Middelburg Eastern Cape - In d' Middel
Why does the Karoo Winter Wool Festival find its home in Middelburg? The reasons are plentiful. Nestled amidst breathtaking mountains and surrounded by the exquisite vistas of the Karoo, Middelburg serves as a convenient midway point for travelers between Johannesburg and Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape, and Bloemfontain and Port Elizabeth. Beyond its strategic location, Middelburg boasts a rich history deeply rooted in wool farming, making it a central hub for the Karoo wool farming region.
Adding to its significance, Middelburg is the proud home of the Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute, a renowned institution specializing in agricultural education, particularly in the realm of small livestock and sheep.
The Karoo Winter Wool Festival has a broader purpose—it strives to connect festival-goers directly to the source by taking them to the farms. This initiative breaks down barriers between the raw fiber and end-users, fostering a deeper appreciation for the wool story, a love for sheep, and a comprehension of the origin of woolen fibers. Our mission extends to hosting the festival on operational sheep farms, ensuring that the love and celebration of this unique and sustainable fiber continue to thrive.
The second Karoo Winter Wool Festival held in Middelburg from the 22nd Jue 2023 to the 25th June 2023 was a great sucess! We are still marvelling in the magic of this one of a kind event. We are incredibly grateful for the support from our partners and sponsors and can't wait to share the photographs and stories that have come out of this weekend.
Join our newsletter to keep up to date with what the KWWF is doing and how we strive to continue education and campaigning around Wool and other natural fibres!
A short documentary produced with HRH The Prince of Wales for the Campaign for Wool
Against a background of misleading anti wool lobbying currently orchestrated by global giants of fast fashion, the Campaign for Wool decided to engage with leading academic experts in the field of land management and carbon sequestration to demonstrate the positive pastoral contribution the grazing of ruminants, particularly sheep, makes to the continued wellbeing of the planet.
These peer reviewed findings add to already well documented research revealing wool’s unique renewable and biodegradable end of life attributes and the contribution the fibre makes to the circular economy.
*Festival Photos by Samantha Reinders
