Pelleting Adds Value To Wool

Pelleting Adds Value To Wool Karen Mayhew and Elaine Becker are adding value to farmstead wool by turning it into fertilizer and mulch products. Their company, Woollets, is processing raw wool into soil-friendly pellets and shreds, as well as fleece for mulching.  “Karen heard about a fellow in Germany who converted a wood-pelletizing machine to make wool pellets,” recalls Becker. “He reported success using the wool pellets for fertilizer. She had no market for the wool from her sheep flock, and I like helping the environment. We decided to start Woollets.” With a flock of nearly 80 Clun Forest and Clun Mule ewes, Mayhew had wool but no market. She and Becker started with a small U.S.-made pelleting machine and an equally small wool shredder from the Czech Republic. The machines produced only 6 lbs. of pellets per hour. Although Woollets showed promise, the low output limited sales potential. Combined with their full-time jobs (Mayhew is a local postmaster and Becker is a librarian), they needed to make a change. “We proved there was a market,” says Becker. “After a year and a half, we invested in higher-productivity equipment. Today, we can fill any size order, even for a commercial farmer.” They bought a plastic crusher to process the wool and a high-volume pelletizing machine, complete with conveyor belts. They also moved from a corner of Mayhew’s barn to a rented building, with room for the equipment and other aspects of the business. “We wanted to lift up shepherds and create a local market for their wool,” says Becker. “Right now, we’re taking wool from sheep producers in central and southern Wisconsin and some in northern Illinois. We’re able to pay more than the going market price and already have a waiting list of sheep producers wanting to sell to us. We just have to increase demand.” Woollets is gaining attention and sales, with one or more garden centers in each of eight states carrying their products. They have shipped products to gardeners from New York to California. Becker notes that the pellets and shreds have an NPK value of 9-0-2 and contain additional micronutrients. One farmer purchased 1,000 lbs. for a field trial. “We’d like to find other farmers willing to try the pellets and shreds, which can be applied to the surface or mixed with the soil,” says Becker. “They start to break down quickly yet they feed the soil throughout the season. They break down completely in 9 to 12 months.” The greater the demand Woollets create, the more wool they can buy from producers in their region. Becker is confident the time is right. “People are looking for more sustainable options,” she says. “With Woollets pellets and shreds, they can eliminate synthetic fertilizers and reduce watering by 25%. With our mulching fleece, they can eliminate plastic mulch. “The mulching fleece protects plants by shading roots and maintaining soil temperature,” adds Becker. “It also boosts nitrogen and suppresses weeds, all while deterring slugs and snails, deer and rabbits.” Woollets sells pellets in 1, 5 and 25-lb. bags for $16, $55 and $200, respectively. The pellets are also available in 1,000-lb. totes. Wool shreds can be mixed into the soil to replace peat moss while feeding and aerating the soil. They’re available in 1-lb. packages for $13 and cover 30 sq. ft. The mulch is also priced at $13 per 1-lb. package, which covers 9 sq. ft. “We distribute throughout the U.S.,” says Becker. “If Canadian readers are interested, we can connect them with pelletizers in Canada.” Contact: Farm Show Followup, Woollets, 1982 Horner Lane, Argyle, Wis. 53504 (ph 608-286-5004; woolletsllc@gmail.com; www.woollets.net).

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