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Sheep rancher Jeanne Carver
developed a line of woolen garments featuring their Oregon raised
wool, adding value to a typically low-priced commodity. Courtesy
of Dan and Jean Carver. |
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CARVER FAMILY
With more than a century of sheep ranching tradition on their 30,000-acre
central Oregon ranch, Dan and Jeanne Carver wanted to continue raising
sheep despite declining lamb and wool markets. With a grant from
the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program,
they researched markets and launched a product line featuring uniqueness
and quality.
Today, their sales include lamb for high-end restaurants, wool
in yarn-and-pattern kits for hand knitters, and ready-to-wear woolen
and lambskin fashions. These side line enterprises augment the main
ranch commodities, which include 800 head of cattle, hay, and 3,000
acres of no-till grain.
With a lack of processors, the Carvers were forced to find custom
outfits willing to develop out-of-the-ordinary retail products.
They found a small meat processor 80 miles away and attracted restaurants
using many messages – fresh, locally grown, “natural”
spring lamb from a ranch awarded for its conservation practices.
“That’s a lot of sizzle,” said Jeanne.
Once washed and dyed, the wool becomes yarn for kits featuring
the Carvers’ knitwear designs and is sold through a dealer
who publishes a catalog circulated to 100,000 crafters. Repeated
requests for finished garments from their wool encouraged Jeanne
to work with area designers and knitters to create handmade woolen
clothing sold in resorts and specialty shops. To use the whole animal,
they began tanning hides and added lambskin fashion items to their
clothing line.
"The marketing project has in-creased awareness and visibility
of what we grow, how we grow it and, most importantly, how we manage
the land,” said Dan, referring to a bevy of practices to safeguard
the environment, such as installing miles of fencing to control
grazing impact and building dams to create watering holes for domestic
stock and wildlife.
Lamb sales have spurred interest in their beef, which the Carvers
primarily sell as 700-pound calves to the generic market. With the
new interest from lamb buyers, however, they now direct-market their
finished beef to some of their established lamb customers and high-end
restaurants dotting the Columbia River Gorge.
Dan said they only direct-market about 50 head of beef a year,
but not for lack of interest. “Once the chefs tour the ranch
and see the roots of their product, they ask ‘How do we get
your beef?’” he said. “The demand is there for
increased direct-market sales but it will grow only as fast as our
processing and distribution will allow.”
The Carvers estimate they clear 30 percent over the price of lamb
sold on the generic market, and wool profits are growing even while
they keep prices affordable.
“Our customers love the quality of our product, the flavor
profile of the meat, the feel of the wool and the message of the
land and sense of place,” Jeanne said.
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