew additional garlic.
She met Sue Bundy through Loudoun Valley Sheep Producers.
She began to advertise her hand-spun yarn, then some garlic she grew. She leased additional land, raised additional sheep, and grew additional garlic.
“We knew all these people with sheep, cool breeds,” she talked about. “They’ve been throwing their fiber away, because of they couldn’t uncover a market for it. We realized we had every been pondering the an identical issue, that we wished to do one factor with their wool.”
Rising the Enterprise
The Solitude Wool enterprise began rising organically. They approached the massive farmers market in Washington D.C. at Dupont Circle. The market is strictly restricted to producers solely; no resale or third-party product sales. Solitude Wool didn’t match into that exactly, because of they purchased wool from sheep raised by others.
“It was a value-added agricultural product. I was already selling hand-spun yarn from my very personal sheep,” she talked about. “With out that (permission to advertise in the marketplace), we wouldn’t have survived.”
The enterprise attracted wool fanatics, who turned companions. Now generally known as Woolies, they launched their very personal talents. Debbie Deutsch and Kim Pierce turned minor companions.
From 2008 through 2014, Solitude Wool’s merchandise continued to develop. They obtained additional wool from additional breeds. They attended additional events, such as a result of the Maryland Sheep and Wool Competitors, the place they’ve been a sensation.
“We met people there who hadn’t seen anybody do what we now have been doing,” she talked about.
“Moira Ramsey is a vital Woolie that we lean on!” Ms. Frederick talked about. “She is doing the entire skeining and helps all warehouse actions.”
Kathy Reed raises alpaca and cashmere goats and have turn into Solitude Wool’s Chief Knit Nut, Wool Procurement Officer, and Captain of Knitting in 2017. She turned a confederate in 2018.
They organized the enterprise as an LLC. Whereas it wasn’t making some enormous money, Ms. Frederick wished the Woolies to share in Solitude Wool’s prosperity.
Ms. Frederick supported the group of the Chesapeake Fibershed, to include the an identical area as a result of the Chesapeake Watershed: https://ChesapeakeFibershed.com/. She not too way back stepped down from the board, the place she was one among many distinctive members.
Breed-Specific Wool
Solitude Wool groups wool into 5 lessons: Excellent, down, medium, prolonged, and double-coated. Wool from a lot of breeds matches into each class.
- Excellent wools embrace Merino, Rambouillet, Cormo, and Targhee;
- Down consists of Clun Forest, Dorset down, Shropshire, Suffolk, Hampshire, and Welsh Mountain;
- Medium consists of Corriedale, Finn sheep, Columbia (west US), Tunis, and Montadale;
- Prolonged consists of Coopworth, Cotswold, Border Leicester, Leicester Longwool, Lincoln, and Romney, Ms. Frederick’s non-public favorite;
- Double Coated consists of Karakul, Icelandic, Navajo Churro, Scottish Blackface, and Shetland. https://SolitudeWool.com/Pages/Kinds-of-Wool.
The Solitude Wool workers took their merchandise to additional events, along with higher-profile pattern events much like Vogue Knitting Dwell in Manhattan.
“We have now been fully fully totally different,” Ms. Frederick talked about. “We obtained noticed by Yarn Harlot https://www.YarnHarlot.Ca/ and some good designers, much like Nancy Marchant https://www.BriocheStitch.com/. That was an infinite enhance for us. Product sales have been truly good. It was very thrilling.”
Solitude Wool was one among many preliminary official suppliers for The Livestock Conservancy’s Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em Initiative, along with a sponsor. SESE works to convey producers and prospects collectively, encouraging fiber artists to utilize breed-specific wools and serving to farmers meet wool prospects’ needs. https://LivestockConservancy.org/Get-Involved/Shave-Em-to-Save-Em/.
In a position to Promote
Ms. Frederick was capable of decelerate in 2024, her hips aching for substitute. Her sister in Oregon was in failing effectively being and wished assist.
“I had already decided I wasn’t going to breed sheep subsequent yr,” she talked about.
Sue Bundy had already retired, stepping once more from being the first wool purchaser. She continues to scrub and rinse wool. Debbie Deutsch partially retired from skeining and now handles fulfilling on-line orders. Kim was taking on additional promoting and advertising and inventory duties.
Kathy, Kim, and Gretchen began the plan to close down. They notified their biggest prospects, farm and enterprise contacts, that they’ve been searching for a purchaser. Many people despatched many fairly responses, nonetheless no offers to buy the enterprise from that.
With no purchaser, she figured she’d unload the enterprise property piecemeal, the gear and the wool inventory. She purchased the farm property. She parted collectively together with her biggest Romney sheep to a mother-daughter farm throughout the Shenandoah Valley.
Then they despatched the announcement that the enterprise was closing to their e mail itemizing. That shook curiosity from 17 potential patrons. From that group, two have emerged as extreme patrons.
“I want a purchaser who I really feel shall be worthwhile,” she talked about. “I don’t want a purchaser who’s biting off higher than they may chew.”
Neither of the potential patrons comes from Loudon County, now a wealthy suburb of Washington D.C. Ms. Frederick sees that as constructive, to take the enterprise in new directions that replicate the model new proprietor.
“This has fully been sculpted by what we most popular, what we now have been good at, and what we wished to do,” she talked about.
Reflecting on the accomplishments
Ms. Frederick is happy with the workers that launched breed-specific wools to market. She’s gratified with the elevated public consciousness of the value of sheep on the panorama, of the distinctive qualities of their wool, and of how these wools can enrich our lives.
“It seems like we’re on the verge of why fully totally different wools are greater for varied merchandise, and why sheep are good for the environment,” she talked about. “The data is getting in the marketplace.”
And if neither purchaser works out, she’s optimistic that one other individual will. If you happen to occur to could also be that individual individual, contact her at f-fsolitude@mindspring.com
Story Behind the Story
Gretchen Frederick’s e mail reached my Inbox. I hated the considered this unusual enterprise closing. It offers a service few others do, and in that small universe, every enterprise is vital.
I’m a knitter, knitted the Livestock Conservancy’s Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em Downside. I like the nuances of breed-specific yarns. I’m knitting the official hats for the Shetland Islands 2024 Wool Week.
I reached out to Gretchen to ask if she’d like to realize Countryside readers. They could embrace a possible purchaser for Solitude Wool, anyone to take care of the enterprise going.
When she talked about how she’d educated the patron, I instantly understood. When my first book, How one can Elevate Chickens, bought right here out in 2007, people often requested, “Is it a cookbook?”
Public notion can change fast. Inside a few years, everyone knew anyone who was retaining yard chickens.
These of us who’re reviving these breeds and agricultural talents and humanities are informal educators. We’re restoring practices which could be close to the earth, adaptable to low-carbon targets, and richer in historic previous and creativity.
It’s a privilege to have this work.
Initially printed in Countryside and Small Stock Journal November/December 2024.