Sheep Shearing

Spinning and weaving are traditions that have been handed down for generations — usually among women. But it doesn’t just begin with the wool. It starts with raising the sheep. If you’ve ever tried to shear a sheep, you know it takes some practice. As part of our Inside Appalachia Folkways project, reporter Heather Niday brings us the passing of that knowledge and about honoring a legacy.

On this West Virginia Morning, some families have built traditions around spinning and weaving, but that wool doesn’t just magically appear. Also, in this show, the Biden administration has directed eleven federal agencies to work on helping coal communities make a switch to a clean energy economy.

On this West Virginia Morning, Roxy Todd brings us a report on a long-time sheep shearer and why he feels the time is right for retirement, and we listen…

There are 100,000 less sheep in the state of West Virginia today than during the 1970’s. Now, there are 36,000 sheep in the state. The demand for…