Fiber Processing

Course: March 3, 2018

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Outline

 

Wool Marketing Opportunities in the Hudson Valley

• Not all sheep make high quality fleece; which is right for you?

• What you need to know about  fiber processing.

• Managing your fleece and wool.

• Profit calculation and partnership opportunities.

• Q&A.

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Presenter: Mary Jeanne Packer

Mary Jeanne Packer is the president of Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill, a fiber processing mill located in Greenwich, New York.  Mary Jeanne founded the mill in 2009 to provide value-added, custom carding and spinning services for fiber farms and others; and to manufacture yarn and fiber products for wholesale and retail markets. The mill produces 100-150 pounds of artisan quality natural-colored and dyed semi-worsted yarn daily using refurbished traditional milling machinery. Battenkill Fibers brought over a dozen new full time and part time jobs to rural Washington County, New York; and in 2015 was named the Washington County Small Business of the Year.

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Mary Jeanne is also one of the founders and president of the farmer/producer-owned Southern Adirondack Fiber Producers Cooperative which hosted its 7th annual wool pool for the region’s sheep farmers in June 2017. The Coop offers annual fleece quality management workshops for farmers and for the first time in 2017, will be producing locally-sourced blankets for re-sale by cooperative members. In addition to her fiber interests, Mary Jeanne is the founding partner in Ghostwriters Communications, Inc., an integrated marketing communications firm that has served natural resources, agricultural, and experiential tourism industries and organizations across the United States since 1995.

 

Mary Jeanne holds a master’s degree in communications management from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from MIT. She lives on a working maple syrup farm, has five adult children; and enjoys gardening, knitting, walking, and snow shoeing.

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Course Materials