¬ We raise landrace churro sheep, and while great for meat, these words are in reverence of their fleece.
Churro sheep, originally 'Churra', name meaning “scrub”, is more of a landrace ( mutt ) than a breed, brought to the 'New world' in 1598 by the Spanish explorer Juan de Onate. They were brought with over other Spanish breeds because they were thought to be the lesser breed, unlike the Merino, and we're willing to loose them.
After being introduced, and over hundreds of years the sheep became the endemic sheep to Spanish and Native peoples of the desert southwest, despite deliberate attempts to eradicate the sheep. Through out this time the sheep adapted to the terrain and has become its own unique creature, and while almost losing them still persist.
It's important to remember that when we label things we begin to limit our understanding of them. This is especially true for the churro, being a 'landrace' means that the complexities are vast and complicated. The label churro has warrant, but there are at least two groups of churros being raised and groups within those groups. The two main groups being the landrace churro & the modern churro. There are a few distinctions between the two, but the main one in regards to the fiber they provide is the prevalence of 'kemp'.
The landrace sheep carry a hollow fiber called kemp, found in the fleeces of the most primitive sheep around the world. It is a hard, brittle, opaque, medullated fiber (possessing a core of air filled cells). It is usually coarser and much shorter than the wool fibers with which it is associated. After growing for a limited time, it is shed and frequently lies loose in the fleece. Being hollow, the fiber acts as an insulator that helps in protecting the sheep in extreme conditions, which is important for a sheep inhabiting the arid conditions of the desert.
Kemp while being a major tool to the survival of these sheep has also become looked down on because of the slight coarseness of the fiber, hence the beginning of the modern churro which is bred to have a 'softer wool' that has as little kemp as possible. We have actually found in specific genetics some sheep with high kemp actually have a high luster and soft feel. I can imagine a time where shepherds having hundreds of sheep and an intimate relationship with them could separate various textures of the wool for various needs. Soft of clothing, coarse for rugs, and so on.
"Nature isn't efficient, it is abundant." Anytime I look to a healthy ecosystem there is always diversity leading to abundance, and with the sheep it feels the same way. The non modern churro holds the stories of the past, and to us it is important to embrace that rather than try and change it to fit another need. For us the material always dictates the use, not the other way around. The fiber from these sheep are naturally colored that are extremely durable, insulate, full of luster, and adsorbing ( even when wet, feels dry )
May/June usually is time for us to shear the sheep as the threat of late frosts has past in our high desert village. Once sheared we take the wool to the only Mill west of the Mississippi in Mora NM to get spun and use the yarn for various projects. This year we will be offering a limited amount as yarn.
LINKS:
→ Past 'Recuerdo' on processing in Mora
→ Our wool available in our 'Mercado'
