Welcome to Wool.com

The Australian Fleece Competition attracts hundreds of fleeces every year and has been doing so for 20 years. Measuring through both objective and subjective means it gives great feedback to woolgrowers.

We also head to Gippsland, a wool region in Victoria that has been through it all in recent years but now has a very bright looking future.

It’s the beginning of the new wool selling season, after a very interesting 12-18 months for the Australian wool market. With the EMI recovering over 60% since the pandemic low of 858ac in September ’20, AWI trade consultant Scott Carmody fills us on what’s driving Merino wool prices, where crossbred wools sit, and what the coming months may look like for Australian woolgrowers.  

In future, there will be product labels placed on all garments in Europe, informing consumers of the environmental impact of the garment on sale.

Current methodology measures wool and other natural fibres harshly compared to synthetic, man-made fibres. Hear how AWI and the IWTO are working to correct this.

Where is the digital exchange and storage platform at?
Are woolgrowers, brokers, exporters and buyers on board? Have we reached a critical mass of users yet?
Stephen Hill addresses the big questions.

The flagship of the Australian wool industry is back with superfine wool prices the highest they have been for some years.

The prospects for the industry are very good, but don’t take our word for it: hear from two families central to the industry for a combined 200+ years: Danny Picker and Trevor Mibus speak to The Yarn.

From a reluctant social media user to prolific user of technology on farm.

Hear from sheep farmer and stud breeder Mark Mortimer about his “it has to work for me” approach to new technology.

Woolgrowing in Tasmania has been put under the microscope for profitability with the expansion of irrigation over the last 20 years.

Despite new production options, fine wool is still winning in terms of profitability, stability and reliability according to George Gatenby.

From the Digital and Smart Agriculture (DISA) Festival hear from farmers Nick Seymour (Farmo) and Jen Medway (Agrifutures) about the way technology is improving their business right now. 46% fleeceweight gains in Merinos for example.

Also, they explain much of the jargon around the Internet of Things (IoT) to equip you to decide what might solve problems for you.

The first ever ‘Australian Made Week’ runs this week from May 24 to May 30, encouraging Australian shoppers to buy locally-made goods and support the makers and growers in our country.

We speak with two Australian made and owned wool brands, Woolerina and MiniJumbuk about what it takes to be in retail in Australia, and the significance of being Australian made in an industry where a large volume of wool manufacturing is done overseas. 

Discussions, debates and decisions are all on the cards at the Wool Industry Consultative Panel (WICP) meetings. The WICP represent woolgrowers from far and wide across Australia, to make sure AWI acts on industry issues relevant to each state. 3 WICP members join us this episode, to talk about the industry’s priorities right now and how we act upon them.

When done correctly, joining ewe lambs can be profitable and play an important role in building or maintaining flocks, as explained by Kirsty and Andrew Kennedy of Thrive Agri Services. Their new course called Thriving Ewe Lambs, is providing participants with the science and best-practice management to optimise the reproduction of ewe lambs.

Wool production is lifting but not everywhere: what the flock is happening with it?

WoolQ is gaining steam and sales: hear the latest on this innovative platform for our fibre.

18 months after a significant visit to Australia (episode 108), what has happened to the brands that came and saw the industry?

Hear from Stephen Kelly AWI/Woolmark in the USA and one of the farmers that hosted the trip; Neil Harris.

Newly discovered pasture legumes species are being identified to boost profits and reduce risk in mixed farms of low to medium rainfall areas of Australia. These annual legumes are offering improved production benefits to both cropping and animal systems, as Rob Harrison of Murdoch University explains.

New markets, new products, new ideas and new challenges.

Hear how the market has adapted and where the wool supply chain and the wool market is heading into the future.

Replicating the famous Campaign for Wool jumper burial, the Women on Farms gathering in Victoria recently showed how biodegradable wool is, while flying the flag for the crucial role women play in agriculture. 

It’s a lot of money, a lot of wire and a lot of land, but the revolution of cluster fencing has kept many wild dogs out and allowed for the reintroduction of sheep to many pastoral areas of Australia.

In central west Queensland, a cluster fencing program has now protected an area larger than Hong Kong. Hear from RAPAD’s Morgan Gronold and woolgrower David Owens about the endless positive impacts the fences have brought to businesses, livelihoods and communities in the region.

The COVID pandemic has placed great pressure on shearing across the country.

Glenn Haynes from the Shearing Contractors Association explains how a huge effort to train more shearers and increase retention has helped turn the tide, helping make the Australian industry more labour self-sufficient.

The Australian Merino Lamb Trial examined if a wether trading operation could pay for the crops the animals grazed.

Hear Craig Wilson of Craig Wilson and Associates and Jim Meckiff of JM Livestock discuss the surprising results of this very innovative on-farm study.

The ingredients of a successful new shearing shed are the woolgrower, builder and shearing contractor, all being involved in the decision-making process throughout the shed’s construction.

The new shearing shed at Geoff and Linda Bilney’s ‘Broome Farms’ property in WA, is based off AWI’s shed design and will shear over 65,000 sheep annually. We speak to their builder and shearing contractor who explain the costs, design and long-term benefits to all in this shed built through collaboration.

Meet two young-ish people who years ago took a big chance with wool and have won.

Both woolgrowers, Allan Harris is also a breeder and Alister Carr a wool broker. They talk through why they did and why their successful businesses now look so bright.

Post drought, many woolgrowers have enjoyed a good season and now a wet summer which has created issues for fly and worm control. Hear experts talk through the best way to manage these very significant issues this summer to keep your flock safe.

Despite significant challenges, wool marketing has adapted during the global pandemic with strong results.

Hear how Woolmark has partnered with effective channels to get the messages of versatility and modernity to a more discerning consumer.

Shared ledger technology is changing supply chains and offers transparency, traceability and provenance. 

This is what consumers, brands and manufacturers are wanting more of from wool. So what’s the go?

Despite larger offerings and a stronger Australian dollar the wool market has lifted to start the 2021 calendar year.

What is driving this current market and can it last? Hear the analysis with AWI Trade Consultant Scott Carmody.

The dream of owning your own sheep farm seems harder than ever given property prices.

However, an innovative way of matching aspiring farmers and retiring farmers is making the dream a reality for a new generation of farmers who bring new ideas and new energy to Australia’s food and fibre industries.

A clever new platform that allows farmers and experts to discuss problems, issues, questions, challenges.

Created by farmers for farmers, hear how Yacker might be the way we all yack in years to come.

Rams to prepare for joining, weaners to grow, vaccinations to give, parasites to manage; there’s a lot happening on the farm over summer!

Dr Tim Gole shares practical animal health and management advice for woolgrowers over the summer period, to best support your flock for the new calendar year.

A shearing and woolhandling shortage/crisis.

Hear from a meeting of industry stakeholders who have agreed on various important points to improve the issue of shearer and woolhandler labour.

Grazing stubbles is an important component of many mixed farming systems, filling feed gaps over the summer months as a valuable source of feed for livestock.

But with varying crop species, varieties, management and different harvesters, what is the nutritional value of modern crop stubbles? Dr Dean Thomas from CSIRO explains.

Chairman of the Wool Industry Consultative Panel Lyndsay Douglas talks through the new 10-year plan for the Australian wool industry. Over 800 woolgrowers and the greater industry has had input to Wool2030; hear what is in it and what it aims to do for the world’s premium sustainable fibre.

Electronic identification of sheep allows for precision management. How does it work? How does it make woolgrowers more money? This podcast explains it from those who have lived it.

In his 75^th edition manging the flagship wool magazine, Richard Smith discusses life in the UK, the evolution of the flagship publication and how you can get into it.

Despite a challenging 2020 for the global economy and therefore wool, the future looks bright.

Hear from the AWI CEO, GM Marketing and GM Research about the state of R+D + marketing and the opportunities ahead.

Whether you’re a woolgrower, shearing contractor or worker, everyone is responsible for safety in the shearing shed. The newly launched SafeSheds is a best practice guide and assessment resource to make the wool harvesting workplace safer for all.

Join us as the WA Shearing Industry Association (WASIA) explain the new program and how you can use it to reduce the risk of injuries and accidents in your shed. Learn more and sign up for free here www.wool.com/safe-sheds

Post drought the price of sheep is hitting record high levels but the flock is so low! Can sheep still be good value? Is it likely to last? Where are all the breeders going to come from?

We head from the west to the east of our great country to seek answers to these questions.

The latest AWI funded Nuffield scholar is Monaro Merino producer Andrew Rolfe. After the last drought showed what was possible through containment, can this be the economically-efficient and environmentally-responsible way to seriously boost production?  

We celebrate our 150^th episode of The Yarn by exploring how the industry is educating the next generation on the impact of differing environments on sheep genetics. Recently in Western Australia, 8 teams, 7 schools, 7 different environments and 1 sheep bloodline took part in the AWI Young Breeders Challenge.

We introduce the event organiser Grantly Mullan from Eastville Park stud, and four keen students from the WA College of Agriculture – Narrogin, who took part in the challenge and are excited for their futures in Australian agriculture. 

Michael Caton, one of Australia’s best loved actors, joins The Yarn podcast to discuss his latest film RAMS which explores the very real issue of an exotic disease outbreak in a sheep community.

Listen and see Michael as he joins host Marius Cuming to talk about his experience in the wool and farming industries and how accurate the film is in depicting how much sheep mean to the people who work with them, care for them and are defined by them.

Sheep reproductive technologies are Dr Michylla Seal’s bread and butter, and her work extends far beyond Australia’s communities and borders.

Hear how Dr Seal is breeding Australian Merino genetics into the Falkland Islands, and get her dos and don’ts on managing your rams prior to joining.

In western Queensland young shearers take up the craft and we hear from Jeff Ma, Country Manager for China about how our biggest market is rebounding. 

The world’s largest economy, on paper: should buy more wool.

Why are wool’s fortunes in the US slowly changing?

Darren Spencer, a shearing contractor in WA’s Lake Grace, is currently down half a workforce as coronavirus keeps vital shearing staff back in New Zealand. But the show must go on.

Hear from Darren how shearing teams are coping and how the industry is focused on supporting and upskilling the next generation of shearers to meet the challenge.

A decade of lambing many hundreds of twin-bearing Merino ewes had delivered enormous benefits for Victorian woolgrower Tony Butler, but its labour intensive and surely can be made easier.

Tony also talks of his enthusiasm for wool having been on a wool tour of China and explains the amazing story of how his family came to farm at Newstead in the goldfields of Victoria.

A very famous name in Australian agriculture.

This young innovator has created the prototype that may make the backbreaking work of fencing much easier.

Helping fuel a boom in agricultural education, the wether challenge concept has introduced thousands of schoolchildren to the sheep and wool industry.

Hear how it is run and why it continues to be such a great success across Australia.

From paddocks of Western Australia with Steven Bolt to the streets of Western Europe with Damien Pommeret. We discuss the current hurdles and hopes in the industry from farm to fashion and look towards the green shoots of wool demand that may be emerging in our overseas markets.

Innovation and a commitment to quality is why MJ Bale grew to be 55 stores and 350 staff in just 12 years.  

Founder and CEO Matt Jensen talks through his woolshed dream of starting his own wool retailing business.

With a change in the local landscape and weather patterns, woolgrower Alistair McDougall is trialing legume pastures to fill his autumn feed gap and improve soil quality. High in protein, highly digestible, hardy and persistent, Alistair shares his hopes for these legumes in his livestock system.

New age wool masks have been produced and may well bring a silver lining to the COVID pandemic.

Australia’s biggest sheep show takes its ram sale entirely online.

The Australian Merino Lamb Trial explores whether wethers can pay for the crop they graze.

Craig Wilson runs the trial which is showing great results.

Surveys are showing concerning levels of resistance to some flystrike prevention options.

Hear head of research at AWI Dr Jane Littlejohn discuss options and where to from here.

What’s around the corner for wool marketing? In an altered reality, hear about the roles that commuting, Amazon, Prada and online shopping will play in marketing Australian wool.

AWI’s GM of Marketing Communications Laura Armstrong takes us past the doom and gloom to better days ahead.

There’s a lot to consider when designing and constructing a new shearing shed, as woolgrower Stuart Le Lievre knows all too well.

Why upgrade, what’re the advantages of a new shed and what information is out there to help? Stuart shares his experience.

Lambing is a critical time for all sheep enterprises across Australia.

Tim Leeming, who knows lambing to be a ‘game of 1 percenters,’ outlines how he gets great results from his precision system.

This week it’s all about what is happening in Asia. An area where more than 85% of Australian wool is sold to. From China, to Japan, Korea, and India to some surprising places where wool is making inroads.

We hear from AWI’s Eastern Hemisphere General Manager John Roberts and AWI’s Country Manager in Japan Samuel Cockedey.

How do you demonstrate to a global audience, that wool is good for human skin and for the environment? Through credible scientific evidence; that is, wool fibre science.

Hear from AWI’s Angus Ireland on how new market opportunities are opening and how the hurdles for wool are being addressed through scientific research of the wool fibre.

The Merino Lifetime Productivity (MLP) Project has reached its halfway mark, so what does that mean for the commercial and stud breeders of Australia’s wool industry?

Plus, the crucial role that sire evaluation and link sires play in the marathon MLP Project, is explained by Ben Swain of the Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association (AMSEA).

Months after a nation-wide lockdown, Italy is easing restrictions. But are the Italian wool mills running and is there consumer demand for wool in Europe? Italy Country Manager for Woolmark, Francesco Magri, explains.  

Additionally, we speak to Russell Pattinson about the Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee’s latest forecast of shorn wool production.

After years of drought, putting stock back onto precious green feed after drought/containment has many potentially expensive pitfalls.

Hear Dr Jillian Kelly speak about the do’s and dont’s of this crucial exercise.

On farm trials of new solar ear tags are delivering enormous amounts of data to build systems to monitor and manage sheep like never before. This ground-breaking research is opening up new areas of knowledge for sheep and flock behaviour.

From developing the outback to leading the wool industry and agriculture through some of its most difficult days.

Ian McLachlan AO was at the forefront of wool for many years but has never seen the future look so bright. Hear why.

Wild dogs are relentless; they decimate livestock, destroy wildlife, damage regional economies and spread diseases. How do you manage this problem? With a plan, a National Wild Dog Action Plan (NWDAP).

Hear from industry about what the NWDAP is, why it evolved, and how it helps restore communities, livestock and native animal populations across Australia.

Hear how shearing teams around Australia are managing and coping through COVID-19 restrictions.
The restrictions and loss of overseas workers is actually opening up important opportunities.

The wool industry has accumulated decades of skills and knowledge, so how are we passing this information down to the next generation? Two education initiatives, Hay Inc and the Peter Westblade Scholarship, speak to us about how their programs support young people in wool.

In these very difficult days, we hear the very latest from the largest processor and buyer of Australian wool: China. Lizzie Chen has been importing Australian wool on behalf of large Chinese mills since the 1990s.

With so much to complement each other how have so many sheep left what was the sheep/wheat zone? Will they come back and how? We head to WA to find out the opportunities and the appetite.

What will the current and future implications of Coronavirus (COVID-19) be for the Australian wool industry and its consumers? As the outbreak becomes a pandemic, AWI’s CEO Stuart McCullough shares his insight and rates the threat that COVID-19 could present to the wool supply chain.

Maggot and blowfly samples, fly genome sequencing, trialing vaccines: are all essential parts of AWI’s current flystrike prevention program to research the Australian blowfly and project flystrike control to the next level.

Hear the latest research update into flystrike R&D from AWI’s GM of Research, Dr Jane Littlejohn, to tackle this problem, which has always been and still is a huge detriment to the Australian wool industry.

How do feral species respond to bushfire and drought, and can we use these dire circumstances to our advantage in controlling feral populations?

Whether you’ve got wild dogs, foxes, goats, cats, rabbits, pigs or others, hear from NSW Department of Primary Industries’ Peter Fleming about practical control measures and research programs occurring to reduce ferals’ impact on your livestock enterprise.

Where and how do you start again after a bushfire? We head to the famous woolgrowing region of Kangaroo island where the scars are still raw but the spirit is still high. This young and motivated wool community is ready to start rebuilding after a horror summer despite one massive hindrance: the sea.

Hear how KI is approaching a massive rebuild and why it will all be worthwhile.

What does coronavirus mean for the Australian wool trade? Hear straight from the horse's mouth as China-based wool agent Lizzy Shen shares her insights on how the coronavirus might affect wool manufacturing in China. And from Australia, John Roberts, AWI General Manager - Eastern Hemisphere, discusses his experience living in China during the SARS outbreak in 2003.

Precision feeding in and out of containment, knowledge of pitfalls and shortcuts: this monster drought has taught many lessons.

Hear from the experts about sourcing feed and not losing stock when the drought finally ends; given the old saying that more stock are lost after a drought than during it.

Catastrophic fire conditions across the nation have put emergency livestock management into sharp focus. Qualified veterinarian and AWI General Manager of Research, Dr Jane Littlejohn, offers immediate advice to those who have been affected.

Despite how it may feel, the Australian wool industry hasn’t existed since the dawn of time. The first fleet, the first sheep, the first cloth… But who created the first cloth? Join us as we speak to the first textile company ever to use Australian wool.

And with the digital age well underway, education resources are rapidly transitioning online. Learn about a wool education initiative that keeps up with this global trend to digitally inform a growing audience on the benefits of wool.

Hear what Australian Wool Innovation Chief Executive Officer Stuart McCullough has to say about 2019 and what to look forward to in 2020. International demand for wool, key projects at AWI, assisting woolgrowers through and hopefully out of drought.

Australia's best-of-the-best shearers and woolhandlers from across the country migrate to Dubbo to represent their home states at the National Shearing and Wool Handling Championships of 2019.

We speak to trainers and competitors on the ground about their commitment to producing world-class wool harvesting standards and the prospects of recognising shearing as a sport in Australia.

With a massive reduction in the national flock, how do we make the Merino great again? Anthony Close, a 2019 Nuffield Farming Scholar, has travelled the world to investigate how we can reboot the flock.

Get married in your own Merino wool suit; a dream of woolgrower, Floyd Legge. And despite massive time barriers, he did it!

We host and hear from one of the largest garment retailers from the world’s largest economy.

After seeing the industry first-hand, what are the future opportunities for Australian wool in the great US of A?

It’s the hardest job known: shearing. Hear about a new project that uses biometrics to support shearers better. We also meet the latest AWI Nuffield Scholar, Tom Hooke, who is studying rotational grazing in the rangelands.

With a connection to the land and an extensive career in retail and the establishment of the Australian fashion industry, the AWI Chairman, Colette Garnsey is a jack of all trades. Making her debut on The Yarn, Colette shares with us her journey from farm to fashion, how she came to be on the AWI Board and most importantly, her priorities for AWI as Chairman.

Taking senior managers from some of the most respected brands in the world to where wool is grown with care and passion, how it is tested and sold is one of the roles of Australian Wool Innovation/The Woolmark Company.

Hear what these highly influential brands have to say about our industry; the people, animals and landscape behind the best natural fibre in the world.

The recent volatility of the Australian wool market has led to uncertainty about the future conditions of our market. But how is the global wool market being affected? We venture to China for the 2019 Nanjing Wool Market Conference, and hear from wool producing representatives around the world to discuss the current state and future of the wool market globally and in their respective regions.

Are you thinking about renovating an existing shearing shed or building a new one? Hear about AWI’s project on a new shearing shed design, the process and outcomes of a recent project.

With over 20% of children born to western lifestyles suffering from eczema, AWI is working hard to push wool’s wellness attributes to break into the skin health market

Uncertain seasons, new technology, new opportunities. There is no doubting the bright future for the sheep and wool industries, but how can it all be made easier?

Hear how farmers Chris Patmore and Zac Roberts make their enterprises more time and effort – efficient and the advice pasture expert Phil Barrett-Lennard has for those planning an easier system.

As we celebrate 100 episodes of The Yarn, we introduce you to what is largely an Australian wool manufacturing secret: ABMT textiles.

Julian Collins of ABMT gives an insight into the wool market nosedive but offers hope as well.

And we head to Vietnam to hear how wool is reducing its reliance on China and continually finding new markets.

Meet Stephen Glen, the latest winner of the Australian Fleece Competition and hear what it takes to grow a Grand Champion fleece: hint: not easy.

Also, Merineo is a brand-new baby range for newborns, it has taken a long time to break into this valuable market, how has Claire Hausler done it?

After a 3-week break, Australian wool auctions have returned with heavy losses for various reasons.

Hear from an insider: Scott Carmody talks through the exact reasons why the wool market has dropped so heavily a year after record highs.

On a positive note, we also hear from a very upbeat and innovative Australian Woolmark licensee who has a great view of the future for wool.

Colin McDowell is one of the world’s top fashion commentators. Having been a journalist for over 20 years, he has at one time or another written for every quality newspaper and magazine in Britain. Join Ellie and Colin in Wales as they talk about wool's past, present and future and Colin's work as a mentor and judge for the International Woolmark Prize.

Merino ewes can successfully lamb at 12 months of age, but it takes commitment and confidence. Hear the research behind the potential from James Whale, Meridian Ag who studied exactly this.

More resilient, more flexible, more productive:
Hear from the 2019 Southern Australia Grassland Society conference as Australia’s farmers look for better pastures for an uncertain future.

Real time monitoring of stock is unlocking many sheep secrets but using powerful computer learning, could we identify stock by facial recognition also?
WoolQ brings woolgrower closer to the consumer, hear the latest on this exciting new platform for wool.

What does it take and what does it cost to create a woolshed that is 100% off the grid?
The savings, the innovations, the opportunities and the future.
Hear it all from Peter and Jane Waters who have done it with their 4-stand, 2-press operation.

Woolmark’s Jeff Ma in downtown Shanghai explains China’s love for wool.
Travel to the Yorkshire mills in the UK and hear how innovation with Australian wool has kept new fabrics evolving after 200 years.
In Australia though, continuing drought is keeping supply of wool low, while feed and finance are tight for many who actually grow the fibre.

Managing risk and the associated rewards makes Australian farming one of the hardest jobs of all. However, there is a form guide and tools to significantly help manage risk and in turn, help business and ultimately your own well-being.
Cam Nicholson from Nicon Consulting has some key points to share.

From 10-pound pom to OAM, Bob Hall talks of the changes through 50 years as a sheep consultant and why the future looks so bright for sheep and wool.

160 students from right across Australia attended the National Merino Challenge (NMC) to learn about wool and sheep.
What do secondary and tertiary students learn and how does this provide a career pathway into the great Australian wool industry?
Hear from those who have made the NMC the great educational success story it is today.

Ian O’Connell has over 50 years working and training working dogs.
Hear what it takes to work better with your best mates.

China, Japan, Korea and India are giants when it comes to the processing and consumption of Australian wool but with the global economy slowing down, how is wool positioned to stay at high demand levels? Hear from Woolmark’s John Roberts, GM Eastern Hemisphere about the initiatives across Asia and also trade analyst Scott Carmody about the sentiment of the raw wool auction rooms.

Four years into the ten-year long MLP Project, the industry experts from the MLP Industry Steering Committee share the successes of the project so far and the outcomes the industry hopes to see in the future.

Woolgrower, historian and author of "Call of the Reed Warbler”, Charles Massy is now an advocate, hear why.

Merino wool competes in the world's oldest annual marathon alongside a growing international community of athletes.

Once a mainstay of the Queensland economy, the wool and sheep industry has shrunk to a shadow of its former self thanks in part to prices, drought and wild dogs over many years. But a quiet rebuild is in underway with a massive commitment to exclusion fencing and flock restructure, farmers are keen to return to sheep when the rains also return.

Dr. Jason Trompf has a lifetime of experience as a researcher, consultant, facilitator and head of AWI's Victorian extension network, Best Wool, Best Lamb. AWI's Marius Cuming speaks to Jason about the four key pillars of practical change and the integration of education into farming communities. Jason also practices what he preaches, running around 3,000 meat composite ewes in the North East of Victoria.

Capping off our Western Australian series, we head to Cranmore farming to discuss the benefits of Merinos in a mixed farming operation. We also talk to AWI’s WA wild dog coordinator Meja Aldrich, about the management and control of wild dogs in sheep producing areas.

Shearing technique, shearing shed design and building, shearer training; it’s all in Don Boyle’s repertoire. Hear how one man went from a handpiece at 15 to over 20,000 sheep in one lifetime.

Having spent so long in sheds, he now designs and builds woolsheds with sheep, woolhandlers and shearers in mind. Hear what works for all.

The Sheep Collective has been formed to tell the stories of the people, sheep and landscape behind the live sheep trade. Can it continue and how? Hear Dr Holly Ludeman explain.

We head to Western Australia to hear how mixed farmers in the wheatbelt have improved their overall sheep/cropping enterprise by adopting electronic tagging and the AWI/RIST Lifetime Ewe Management course.

Head to far south west NSW and hear some of the epic stories of the Australian wool industry. Wool still plays a significant role for the farming families in this part of the world where horizons are broad, rains are rare but people are warm and welcoming despite facing some unique challenges.

Queensland farmers have been through a lot. From scorching droughts to the recent flooding and the persistent attacks from wild dogs, the elements have thrown everything at Queensland’s rural communities. But at the recent Australian Wool Network conference held in Longreach, the optimism of the Queensland woolgrowers shone through.

Ella Edwards and Anna Buckley from The Woolmark Company – AWI’s marketing arm – were invited to speak at the conference and interviewed woolgrower Peter Clark and AWN representative Greg Hunt about the conditions in Queensland and the attitude surrounding the wool industry.

From exclusion fencing to classing sheep, Peter and Greg give insight into Queensland’s wool industry and what the future holds for Queensland woolgrowers.

Thank you to AWN for inviting AWI to present at the conference and to the woolgrowers and staff for their hospitality.

How long does it take from sheep to shop? Who makes the decisions about what wool design and colour is ultimately seen at retail?

In this episode learn some of the ins and outs of the complicated, wonderful world of fashion and the Woolmark’s company’s key role involved throughout.

Merino consultant Craig Wilson discusses the Peter Westblade scholarship and the great opportunities around Merino into the future. Also, hear from Beyond the Bale editor Richard Smith about his favourite stories and how to get your stories in Australia’s most read wool magazine.

The wool market has started the year with strong demand followed by consolidation.

Given the ongoing drought, supply and what retail sales are doing in the key northern hemisphere winter, what can we expect this year for the wool market?

Hear from AWI trade consultant Scott Carmody and AWI graduate Ben Madgwick.

450 donors have grown the next 100 years of baggy greens for the Australian cricket team.

Gideon Haigh, the country’s best cricket writer, discusses his book celebrating this historic project. We also meet Stephen Field, a cricket-mad woolgrower who explains why he loves the the game and the fibre.

Woolgrower, innovator and agriculture entrepreneur Nigel Kerin speaks about innovations in the wool industry and what new technology he is keen to implement into his business.

Catriona Nicholls and Madeline Scott have been the movers and shakers in getting the Learn About Wool resource in alignment with Australia’s school curriculum.

Teachers can lift the free resource straight from the website or order a full Learn About Wool kit and deliver lesson plans that focus on Australian wool that is specific for their class.

We all want to make shearing less labour intensive but how to actually achieve this has stumped many shearers, engineers and entrepreneurs. Researchers at the University of Technology, Sydney are taking an entirely novel approach by creating possibly the worlds first 3D printed sheep in their quest to solve the robotic shearing quandary.

Hear from shearing legend and AWI’s Shearing Industry Development Manager Jim Murray, as he walks us through the potential these young innovators are uncovering for the Australian wool industry.

The wool market has enjoyed a very strong run over the last 12 months with the benchmark eastern market indicator up about 25% year on year. But in recent weeks, uncertainty has crept into the market. Today we examine, in some detail, both the short and the long-term drivers in the wool market.

We speak with AWI Trade Consultant Scott Carmody about the factors driving the wool price and then we head to the US to hear from the President of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, Steve Lamar who reveals the ins and outs of the trade war between China and the US and how it could potentially affect the Australian wool market.

Craig Heggaton from Kojonup in West Australia has a wool and sheep enterprise that has grown well beyond the woolshed and has a tip on keeping quality staff. Hear also from the manager of Tecka station in Argentina, a massive enterprise producing great fine Merino wool in a harsh climate.

Peta Slack-Smith, General Manager of Corporate Affairs at AWI interviewed a number of industry representatives at the consultation workshop organised by AWI this week.

Ed Storey, the Senior Vice President of Wool Producers Australia, Andrew Wood the Chair New South Wales Farmers Committee and President of the Wool Council and Alan Rae, the President of AgForce’s Sheep and Wool Board, reveal what they think about WoolPoll and the consultation process with AWI.

James Rebanks has become – unwittingly and unexpectedly – a house hold name. His book The Shepherd’s Life has been read by thousands, maybe millions of people, but first and foremost he is a shepherd from the north of England in Matterdale, Cumbria.

James spoke at the 2018 LambEx conference in Perth about his experience as a shepherd and we caught up with him afterward to capture some of his wisdom for The Yarn.

Many of Australia’s woolgrowers have been dealing with drought for many months, others are now slipping into it.

What help is at hand and what advice do the experts offer in terms of the key decisions that have to be made about stock, feed and finances?

As the inaugural Woolmark Performance Challenge charges on with some of the best millennial minds in the textile performance wear space, we speak with some of the finalists whose ideas and innovations have impressed the judges so much so that they are through to the next round of the Challenge.
Hosted in partnership with The Woolmark Company and sportswear giant adidas, the Challenge includes a two-day workshop to inspire and build capacity within these finalists before their final presentation at Outdoor Retailer, the largest outdoor sports expo and conference in the USA.

Her environmentally conscious philosophy creates an aura around the clothing of BODICE STUDIO and is causing a swell in the fashion world, but International Woolmark Prize womenswear winner Ruchika Sachdeva says she doesn’t follow trends, rather her clothes are built to weather the natural changes of a lifetime.

With three new functions now available on the WoolQ platform, doors are opening to new opportunities for all in the Australian wool industry. Listen in to find out what opportunities are opening for you.

Every country presents different challenges for wool growers and for South Africans, big cats and mining are two very large issues wool growers must face.

Scott Nicholson has taken up the Nuffield scholarship with both hands and is leading the charge in finding new ways to bring technology on-farm, whilst learning some great life lessons along the way.