Overview

Shorn wool production in the United States was 30.9 million pounds of greasy wool in 2009, down 6 percent from 2008. U.S. wool output, in general, is about half the amount compared to 10 years ago. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 4.4 million head, down 5 percent from 2008. The top states for wool production are Texas, Wyoming, Montana and California.

The average price paid for wool in 2009 was 79 cents per pound, with a total value of $24.4 million, down 25 percent from $32.5 million in 2008.
While lamb meat production has grown during the past 20 years, U.S. wool production per animal has remained fairly constant. The average wool fleece per animal is 7.35 pounds.  March 2010 . . . Wool


Marketing

• Australian Wool Innovation Limited - This company, owned by wool producers, initiates research and development and provides market trade.
• British Wool Marketing Board - This board operates a central marketing system for domestic fleece wool.
• Economic Impact of the Elimination of the Wool Act, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA, 2000 - This study reviews the loss of National Wool Act programs and changes in the value and production of sheep, lamb, wool and mohair at the national level and for two counties in Texas.
• Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS), Foreign Ag Service (FAS), USDA, 2009.
• Handling and Marketing of Wool, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service, 1990 - This fact sheet explains ways to improve the quality and value of wool produced.
• Marketing Could Boost the U.S. Sheep Industry, Amber Waves, ERS, USDA, 2004 - This online article gives a brief overview of the U.S. sheep industry.
• National Wool Review, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA - Weekly U.S. wool prices.
• Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration - The site contains trade data and agreements.
• Organic Wool Fact Sheet, Organic Trade Association, 2005.
• Sheep, ERS, USDA.
• Wool and Mohair Price Support, Congressional Research Service, 2008 - The 2008 Farm Bill re-authorized marketing assistance loans and loan deficiency payments for wool and mohair producers from 2008 to 2012.
• Wool Contacts, American Sheep Industry Association - Select Wool Contacts listed under Industry Affiliates. Contacts are listed for wool buyers, pools, warehouses and shearers.
• Wools of New Zealand, New Zealand Wool Board - A brand used to market wool products worldwide.
• Yocom-McColl Testing Laboratories, Denver, Colorado - An independent commercial wool testing lab.

Processing/Manufacturing

• Grades and Length of Wool, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, reviewed 2004 - This Extension publication outlines wool classification, grading and processing methods. Also see the glossary of wool terms.
• Textile, Wool, Fur and Apparel Matters, Federal Trade Commission - This site provides links to the rules and statues governing wool labeling.
• USDA Standards for Grades of Wool, 1968.
• Wool Fact Sheets, American Sheep Industry Association - Wool topics offered at this site include history, processing, wool characteristics, fabrics and care.

Production

• Montana Farm Flock Sheep Production Handbook (or pdf), Montana State University - This handbook provides chapters on sheep selection, breeding, reproduction, nutrition and flock management. It discusses breed selection as it relates to wool.
• Sheep and Goat Fund, National Livestock Producers Association - A revolving fund for sheep and goat businesses to further the development of value-added products.
• Sustainable Sheep Production, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), NCAT, 2000 - This site provides information related to sustainable sheep production. The topics include breed selection, grazing, pasture lambing, alternative health management and innovative marketing ideas for wool and lamb products.

Businesses/Case Studies

• French Creek Sheep & Wool Company, Elverson, Pennsylvania - This company has sold woolen products and sheepskin coats since 1970. It markets products online and through a printed catalog.
• High Pointe Coverings, Harmony, Minnesota - Entrepreneur Lloyd Peterson's company crafts wool mattresses and pillows. Each mattress uses 34 to 35 pounds, or seven layers, of pure, carded wool that are 4 to 5 inches thick.
• Mid-States Wool Growers Cooperative Association - Established in 1918, this cooperative has grown into one of the largest U.S. sheep supply distributors.
• Natural Colored Wool Growers Association - This association represents producers of natural colored sheep and wool.
• Pendleton's Woollen Mills, Portland, Oregon.
• The U.S. Wool Industry, Changes in the Sheep Industry in the United States: Making the Transition from Tradition, Board of Agriculture & Natural Resources, The National Academies Press, 2008 - This book examines the current and future opportunities and challenges of the U.S. sheep industry.

Links checked March 2010.