Richard Herlinveaux (on the left)
Our Guest Speaker on March 1, 2024 was Richard Herlinveaux who is shown to the left. Scroll down to see some photos from the March 1 meeting.
Richard is a second-generation sheep breeder and farmer from North Saanich with a vast knowledge of sheep farming around the world. His knowledge covers fibre (wool) production and processing and well as the production of sheep for food (lamb).
Richard has a specific interest in sheep genetics. His Chemistry Degree from the University of Victoria has helped him, for example, to isolate and treat diseases within his and other sheep herds.
He won many 4H competitions across Canadian his early days and has won numerous local and national competitions since then, including “Best in Show“.
His Hazelmere Farms is well known in the sheep industry and his Texel and Hampshire breeds are found in many pedigrees within the industry.
Richard confirmed that the sheep industry is struggling at the current time. Local sheep’s fibre is a difficult material to process into wool and there is a lack of modern processing facilities in British Columbia. Hence, local wool cannot be price competitive with wool from as far away as New Zealand. Richard said there is about $120.00 worth of local wool alone in a treasured Vancouver Island Siwash sweater.
Photos from the March 1 Meeting
On the food (lamb) side of the equation, nearby efficient high production meat facilities are also not available.
Both these situations have been compounded lately by unusual weather patterns that have impacted the amount of hay that is available to feed the sheep. Hence, the price of feed has skyrocketed compounding the competitiveness of the industry.
Despite these challenges facing the sheep industry, Richard is optimistic that by farmers adopting a balance by producing both sheep fibre (wool) and lamb will result in a healthy industry in the future.
Richard is also diversified with a vegetable and hay farm. He feeds the “seconds’ from his vegetable farm to his sheep!
Richard encourages us to Buy Local to support our industry.
Prepared by,
Al MacDonald
Speaker Committee
