MEET
MICHAEL!
Michael is more than just a shepherd.
He has consciously opted for a different type of farm: one that is good for nature and all animals. He protects endangered animal breeds and his flocks are even used in natural protection projects for the government's nature reserves. Plus, he’s openly gay and the guardian of the world’s first flock of gay sheep.
A BIODIVERSE
PARADISE
The sheep farm Stücke places great emphasis on holistic and animal-friendly agriculture in close collaboration with environmentalists and authorities. This ensures the local preservation of natural resources and biodiversity.
The sheep play a central role in the sustainable cycle: Their manure is the only fertilizer used for green areas. In the dung, insects lay their eggs, providing an important food source for migratory birds and rare birds nesting in the region. Additionally, the sheep serve as natural lawnmowers on hard-to-reach protected grounds, creating space for endangered plants. Therefore, the sheep contribute to landscape maintenance in the adjacent nature reserve "Enger Bruch" and ensure its exceptional biodiversity.
The sheep themselves lead a good life on the farm. Thus, the annual shearing can be witnessed live, so there is maximum transparency about animal welfare. Michael and his partner Jochen prioritize a holistic and respectful approach to agriculture, utilizing as much as possible from the sheep – even the excess wool fat can be extracted to produce lip balm, which is sold locally.
FROM THE FIELD TO A FASHION FIRST.
Rainbow Wool is the result of a few small miracles coming together, starting with rescuing our rams from their unfortunate predicament. The rams were shorn in April, their wool was washed and brushed and sent to our partner in Barcelona, where it was combined with Acrylic thread to make industry standardised bobbins, that are suitable for large scale embroidery machines. This thread is not only used to stitch our patches and our caps, but it is also used to make the shoelaces. All profit made from Rainbow Wool goes directly to the LSVD+ to support the LGBTQIA+ community in parts of the world where it’s illegal and dangerous to be queer.
WOOL WITH AN IMPACT
Our wool is more than just a fabric. We asked fashion designers to use Rainbow Wool for some very special pieces. Mark Krayenhoff van de Leur designed an almost architectural pullover and Danny Reinke created, together with Kilian Kerner, a unique fashion item for a truly unique personality: Bill Kaulitz.
These masterpieces will be put up to auction and their buying prices will be donated to LSVD+ to support queer projects.
ADOPT ONE OF OUR GAY RAMS.
Gay rams don’t have it easy. Typically they are sent to the slaughterhouse because they are not able to perform their “breeding role” on the farm. But before they were turned into salami, we bought them from the breeders and sent them to a farm in Löhne where they can live and love for the rest of their lives.
But obviously, they need food and medicine (from time to time) and that costs money. Plus, we want more gay rams to join the fabulous flock. Because the more of them, the more Rainbow Wool. The more Rainbow Wool, the more help we can give the LGBTQIA+ community. That’s what’s called a win-win-win situation. So help us help them and become a ram sponsor!
ADOPT A GAY SHEEP
