We are pleased to introduce five different eco-friendly products based on products from our sheep: pelletized wool (AKA “wool pellets”), wool “sponges”, wool dryer balls, felted sheep’s milk soaps, and tallow hand balm, along with two nonwool products: all-natural sugar-free (and mostly organic) small-batch honey-sweetened gourmet jams, and honey-sweetened elderberry syrup.
What makes our products eco-friendly? The wool products are made using wool from our very own sheep that would otherwise be considered as “trash”. Tallow is made from fat that would ordinarily be discarded. Jams are mainly made using (largely organic) fruits grown on our farm or (in other cases) local farms wherever possible, and are sweetened with raw honey or Vermont maple syrup instead of sugar. Elderberry syrup is made with elderberries grown on our farm, and is also sweetened with raw honey. We also offer tanned lambskin rugs, using pelts from our lambs that our butcher would otherwise throw in the trash if we did not pay to have them tanned.
Please contact us if you need additional information on any of these products, or to schedule a visit to our farm to pick some up (and to see our lambs!).
About wool. Wool is something of a “miracle” fiber – it has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any textile fiber available (second only to hemp), being completely renewable, and not requiring insecticides or herbicides to grow. Up to 50% of the weight of wool consists of carbon – as long as this wool is used (rather than burned), this carbon is being sequestered. Wool also has a remarkable ability to retain moisture (up to 30% of its weight), and wicks moisture well, remaining warm even when wet – part of the reason why it’s ideally suited for wearing in winter (we live in our Smartwool merino wool base layers all winter long!). It also has antimicrobial properties, meaning it doesn’t trap body odors. These attributes make it the fabric of choice for hikers or travelers. It will slowly biodegrade, unlike most plastics. It also has very low flammability. And, of course, wool doesn’t contain petroleum hydrocarbons or shed microplastics!
But not all of the fleece shorn from a sheep is of a quality suitable for spinning into high-quality yarn. Some (especially around the belly, neck, and rear of a sheep) is too full of mud or “vegetative matter” to be worth the effort to clean. Other wool is too short for spinning into yarn, is coarse, or contains a weakness that would cause yarn to break while being spun. Many breeds of sheep just don’t produce wool of sufficient quality to merit the cost of converting it into yarn. At most farms, such wool is either burned or thrown into the trash.
Even though our own sheep are of a breed that yields high-quality fleece that appeals to handspinners, between 25% and 35% of the weight of each fleece doesn’t merit selling. That amounts to 150-200 pounds of wool each year from our flock alone. Rather than throwing it out, we have explored ways to convert it into the eco-friendly products described below.
Pelletized wool/wool pellets. Pelletized wool is made with the dirtiest of wool – the dirtier, the better. The wool is shredded and is then heat-sterilized and pelletized.
Pelletized wool is an all-natural additive to soil, mainly helping it retain water. It is thus ideal for growing houseplants that are watered less frequently than optimal. It is an eco-friendly replacement for sphagnum/peat moss (the mining of which is not sustainable and releases carbon to the atmosphere). It also seems to help repel slugs.
Wool pellets have been proven to offer many benefits in gardening:
- Reduced time for vegetables to produce, and increased yield
- Decrease in water requirements/increase in drought resistance/”slow release” of water to plants
- Lightening the texture of clayey soils
- Control of slugs
- Slow release of nitrogen to soils
We have been collecting information pertaining to studies that have been conducted by growing crops with and without wool pellets. You can find this information here. To date the data are compelling: using wool pellets as soil additives in horticulture produces more vigorous crops that bear fruit earlier, in greater abundance, and of better quality. Friends who mix them in with their potting soil also report much healthier houseplants.
We donated wool pellets in 2025 to Master Gardeners, who conducted controlled trials using wool pellets on several community gardens in Baltimore City. They were so excited about their results that they put on a demonstration of the benefits of wool pellets in growing tomatoes at the Maryland State Fair that year. We donated more wool pellets in 2026 to Master Gardeners in Baltimore County; we are still awaiting their results.
How to use wool pellets:
- To use with potted plants: mix 1/2 C of pelletized wool with 1 gallon (enough for a 10″ pot) of potting mix.
- To use in growing tomatoes or other transplants: mix 1/4 C of pelletized wool in the soil at the bottom of each hole in which you plant your tomatoes.
- To repel slugs: sprinkle a layer around the base of outdoor plants.
- To use in outdoor gardens or raised beds: work 1 lb per 10 square feet into the soil.
Pricing. We offer pelletized wool (made with wool from our own sheep) for $12 for a 1-lb bag ($20 for two bags), plus shipping (if required).
If you wish to purchase wool pellets in bulk, we offer 10-20 lb at $8/lb; over 20 lb at $6/lb. Please contact us (LuckyLaneFarm@gmail.com) in advance if you wish to purchase wool pellets in bulk, as the mill that prepares them requires some lead time, and it’s a 1.5-hour drive (each way) for us.
Wool Pellets, made with wool from our own flock of sheep
Wool “Sponges”. Are you tired of how nasty and slimy conventional sponges become? Take advantage of the natural antimicrobial properties of wool!
Wool that is too coarse or too short for spinning into high-quality wool can be converted into felt (note: not all wool felts readily; some breeds of sheep produce wool that is very resistant to felting), which is then cut into wool “sponges”. These can be used for cleaning dishes, counters, or your body. With continued use and exposure to hot water, they will shrink to the size of a normal sponge and become “scrubbier”. They are safe to use on copper pots and pans as well as on cast iron skillets.
Use as you would a normal sponge. To clean them, wash them in soap and hot water, and squeeze them dry. Alternatively, you can throw them in your dishwasher.
Tests we have done on our wool sponges in which we ran them in a washing machine for an hour with hot water and high agitation revealed that they shrank – but maintained their integrity. These make a great hostess gift if paired with the all-purpose all-natural plant-based multisurface cleaner available from a neighboring lavender farm (well worth the visit!).
Our wool sponges are made using wool from our own sheep; the felting is done for us by a small operation outside Harrisburg, PA, that exclusively employs adults with disabilities.
Pricing. We offer wool sponges as a package of two (roughly 5″ x 5″) for $10, plus shipping (if required).
Wool Dryer Balls. These represent an eco-friendly replacement for dryer sheets and fabric softener. Ours are made from undyed wool in two colors (white or gray). You won’t encounter any “bleeding” of dyes onto your damp laundry, or expose your clothing to toxic dyes.
You might be able to find dryer balls at a slightly lower cost online or at Target. Do consider that they were almost certainly shipped from the other side of the globe (so factor their transport into their carbon footprint). Moreover, many are not 100% wool, but contain a “core” of synthetic materials.
Benefits:
- According to the Department of Energy, dryer balls significantly reduce the time required to dry laundry, in part by absorbing water but also by eliminating pockets of moisture. This is an important consideration, as dryers are among the costliest of household appliances to operate.
- Dryer balls also reduce static cling, eliminating the need for dryer sheets.
- They attract animal hair that might be present on your clothing.
- They soften clothes and reduce wrinkles by increasing air circulation, reducing friction between your clothes.
- Won’t shed microplastics to the environment.
- Should last for 1000 or more loads if properly cared for.
Pricing. We offer dryer balls as both plain (in white or gray), or hand-decorated forms (five designs available: dark brown stars on white balls, white stars on gray balls, dark brown “yin and yang” symbols on white balls, dark brown spirals on white balls, or dark brown and gray sheep on white balls. The decorated balls make wonderful hostess gifts, especially if paired with some of the lavender essential oil mist available at a lavender farm near us (well worth the visit!). Our price is $20 for 4 plain balls, or $30 for 3 decorated balls (plus shipping, if needed).
Felted Sheep’s Milk Soaps. These represent an eco-friendly alternative to conventional soap. Not only are they free from petroleum products – but they also last far longer than conventional soaps and, of course, don’t shed microplastics. Think of felted soap as possessing a built-in washcloth – one that (thanks to the antimicrobial properties of wool) does not get slimy or stinky. The felt acts as a natural exfoliant on your skin; it also helps the soap dry faster (contributing to the much longer life of the soap). Once the soap is exhausted, you can use the felt as a “scrubbie”.
Our sheeps’ milk soaps are made using all natural ingredients by a small sheep dairy farm in Wisconsin; we hand-felt each one using mainly undyed wool from our sheep. We color-code our scented soaps by adding small amounts of dyed wool roving, mostly purchased from local fiber artists at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Available scents include: lavender; eucalyptus-lemon; and peppermint. Prices are $10 per bar of felted soap, plus shipping (if required).
Tallow Hand Balm
Our tallow hand balms are perfect for gardeners or for hands that get chapped during cold winters. They contain only 5 ingredients: tallow (purified from fat from our own sheep), local beeswax, extra-virgin olive oil, vitamin E oil, and a small amount of lavender essential oil. They are priced at $10 per 2-oz tin.
Small Batch Gourmet Jams
If you’ve never made jam, you might not be aware that typical recipes require as much as a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar. That’s because conventional (apple-based) pectin actually requires sugar to jell. (Other sweeteners, such as honey, can’t be substituted). In contrast, our jams use a citrus-based pectin that doesn’t require sugar. We add only enough local raw honey or Vermont maple syrup to complement the flavor of the fruit. So an 8-ounce jar of our jam may only contain 1-3 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.
We use organic fruit wherever possible, much of it from our own farm. (Peaches, cranberries and some citrus and sour cherries, as well as onions and ginger root, are not organic). Strawberries, blueberries, our own sour cherries, basil, and rhubarb are all organic. Some of these jams contain only four ingredients: fruit, honey, lemon juice, and pectin.
Available flavors include: strawberry-rhubarb jam (made with local organic strawberries from One Straw Farm), sour cherry jam (made whenever possible using sour cherries from our farm), blueberry-rhubarb jam, blueberry-lemon jam, peach-citrus marmalade, tomato jam (made with organically-grown tomatoes and basil from our garden), tomato jam (also made with our own organically-grown tomatoes), and Christmas jam (cranberry-strawberry-orange jam).
They’ve all been canned using proper hot water canning technique, and are all shelf-stable (best used within 1 to 1.5 years). As they lack sugar (which acts as a preservative), once opened, they should be refrigerated and used within a month (or frozen: jam freezes beautifully).
Our jams and salsa were well-received at the MD State Fair in 2025, earning two blue ribbons, two second-place ribbons, and three third-place ribbons, from among a large group of competitors.
A Selection of our Honey-Sweetened Jams.
Price: $12 per jar
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberries (once thoroughly cooked) have long been touted as a home remedy for preventing colds or influenza, or promoting more rapid healing once such diseases have been contracted. Elderberries are also a good source of potent antioxidants (such as anthocyanin). Recent science confirms their health-promoting characteristics: one tablespoon taken three to five times per day can aid in resolving cold or flu symptoms if taken sufficiently early.
Our elderberry syrup is made using elderberries from our own shrubs, which are simmered with water, cinnamon, freshly-grated ginger root, and cloves. After mashing, straining, and cooling, they are mixed with raw honey. Consume the syrup “as is”, or use it as a topping for ice cream, pancakes or waffles.
Store elderberry syrup in the refrigerator for 2-3 months, or keep frozen until it’s needed.
Pricing: $12 for 8-ounce bottle.