What the heck does merino X mean?
“Merino” is the name of a breed of sheep. Merinos are known for producing wool that is very fine and lofty, making it exceedingly soft and warm. “X” means that the merino sheep have been crossbred with another breed. In this case, the other breed is Polwarth. Because of merino wool’s popularity, most of the world’s merinos are raised on huge lots, where crowded conditions lead to the need for antibiotic dips, footbaths, and injections, not to mention an inhumane practice called “mulesing” that we’d rather not go into here. However, Dunnose Head Farm, in the Falkland Islands, has been crossbreeding Merinos with Polwarths, a hardier breed commonly found in South America. As a result, Dunnose Head Farm operates without the use of herbicides, pesticides, dips, footbaths or regular injections. Their sheep produce a fine, soft wool that is so white it doesn’t need any bleaches during processing, and the electricity for the farm itself is wind-generated. So maybe it’s the least local of all o
