Workshop: Sheep in the Landscape – From Grass to Fibre and Back Again

Welcome to join a hands-on workshop among the sheep at Urpolan tila in Somero! We will use the flock, the pasture and real wool to explore these relationships together — observing, touching, questioning and discussing what we see rather than spending three hours listening to theory.

• Read the interaction between sheep and land – observe what is happening where the flock meets the landscape: what the sheep select, what they avoid, how they affect plants and soil, and how the land in turn influences the animals. Learn to recognise these interactions and use them to make better management decisions.
• Understand what goes in — and what comes back – consider what sheep require from the pasture in terms of quantity, quality and nutrition, but also what they leave behind: dung and urine, trampling, litter, grazing patterns and changes in vegetation. The question becomes not simply “Do the sheep have enough to eat?” but “What happens to the land because the sheep were here?”
• Follow the journey from pasture to fibre – explore how genetics, animal conformation, nutrition and environment are expressed in the fleece. Look at different parts of the animal and fleece, differences in fibre diameter and quality, and how changes in nutrition during the year can leave a record in the wool.
• Learn to read wool – handle and examine real fleeces: colour, fibre types, alignment and structure, primary and secondary follicles, hair and other characteristics. Understand why different parts of a fleece behave differently and how these characteristics influence what the wool can ultimately be used for.
• Understand what a sheep really produces – wool and meat are only part of the picture. Sheep can contribute to nutrient cycling and vegetation management, while producing fibres, skins and other products. At the same time, sheep farming carries social and cultural value, supports livelihoods and can contribute to the financial resilience of farms and rural communities.
• Bring the whole system together – ultimately, good sheep management is a balancing act between the needs of the land, the needs of the animal, the products and services we want from them, and the needs of the people whose livelihoods depend upon the system.