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This story was originally produced by My UP News Anchor Rebecca Bartleme, find the story here.
Two businesses on opposite sides of the Upper Peninsula are collaborating on products and making one available for sale.
Stormy Kromer and Lake Superior Woolen Company have launched a limited edition cap with U.P.-grown wool.
The wool is sourced from sheep raised in Chippewa County’s Rudyard. It was then taken to Canada to be woven and lastly to Stormy Kromer’s factory in Ironwood to be sewn into their iconic cap.
“We love partnering with other businesses all over, especially in the state,” said Gina Thorsen, CEO, of Stormy Kromer. “But then when it’s a chance to do it here in the U.P., it’s just really wonderful to know that the start of this fabric that is in the hat started with sheep being raised in Rudyard is amazing.
“To think of the whole journey of that, starting with the wool being sheared and ending up in what’s kind of the unofficial hat of the U.P., right? It just all feels so wonderful. We love partnering with great people, and Kristy and her dad, Eric are certainly that. They value the same things we do in terms of quality and hard work and just putting everything into what they do. I think just comes through in the product.”
Eric Wallis and his family run the farm where the sheep are raised in Rudyard. Eric’s daughter, Kristy Currie, is the COO of Lake Superior Woolen Company and is very excited about this collaboration.
“It’s so cool,” said Currie. “We hope that more people understand the value of the wool fiber. What’s sad and what we’ve seen the trend has become is that the wool fiber itself, so sheep need to be shorn to keep up their health or vitality.
“It is necessary for them, but there’s no money in raw wool. So we’re seeing farmers take their wool and either burn it or spread it with their manure on their fields because they know that there’s no money in it.
“For my dad to turn that into a tangible product like a hat, like these blankets and our goal is to in the future support other local shoppers and farmers local, hopefully U.P., but even the state of Michigan to get the wool necessary to continue making our products.”
The caps are available for purchase for $75 on Stormy Kromer’s website or in person at Lake Superior Woolen company’s store in downtown Mackinaw City.
