With the guidance and support of Rachel Cantu, who was VP of Supply Chain at Patagonia for 5 years, Janessa Leone set out to build a supply chain from scratch for all the materials used in products. And she added one more key item to her lineup: wool sweaters made from regenerative wool that’s grown, sourced, and turned into yarn entirely in the US.

In the latest issue of Spin Off Magazine, Jeanne Carver shares the story of Shaniko Wool’s beginnings in Oregon, to a global stage as a supplier to Ralph Lauren, to RWS certification and now a 10-ranch partnership that delivers fully traceable, certified American wool to US designers, brands, and manufacturing partners for use in a variety of products and markets.

DeFeet, the world’s first manufacturer dedicated to crafting sustainable, pro-level performance socks, has launched the country’s first-ever Merino wool versions of its Woolie Boolie™ and Wooleator™ Pro socks with the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) logo on the packaging. The double RWS and NATIVA Regen-Shaniko certification guarantees sustainable practices from farm to finished product and a commitment to improve soil and water quality and protect biodiversity.

Central Oregon rancher Jeanne Carver and her family have spent decades reversing poor land management, reseeding crop fields with permanent plants, moving livestock around more and changing their farming practices to avoid tilling up the soil.

Central Oregon rancher Jeanne Carver and her family have spent decades reversing poor land management, reseeding crop fields with permanent plants, moving livestock around more and changing their farming practices to avoid tilling up the soil.

Jeanne talks with hosts about weathering global change on her Oregon sheep ranch, and the regenerative practices that are generating income as part of the growing market for ecosystem services and sequestered carbon.

Jeanne shares her journey with host Kara Duffy, about going from hardworking rancher to business owner, organizer, and now a leader in setting the standards for land conservation, and sustainable, regenerative wool production in the U.S.

Wisconsin knitting shop featuring Shaniko Wool has been featured on VolumeOne.org. Shop Owner Britta Harris shares her goal of filling a hole in the craft market for sustainable fibers, and her passion for dying the wool with natural dyes herself.

HMI featured Shaniko Wool on its blog recently, tracing the rise of responsible wool, carbon sequestration and measuring, and the increasing important of data and measurement of ecological impacts.

Jeanne joined hosts Mary and Emma to discuss the power of concerted collaborative conservation efforts, Responsible Wool Standard Certification, and more

Shaniko Wool Company and its partners have been raising sheep for 128 years. Over the last several years, the company has emerged as a leader in the wool textile industry, becoming the first RWS-certified company in North America in 2018. 

In January 2023, Jeanne Carver participated in a panel discussion hosted by the University of Nebraska: Carbon Markets for Livestock Operations: Producer Perspectives:

Jeanne Carver, president and founder of Shaniko Wool Company, has won the American Sheep Industry Association’s 2023 Innovation Award, which recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of an individual or organization that has improved the US sheep industry in a game-changing way.

Jeanne Carver’s sheep ranch, outside Shaniko in north-central Oregon, illustrates an idea that she hopes will transform her unique corner of agriculture: fiber production. In this case, wool from Merino sheep.

Season 5, Episode 8: “Listening to Jeanne Carver talk about her family's goals and results for their ranch offers an inspiring message for those of us who love wool and ecosystem conservation …”

Jeanne shares her journey with host Kara Duffy, about going from hardworking rancher to business owner, organizer, and now a leader in setting the standards for land conservation, and sustainable, regenerative wool production in the U.S.

NATIVA™ Regenerative Agriculture Program is a robust system with a triple impact, one based on scientific research and backed by data. It protects the land by bettering its soil quality, safeguards the animals by ensuring their healthy keeping, and supports farmers and local communities by improving their livelihoods.

The new issue of Inside Outdoor highlights the work Shaniko Wool is doing to change the domestic wool landscape in terms of enhanced land management, and giving major brands, such as Ralph Lauren, a source of American-grown wool with a pristine, verifiable sustainability story that they can use in the marketing of their products.

Born on the Oregon Trail, pioneer Richard Hinton came to the high desert of Central Oregon in 1871. He staked a homestead claim and began raising sheep. More than 150 years later, the ranchers still raising sheep on Hinton’s land provide wool to outfit Team USA Olympians and Paralympians.