Time to Market Your Wool

Here in Southeastern Pennsylvania, most sheep get shorn between February and June and the wool is normally marketed in late spring/early summer. Small sheep producers do not harvest enough wool to interest the big woolen mills so unless you are selling your wool directly to consumers, you need to find a viable outlet. The Bucks Mont Wool Pool has been helping small farmers market their wool for over 60 years. The pool bargains with large woolen mills on behalf of its members to secure a price. It then holds a one day pool where producers bring their wool to be sorted, bagged and loaded on a truck to South Carolina. About a month later the producer receives a check from the Pool. The Bucks Mont Wool Pool normally handles around 25,000 pounds of wool and about 100 sheep producers from seventeen PA & NJ counties market their wool through the Pool. This year’s Pool will be held on Saturday, June 5, 7 AM to 2 PM, at the Roth Farm of Delaware Valley College, located in Lower Gwynedd, Montgomery County, PA. The farm is very near the Montgomeryville Mall. You do not have to be a current member of the pool to market your wool. For more information contact: Rod Gilbert, Secretary Treasurer 215-489-2247 Rodney.Gilbert@delval.edu or Mike Fournier, Penn State Extension 215-345-3283 mpf1@psu.edu