Standing on a Sheeps Back

Perfect Sustainability and the Great NZ Swandri Workman's Shirt.

New Zealand has a population of approximately 40 million sheep quite a growth from the first four sheep Captain Cook release in the Marlborough Sounds in 1773. The population peaked in the 1980’s to around 70 million sheep but declined in the advance of synthetics and alternate fabric products.
The sheep is a species that not only clothes mankind but feeds mankind. That’s perfect sustainability. From early colonial days when refrigeration was introduced ships left New Zeeland packed with valuable cargos of frozen meat supplying Great Britain in return the investment to New Zealand was the founding blocks of our Nation.

New Zealand wool is predominately strong and the agricultural communities of sheep farmers are leaders in the world. The main four species, Drysdale, Romeny, Perendale, and Merino found grazing the green pastures produce a variety of wool for many products.
Wool for carpets, wool for clothing, even wool for tennis balls some of which have been used many times in world champion games.

Ashburton a town in the South Island produces a sock that is wool mixed with seaweed. The seaweed takes care of any moisture and the wool keeps your feet warm. New Zealand has the famous NZ Swandri a bright checker shirt made from wool and waterproof originally designed for the workman in the country faced with all weathers. Fine Merino wool is used in designed for fashion for men and woman and even used in billiard cloth.

With changes in the way the world trades and different demands emerge for the 21st century, the humble sheep grazes quietly feeding and clothing mankind ,competing with the synthetic trade but as innovation for new products ( like the Ashburton sock) New Zealand wool has a vital role to play for mankind. New Zealand as a meat producer the sheep is a meat that could be regarded as one of the best in the world. Meat that is uncontaminated, clean, well cared for by improved farming methods over the past 100 years. Thanks to the researchers and agricultural advisors in Pastoral agriculture.

The humble sheep, the living sustainable species the knitting needles of the sheep farmers wives of the nation, who make the best homemade scones lashed with jam and fresh cream, many New Zealanders’ owe these hard working people for the warm woolly jumpers, the Swandri, the socks as the country forges into the 21st century on the next step of eco-sustainability.
All off the sheep’s back.

copyright.poeticalleadership. marie hazledine-barber