Jeanne Carver is the award-winning founder and president of Shaniko Wool Company and current owner of Imperial Stock Ranch  (est 1871) in Oregon. For over 20 years, she has been connecting the origins of food to fiber while strengthening local, regional, and domestic supply chains. Her mission began in 1999 when she and her husband Dan focused on selling environmentally friendly products. Jeanne now focuses on improving the wool, fossil fuel, and carbon emissions that come from her ranch, and has overseen the expansion of RWS certified American wool throughout the market. This includes the Ralph Lauren America Winter Olympic uniform program in 2018 and 2022.

Thanks to her work in taking American wool to global third-party standards and leading the measurement initiative, she has been awarded the American Sheep Industry Association’s 2023 Innovation Award. She was also chosen by  the Textile Exchange to be the voice of Responsible Animal Fibers globally in the film they recently released. 

Jeanne's efforts have contributed significantly to the US Textile  Industry and will potentially bring a new income stream to mid-size and smaller family ranches. This episode covers Jeanne’s journey as a rancher, scaling an ethically responsible business as CEO of Shaniko Wool Company, and the measurable data used to protect her sheep and the health of the soils and grasslands.

Topics Discussed
• Seeing the Earth Win and the legacy of Imperial Stock Ranch
• Loss of Salmon in Buck Hollow Creek & Buck Hollow Watershed Project
• The Power of Concerted Collaborative Conservation Efforts
• Free Enterprise Economy
• The Purpose of Grazing Animals
• The Power of Story in Stewardship & Heritage
• Working with Ralph Lauren on the Opening Ceremony USA Uniforms for Sochi 2014
• Third-party Certified Benchmarks
• Patagonia Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
• Bringing Organic Cotton to Market
• Wool as a Miracle Fiber
• Scaling the Supply of Responsibly Sourced Wool in the USA
• Annual Audit Expense
• The Consequences of Separating Product from Place
• The New Nativa™ Regen-Shaniko Wool Program
• The Carbon Initiative with Dr. John Talbot with Oregon State University
• Winning the American Sheep Industry Association’s 2023 Innovation Award.

Episode Resources:

The Shaniko Wool Company

Imperial Stock Ranch

Textile Exchange

The Nature Conservancy

The Good Dirt: Beyond Sustainability: Creating a Regenerative Supply Chain with Janessa Leone

The Good Dirt: Seeking Solutions to Waste in the School Supply Industry with Wisdom Supply Co

The Good Dirt BONUS: Mary & Emma Chat: How to Make Back-to-School More Sustainable


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Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.