'It's the most sustainable fibre in the world'

Sheep farming and wool innovation took centre stage at the New Zealand Agricultural Show. The new Wool Zone section showcased the versatility of sheep and educated visitors on the myriad uses for wool."It's the most renewable, sustainable fibre in the world. And we need to be applauding that."These words on wool come from Anne Rogers, the first female president of the Canterbury A&P Association. She talked with Country Life as Christchurch hosted the 160th New Zealand Agricultural Show, the largest A&P show in Aotearoa. Walk around the Canterbury A&P Show with Country LifeRogers has been instrumental in establishing a "wool zone" at the show saying she has floated the idea for three or four years.This year is the inaugural year for the feature. "We need to be able to educate people into all the ways that they can use wool in their lives from wool mats for weed prevention, to insulation, cosmetics, and shoes. "There's somebody that's making a plastic alternative handle for knives, beautiful band-aids, and dressing material. "There's just so many ways we can use wool and support our economy," Rogers explains.The wool zone saw all elements of wool come to the Lister Stadium and Livestock Pavillion including the show's shearing and woolhandling chairperson James Dwyer.Dwyer hosted a woolhandling competition which saw 900 hoggets come to town for two days of competition. From there, current New Zealand team members, and those vying to make the team competed. It's part of a circuit of points that accumulate throughout the season. While the event takes a lot of effort and time to pull off, Dwyer says when the public thinks it looks easy that's when they know they have done a good job. "It's the most amount of work, but we just want people to see what a great industry it is, and the product that we're taking off the sheep for the farmers."We just can't do enough to try and promote it. And it's just the chance to be able to bring what we do into the city for the people to see. It's just amazing."Dwyer says those attending the show aren't always from a rural background and showcasing wool and how it is shorn helps to bridge the urban-rural divide."We're really fighting against a stigma that wool is a negative product, that it is bad."And even perpetrating the myth that an animal has to be killed for its wool to be removed, which is just a complete fabrication because it's the most sustainable product we can imagine. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details