Replacing Peat with Sheep Wool - Did you know?
- Sheep are shorn once or twice per year for their health.
- Canada produces over 1200 tonnes of wool annually.
- Less than 3% of Canada’s yearly wool clip is suitable to make a sweater.
- Raw wool has more nitrogen than cow, sheep, pig, goat, and chicken manure.
- Wool's nitrogen is a slow release, giving long-term plant food.
- It has a neutral PH.
- Wool absorbs over 30% of it's weight in moisture, more than peat-moss.
- Although only 5% of the global landmass is peat, it is able to store more carbon than all other vegetation in the world.
- Peatlands, post-harvest, can off-gas carbon for another 30-40 years.
- If left alone, peatlands sequester 370,000,000,000 kg of C02 a year.
What Happens to Our Wool Now?
Most of our wool was exported pre 2020 as Canada has virtually no fibre processing capacity anymore. The most difficult year for wool in recent memory was 2022., farmers are paid under 10 cents/lb for their wool. With shipping prices so high, and the lack of global demand for the type of wool Canada produces it is no longer being shipped overseas to be processed. This wool is now taken to landfill, burned, and dumped in the back 40 of properties across the country.
Currently Canada produces approximately 1200 tonnes of wool. Most of Canada's wool is above 29 microns which is considered coarse and has a very high vegetable matter content making it difficult to process. Canada's lack of processing means this kind of wool is not utilized in any form. Historically wool was used in many forms beyond yarn. Today innovative uses for wool is being explored across the globe as a natural, renewable, and sustainable resource.
How Can Wool Make a Difference?
Wool reduces the need to use plastics. Plastic is energy and resource intensive and doesn’t truly break down but becomes microplastics that can be found throughout the world including in our blood, Arctic ice cores, and the deepest depths of the ocean.
Currently Canada produces approximately 1200 tonnes of wool. Most of Canada's wool is above 29 microns which is considered coarse and has a very high vegetable matter content making it difficult to process. Canada's lack of processing means this kind of wool is not utilized in any form.
Historically wool was used in many forms beyond yarn. Today innovative uses for wool is being explored across the globe. Let's make Canada a part of that innovation!
EcoWool Canada Inc. buys wool from local farmers in a way that reduces the labour on the farm's end. Our processing system can manage any kind of dry wool, no matter the quality.
About the Team
Once Tim and Jennifer realized that the wool produced by their sheep like 97% of the sheep's wool in Canada wasn't made into textiles they thought it was an incredible waste of such a valuable fibre. Together with art, engineering, and agricultural backgrounds, Tim and Jennifer began reaching out to industry, government, and academia. In 2013 Jennifer co-founded Upper Canada Fibreshed, leading more awareness and advocation for the use of waste wool. Both run All Sorts Acres Farm & Art Studio , a regenerative grass-based sheep dairy in Grey County.
Perks
- 0 ordered
Made with 100% raw wool, these pellets will add nutrients to
your soil, increase soil aeration, reduce the amount of watering,
and help your plants thrive.
Providing a slow release source of fertilizer at an NPK rate
of 10-0-3. A 1 kg covers approximately 20 - 25 square feet of garden.
*We only ship within Canada
WOOL PELLET FAQ
- Pellets can be applied directly beside your seeds when planting. Cover both wool and seeds with soil. Pellets can also be added to potting soil and garden soil as an amendment.
- Each kg can be applied to approximately 20-25 square feet of garden.
- 1/2 cup of pellets added to 4 cups of potting soil to improve water regulation and retention.
- For already potted plants, sprinkle pellets so soil is no longer visible. Can be pushed into sol or left on top.
- Pellets will begin breaking down in the first 3 months. Nutrients will be released slowly over the following year.
- 0 claimed
This will become your favourite mug! Royal Blue with white speckles, this 355 ml (12oz) mug that won't tip over easily. Perfect for camping, tailgating, and picnics. Perfect for warm drinks, soups, cereal, and more. It has an easy to grip handle, Easy to clean; dishwasher safe.
Enjoy your favorite hot drink from the comfiest of mugs! Our 12 oz Custom EcoWool Mug is a solid, easy-to-clean mug that'll make your morning coffee a real treat. It's sure to be a hug for your mug!
- 0 claimed
The Connection series explores the magic of the world we can't see beneath our feet and in the air. So much of our planet relies on things we don't see and truly understand.
Some trees never give up. On the Niagara Escarpment there are White cedar trees that are hundreds of years old. They are small, wizened trees clinging to the edge of the rock face. A seed nestles into the smallest of soil dusted cracks and sprouts roots. The roots spread, enabling the tree to adhere to the rock face. There the trees appear to grow on bald rock.
Unique greeting card of Jennifer's farm-inspired artwork on plantable wildflower seed paper. An ideal way to send your feelings and give the gift of plants as well.
Each card is 4"x 5" and comes with its own recycled,
unbleached kraft paper envelope.
Plantable paper is a biodegradable eco-paper made with
post-consumer and post-industrial paper waste that is embedded with
seeds. (No trees harmed for this paper!) When the paper is planted in
a pot of soil, the seeds grow and the paper composts away.
- 0 ordered
Made with 100% natural sheep wool, mulch mats are an ideal eco choice to replace plastic based weed barrier.
Consisting of a wool and jute layer, it's completely biodegradable, leaving no plastic behind as it breaks down.
The unique combination of the sheep’s wool and the jute means that our garden felt is:
- Ideal weed barrier around plants, trees, and in containers
- Cut to size
- Wool Texture deters slugs
- Textured and woolly which will deter slugs and snails
- Absorbs rain and moisture to reduce the amount of watering needed.
- Releases nitrogen and other essential nutrients as it breaks down slowly.
Each mat is 40 cm square ands comes in a package of 5.
- 4 ordered
Made with 100% natural sheep wool, Garden Felt Weed Barrier is an ideal eco choice to replace plastic-based products.
Consisting of a wool and jute layer, it's completely biodegradable, leaving no plastic behind as it breaks down.
The unique combination of the sheep’s wool and the jute means that our garden felt is:
- Ideal weed barrier around plants, trees, and in containers
- Cut to size, cut holes where needed.
- Wool Texture deters slugs and snails
- Absorbs rain and moisture to reduce the amount of watering needed.
- Releases nitrogen and other essential nutrients as it breaks down slowly.
Each mat is 40 cm wide and 1.3 metres long
- 0 claimed
Our Cats Deserve the Best: Cat grass adds important nutrients to your cat’s diet, organic oat grass provides hairball control for cats as well as a tasty treat in a beautiful EcoWool mug for humans to enjoy afterwards.
Our DIY kit includes a organic potting soil, wool pellets, seeds, and growing instructions. Germination begins in 1-4 days, with a full "lawn" in 7-10 days.
- 0 claimed
After years of observing our own cats and dogs try and sleep on any kind of wool lying around, we decided to actually make a purpose made pet bed.
After years of testing, trying, and refining, we are quite confident that your pet will choose this bed over anything else.
Made with 100% farm processed wool so there's no nasty chemicals, detergents, or dyes that can harm your pet.
- 0 claimed
Grown and made on farm. Pre-felted 100% wool sponges for cleaning in kitchen and bathrooms. Fully machine washable. Once finished with sponge, place it in compost.
3 per package
Maximum 4 people
Join us for a full farm tour right along side our favourite sheep!
Get a behind the scenes look at this working, regenerative farm.
We’ll visit the ducks, look in the sheep barn, seeing where the sheep
are milked, meet the dogs that keep the sheep safe, then go for a walk
out to the hayfield. On the way you’ll experience a nature walk to
learn about living fences, systems-scale permaculture, and how animals
are an important part of the landscape. The tour will end with a
delicious tasting of our very own sheep milk Gelato and Frozen Kefir.
A visit to the gallery and some sheep cuddles with Neville rounds out
the event
- Tour is approximately 2 hours.
- All ages welcome
- Well behaved and friendly on-leash dogs welcome (we have dogs here too)
- Happens regardless of weather (just like farming!)
- Please arrive 25 minutes before your tour begins.
- Please read our Terms and Conditions before booking your tour
Each kit contains everything you need to make a felt painting. Includes: farm-grown naturally dyed and coloured wool, felting needles, instructions, and felt backing with original design, foam felting base, and A complete set of high-quality supplies to bring your vision to life. Precision-crafted felting needles and farm-grown wool let you create a vibrant, detailed artwork that you can proudly display.
Highlights
See all activity3What's our goal
Across Canada, there is an excess of wool that has nowhere to go. There is a need for easy-to-set-up micro-factories for pellet milling in many communities, not just in Canada, but around the world. Since beginning EcoWool, people from communities as far away as Uzbekistan have contacted us wanting help to deal with their wool.
It's well known that the transportation of goods long distances is one of the greatest contributors to climate change. Embracing local economic systems prevents unnecessary transportation of goods that are best utilized in the area they came from.
Making wool into a circular soil improvement strategy for these communities not only reduces the need for petroleum-based fertilizers, but it also creates local economies.
The money you contribute will go towards developing a unit that can be easily delivered and set up in minimal time. Micro-factories are becoming an important economic driver in many parts of the world. Help us make that switch here too.
Below is one of the first US micro factories that turns single-use plastic into new, well design products.
Pellet F.A.Q.s
Are wool pellets really just raw wool?
Yes, pellets are raw wool straight off the sheep. Sheep aren't the cleanest of animals though and some amount of straw, hay, mud, and poop in their wool. Non-wool natural materials are only a fraction of each fleece.
Shouldn't this wool be used for things like clothing and blankets?
There are many different types of sheep out there. Not all sheep have wool suitable for clothing. In Canada, our sheep are raised for food, with wool thought of as an afterthought. Only approximately 3% of Canada's wool is suitable to make a sweater. The rest could be used for other things such as carpets and insulation, but the lack of manufacturing in Canada prevents this wool from being used in any way.Farmer's generally dump, burn, or take their wool to landfill. Even the best sheep wool still has 20% that is too dirty to be used.
This is a global problem though. Internationally the top 22 wool producing countries produce over 1.9 billion kilograms of wool annually. Out of that wool, 1.4 billion kilograms isn't accounted for.
Why is replacing peat-moss so important?
Peat moss has a long history in gardening. It's used extensively in soil mixes, outdoor and indoor gardening. Its main function is to retain water for plants. What's seen as a benefit to plants is actually a big problem for the environment. Even sustainably harvested peat-moss is not a long term solution. Peat moss grows 1mm a year, far less than is needed forthe industry. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (ICUN):
- Peatlands are a type of wetland which are criticalfor preventing and mitigating the effects of climate change, preserving biodiversity, minimising flood risk, and ensuring safe drinking water.
- Peatlands are the largest natural terrestrial carbon store.They store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined.
- Damaged peatlands are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions,responsible for almost 5% of global anthropogenic CO2emissions. Peatland restoration can reduce emissions significantly.
- Countries should include peatland conservation and restoration in their commitments to international agreements, including the Paris Agreement on climate change.
- Worldwide, the remaining area of near natural peatland (over 3 million km2) sequesters 0.37 gigatonnes of CO2a year . Peat soils contain more than 600 gigatonnes of carbon which represents up to 44% of all soil carbon , and exceeds the carbon stored in all other vegetation types including the world’s forests.
source: https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/peatlands-and-climate-change
Wool is harvested annually and most sheep will grow well over 3 cm of wool annually. If you have ever lifted a wet wool sweater out of the laundry, you'll have an idea of how much water wool absorbs.
How do wool pellets compare to manure and how long do they take to break down?
Wool is an amazing fibre. It has a lab
tested NPK of 10.54-0.06-3.64 . It's high nitrogen content means it
has a lot of potency but because of the time it takes to break down
it is less damaging to plants. Pellets begin breaking down in the
soil in 2-3 months depending on the conditions. The long breakdown
time provides a sustained nitrogen source for plants to thrive that
can be seen from one season to the next. Manure breaks down much
faster and provides a quick nitrogen boost but doesn't sustain it.
What about weed seeds?
The process of making raw wool into pellets generates a considerable amount of heat, to the point where any moisture in the wool causes steam when processing. Pellets are dispensed at a temperature in excess of 77C (170F). This temperature is maintained for between 1-2 hours then slowly cooled. Compost is held at 60C for 4 hours to completely render any pathogens and seeds inert.
Where do I use wool pellets?
- Pellets can be used anywhere peat moss is used in standard
gardening practice. Wool pellets can be used in additional ways
too. Here's some examples of ways to use wool
pellets.
sprinkle on top of your houseplants as a slow-release fertilizer - place at the bottom of pots to help retain water
- mix into potting soil before planting seedlings
- distribute thickly around plants to act as a slug barrier
- spread thinly on your lawn as an eco-friendly fertilizer
- mix in with seeds when broadcasting
How much do I need to use?
Less is more when using wool pellets. Each 1 kg bag will cover approximately 25 square feet or a 5x5 foot space when spread evenly over the soil and then dug in. To use in a potting mix add a 1/2 cup of pellets to 4 cups of potting soil. A light sprinkling of pellets (4-8 pellets/plant) can be added to the bottom of a row in the garden.
1/2 cup pellets to 4 cups soil
Where do you get the wool you use?
We use our own waste wool in addition to purchasing wool from other farmers across Ontario.
EcoWool Fertilizer pellets - what are they?
EcoWool Fertilizer pellets - Adding them to a dry soil mix
Activity
- 0 ordered
Made with 100% raw wool, these pellets will add nutrients to
your soil, increase soil aeration, reduce the amount of watering,
and help your plants thrive.
Providing a slow release source of fertilizer at an NPK rate
of 10-0-3. A 1 kg covers approximately 20 - 25 square feet of garden.
*We only ship within Canada
WOOL PELLET FAQ
- Pellets can be applied directly beside your seeds when planting. Cover both wool and seeds with soil. Pellets can also be added to potting soil and garden soil as an amendment.
- Each kg can be applied to approximately 20-25 square feet of garden.
- 1/2 cup of pellets added to 4 cups of potting soil to improve water regulation and retention.
- For already potted plants, sprinkle pellets so soil is no longer visible. Can be pushed into sol or left on top.
- Pellets will begin breaking down in the first 3 months. Nutrients will be released slowly over the following year.
- 0 claimed
This will become your favourite mug! Royal Blue with white speckles, this 355 ml (12oz) mug that won't tip over easily. Perfect for camping, tailgating, and picnics. Perfect for warm drinks, soups, cereal, and more. It has an easy to grip handle, Easy to clean; dishwasher safe.
Enjoy your favorite hot drink from the comfiest of mugs! Our 12 oz Custom EcoWool Mug is a solid, easy-to-clean mug that'll make your morning coffee a real treat. It's sure to be a hug for your mug!
- 0 claimed
The Connection series explores the magic of the world we can't see beneath our feet and in the air. So much of our planet relies on things we don't see and truly understand.
Some trees never give up. On the Niagara Escarpment there are White cedar trees that are hundreds of years old. They are small, wizened trees clinging to the edge of the rock face. A seed nestles into the smallest of soil dusted cracks and sprouts roots. The roots spread, enabling the tree to adhere to the rock face. There the trees appear to grow on bald rock.
Unique greeting card of Jennifer's farm-inspired artwork on plantable wildflower seed paper. An ideal way to send your feelings and give the gift of plants as well.
Each card is 4"x 5" and comes with its own recycled,
unbleached kraft paper envelope.
Plantable paper is a biodegradable eco-paper made with
post-consumer and post-industrial paper waste that is embedded with
seeds. (No trees harmed for this paper!) When the paper is planted in
a pot of soil, the seeds grow and the paper composts away.
- 0 ordered
Made with 100% natural sheep wool, mulch mats are an ideal eco choice to replace plastic based weed barrier.
Consisting of a wool and jute layer, it's completely biodegradable, leaving no plastic behind as it breaks down.
The unique combination of the sheep’s wool and the jute means that our garden felt is:
- Ideal weed barrier around plants, trees, and in containers
- Cut to size
- Wool Texture deters slugs
- Textured and woolly which will deter slugs and snails
- Absorbs rain and moisture to reduce the amount of watering needed.
- Releases nitrogen and other essential nutrients as it breaks down slowly.
Each mat is 40 cm square ands comes in a package of 5.
- 4 ordered
Made with 100% natural sheep wool, Garden Felt Weed Barrier is an ideal eco choice to replace plastic-based products.
Consisting of a wool and jute layer, it's completely biodegradable, leaving no plastic behind as it breaks down.
The unique combination of the sheep’s wool and the jute means that our garden felt is:
- Ideal weed barrier around plants, trees, and in containers
- Cut to size, cut holes where needed.
- Wool Texture deters slugs and snails
- Absorbs rain and moisture to reduce the amount of watering needed.
- Releases nitrogen and other essential nutrients as it breaks down slowly.
Each mat is 40 cm wide and 1.3 metres long
- 0 claimed
Our Cats Deserve the Best: Cat grass adds important nutrients to your cat’s diet, organic oat grass provides hairball control for cats as well as a tasty treat in a beautiful EcoWool mug for humans to enjoy afterwards.
Our DIY kit includes a organic potting soil, wool pellets, seeds, and growing instructions. Germination begins in 1-4 days, with a full "lawn" in 7-10 days.
- 0 claimed
After years of observing our own cats and dogs try and sleep on any kind of wool lying around, we decided to actually make a purpose made pet bed.
After years of testing, trying, and refining, we are quite confident that your pet will choose this bed over anything else.
Made with 100% farm processed wool so there's no nasty chemicals, detergents, or dyes that can harm your pet.
- 0 claimed
Grown and made on farm. Pre-felted 100% wool sponges for cleaning in kitchen and bathrooms. Fully machine washable. Once finished with sponge, place it in compost.
3 per package
Maximum 4 people
Join us for a full farm tour right along side our favourite sheep!
Get a behind the scenes look at this working, regenerative farm.
We’ll visit the ducks, look in the sheep barn, seeing where the sheep
are milked, meet the dogs that keep the sheep safe, then go for a walk
out to the hayfield. On the way you’ll experience a nature walk to
learn about living fences, systems-scale permaculture, and how animals
are an important part of the landscape. The tour will end with a
delicious tasting of our very own sheep milk Gelato and Frozen Kefir.
A visit to the gallery and some sheep cuddles with Neville rounds out
the event
- Tour is approximately 2 hours.
- All ages welcome
- Well behaved and friendly on-leash dogs welcome (we have dogs here too)
- Happens regardless of weather (just like farming!)
- Please arrive 25 minutes before your tour begins.
- Please read our Terms and Conditions before booking your tour
Each kit contains everything you need to make a felt painting. Includes: farm-grown naturally dyed and coloured wool, felting needles, instructions, and felt backing with original design, foam felting base, and A complete set of high-quality supplies to bring your vision to life. Precision-crafted felting needles and farm-grown wool let you create a vibrant, detailed artwork that you can proudly display.
