CO-OP PEOPLE
Sheep-shape Wool producers raise the ‘baa’ in Ohio’s agricultural economy. BY MARGARET BURANEN
O
hio, believe it or not, is the largest wool-producing state east of the Mississippi River. Sheep farms here come in all sizes, from larger commercial operations to small boutique plots.
Multigenerational Rick Moore is the seventh generation in his family to raise sheep at Cottage Hill Farm near Cadiz in Harrison County. The farm began as a land grant signed by James Madison in 1816. Moore’s son Steven and his father, Stanley — still active at 88 — farm with him. The foundation of Moore’s flock is 250 purebred Merino ewes. In alternating years, some are bred to purebred Merino rams and continue the line of high-quality wool production, while others are crossed with other breeds to produce lambs for meat. “Quality always sells,” Moore says. “Merino wool that’s really white, not a lot of grease in it, with 3½- or 4-inch-long staple fibers, gets the high dollar.” The diameter, or micron, of the wool fibers also affects price — the smaller the diameter, the finer the wool. Wool from the Moores’ Merinos measures 15 or 16 microns, compared to 18 or 19 for coarser wool from other breeds of sheep. The Moores’ farm follows an annual schedule. Ewes that don’t have lambs in a given year, along with the rams, are shorn each May by a professional shearer, and
8 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2022
