Unshorn sheep in the foreground await their turn. One can see the difference in the freshly shorn sheep in the back corral. Photo by Julie Hansmire
To say we are proud of our area sheep producers would be an understatement.
Through all stages of their lives, their sheep receive the finest of care – stewards of the livestock and the land – these folks work hard to insure the sustainability of agriculture and our natural resources. We’ve updated a post from a few years ago by adding more photos and information on this “rite of spring” for western range sheep operations and the Meeker Sheep. Julie Hansmire of Campbell-Hansmire Sheep is the sheep provider for the Meeker Classic. Her sheep winter down on the Utah desert and will soon be lambing. They just finished three days of shearing – where the ewes were all gathered into corrals from their grazing grounds on the desert.
Campbell Hansmire shearing corrals. Note the shearing trailer in the upper left of the corrals and bales of wool to the far left. photo by Julie Hansmire
A big emphasis of the Campbell-Hansmire breeding program is on the wool.
Julie’s Merino sheep grow dense, lustrous fleeces with firm crimp structure for bounce and elasticity. The sheep are ethically sheared and compassionately raised producing a soft, downy wool that mirrors the care they receive. Julie’s flock produces fine 19.5 – 20 micron fiber for next-to the skin softness. Handled with the utmost of care to protect the fleece and the animal – these ewes enter a large shearing trailer in single file. Each fleece that is harvested is sorted and classed then pressed into a wool bag that will go to market.
Fine Merino wool is carefully harvested from the sheep each spring. Photo by Julie hansmire
The beauty of sheep are that they can harvest a renewable resource . .
(aka forage and grass) and convert it into a usable food and fiber source for the world. Julie has recently entered into a join project with Brooklyn Tweed to market her wool in the “Ranch Series” yarn they carry.
Julie and Manuel (a long-time herder) with Campbell-Hansmire yarn samples from Brooklyn Tweed. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Tweed
2022 Olympics Closing Ceremony Sweaters
Julie is also part of a pool of 7 US ranches that provided wool for the 2022 Olympic sweaters from Ralph Lauren. These sweaters were worn by US Athletes during the closing ceremonies. Swallow Fork Ranch of Meeker is another supplier of the merino wool for these sweaters.
The soft Merino fleeces are sorted and packed . . . . photo by Julie Hansmire
. . now back to more on the annual shearing process for range sheep producers . . . the following series of photos are from the Nick Theos Ranch LLP . .
Down on the Utah desert, fat and healthy from a good winter,
the sheep have been to the shearing corrals to see the shearing crews with their wagons and wool balers.Each spring these crews migrate across the west, meeting producers at their corrals as thousands of ewes are shorn prior to lambing. This necessary rite of spring is essential for the sheep’s health and well-being.
Overseen by the herders . . .
and heavy with lamb, the ewes are finishing up their winter’s stay on the desert and will soon start their migration westward to Meeker and greener pastures where they’ll lamb and ultimately spend the summer up in the high country.
The herder’s home is a sheep wagon. Portable and cozy, each is equipped with bed, stove, wash basin and pantry – the home on wheels follows the sheep through out the year.
Mustered together from the vast grazing areas,
the sheep are worked into the corrals, sorted off and run single file up a chute to the shearing wagon where eight shearers cut the fleeces from the ewes.
Sorted and classed, the wool is packed into big bales and will be taken to the warehouse.
Leaving the wagon, the freshly shorn sheep were branded and worked through an alley as they were prepared to head back out to pasture.
The stove keeps the branding paint warm as the freshly shorn sheep are treated, branded and sorted.
This particular day you couldn’t miss the presence of the dogs, working dogs and guardian dogs.
The guardian dogs kept watch on the outskirts of the area while the working dogs worked tirelessly in the dust and heat. Partnering with their humans, they’d gathered, corralled and sorted the sheep.
. . . .on the farm and ranch, the next generation helps out. Not only a business that provides food and fiber to the world, but a way of life . . . . . .
They made sure a steady flow of ewes went up the ramp
to the shearing wagon and out through an alley where they were worked and sorted again. Like a well-oiled machine, everyone and every dog had a task, efficiently working together to get a job done.
It’s always nice to be reminded of why we do this,
why we congregate – as handlers, volunteers, vendors and spectators in this ritual of the Meeker Classic that goes back over 30 years. This was such a day. It’s a partnership of sorts where man and dog work together to tend the livestock as they tend the land. Those who mind the sheep rely on the sheepdog to help manage their stock – be it moving through a corral system, from pasture to pasture, or on a migratory route traversing hundreds of miles, the intelligence and heart of the sheepdogs serve a purpose that can’t be duplicated or filled by machines or technology. Yes, this is the WHY behind sheepdog trials and the Meeker Classic – this is what we gather to celebrate each year! The object of a sheepdog trial is to test the dog’s ability to manage/maneuver sheep in a calm, controlled manner.
the freshly shorn sheep are ready to head back out to the desert pasture. Soon they’ll start the trek westward to the lush summer pastures.
A special thanks to all the folks at the Nick Theos Family LLC for letting us share this day with them and for taking such good care of their sheep! We appreciate all you do.
after the wool is sorted by quality, it’s packed into the large bags with a big baler. The bales of wool will be taken to a warehouse where they’ll be sold.