We are extremely excited to announce a new product here at Five Sisters Farm: 100% wool pellets, rich in nutrients and ready to mix in your soil for healthy gardening.
We took a short drive down to the Western Massachusetts Fibershed (local to us here in NH) where they have equipment to chop up raw wool and a pelletizer to form pellets with heat and pressure. The natural lanolin coating the wool helps hold the pellets together.
Wool is rich in nitrogen and potassium, low in phosphate, and retains 4-10 times its weight in water. Mix 1 cup into 2 gallons of soil, and it immediately begins to fertilize and continues over six months as the pellets biodegrade completely. The soil becomes aerated as the pellets expand, bringing oxygen to the roots of the plant and increased absorption of nutrients. Moisture retention equals less watering. Wool contains up to 50% carbon, and when sequestered and returned to the earth aids in reducing the carbon footprint.
Added value to sheep farmers is that wool pellets can be created from "waste" wool, which is unsuitable for other purposes like yarn or felting. Wool-bearing sheep need to be sheared regularly for their health, and waste is always a byproduct (short fibers, heavily matted or soiled fleece, or contaminated with vegetation). Weed seeds are killed in the heating process so the final product can be mixed straight into your garden
Problems with slugs? Wool pellets can be sprinkled around the base of your plants and watered to create a wooly mat that repels slugs (they don't like to traverse the microscopic scratchy barbs in the wool).
For now, we carry our pellets in 16 oz (1 lb) bags, available at our onsite farm shop. If you are interested in having them shipped to you, please reach out!
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