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A club unlike any other.
Our Growers Club grants our growers the security to continue producing great merino wool through a 10-year partnership. Since 2018, we have prioritised our relationships with our growers by offering 10-year supply contracts. These partnerships enable our growers to care for their sheep and nurture the entire ecosystem.
Currently counting: 70 growers in the Growers Club
“When icebreaker brought the 10-year contracts out, we could see the benefit in the safety margins they gave us.”
Alistair
Earnscleugh Station.
“When icebreaker brought the 10-year contracts out, we could see the benefit in the safety margins they gave us.”
Alistair
Earnscleugh Station.
Regenerating for the future today.
icebreaker, in partnership with The New Zealand Merino Company and their ZQRX programme, is a pioneer in regenerative agriculture. The ZQRX programme incorporates regenerative practices across merino farms, benefiting waterways, native species, carbon sequestration, and local communities. 100% of our Growers Club are now part of the programme.
Regenerating for the future today.
icebreaker, in partnership with The New Zealand Merino Company and their ZQRX programme, is a pioneer in regenerative agriculture. The ZQRX programme incorporates regenerative practices across merino farms, benefiting waterways, native species, carbon sequestration, and local communities. 100% of our Growers Club are now part of the programme.
5 freedoms of our flock.
icebreaker growers go the extra mile for animal welfare, ensuring their commitment extends to their sheep and the sheep dogs working alongside them at the stations.
01
Freedom from hunger or thirst.
Growers ensure their sheep always have access to clean water and adequate nutrition.
02
Freedom from hunger or thirst.
Growers ensure their sheep always have access to clean water and adequate nutrition.
03
A place to call home.
Growers ensure that their sheep have adequate shade and shelter.
04
Out of harm’s way.
Growers are required to monitor their stock regularly to seek to prevent disease and illness and rapidly diagnose health issues.
05
Freedom from unnecessary pain or distress.
Growers ensure their sheep always have access to clean water and adequate nutrition.
Only the highest-quality merino.
Merino fiber criteria. We specify fiber length, strength, diameter, consistency, colour, and cleanliness. We even specify our icebreaker ‘style’ of raw fiber to ensure we get the right crimp and structure.
01Fiber lengthWe specify maximum and minimum fiber lengths. This has been customized according to the yarns and products icebreaker produces.
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02Fiber strengthFiber must be strong. Weak fiber will break during processing and wear and can cause fabric flaws.
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03MicronWe specify a maximum and minimum fiber diameter to ensure hand feel and softness.
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04Coefficient of variationWe also specify the maximum variation in fiber diameter to ensure hand feel and softness.
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05ColorWool must be very white, with no colour flaws, as this would impact the ability to achieve icebreaker’s colour palette.
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06Vegetable matterVM can be a problem in processing and lead to contamination and issues with fabric and colour flaws. We specify a maximum VM content (very low).
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07Dark fibersDark fibers naturally occur in sheep but can result in colour and fabric flaws. icebreaker specifies very low dark fiber contamination.
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08Wool styleIt must be the icebreaker ‘style’ of wool. This relates to crimp and the overall structure of the fleece and fiber and is customized to the yarns and products we create.
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09Absence of flawsWool can have many other flaws, so growers always want to remove anything impacting icebreaker product quality.
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Omarama Station
- Established: 1920
- Hectacres: 12,000
- Location: 44°S/169°E
- Merino Sheep: 19,500
“Living on the farm, it seems so simple to us. We’re super lucky we have that direct connection to the land, and we see it, live it and breathe it every day. ZQRX allows us that authenticity and integrity to show that we’re doing what we say we’re doing. It develops trust.”
Richard and Annabelle Subtil
Omarama Station
Omarama Station
- Established: 1920
- Hectacres: 12,000
- Location: 44°S/169°E
- Merino Sheep: 19,500
“Living on the farm, it seems so simple to us. We’re super lucky we have that direct connection to the land, and we see it, live it and breathe it every day. ZQRX allows us that authenticity and integrity to show that we’re doing what we say we’re doing. It develops trust.”
Richard and Annabelle Subtil
Omarama Station
Lake Heron Station
- Established: 1857
- Hectacres: 19,620
- Location: 43°S/171°E
- Merino Sheep: 11,000
“For us it’s more than just ticking boxes. We absolutely love what we do. The excitement and passion comes from having healthy animals and producing a fibre that we believe in.”
Philip and Anne Todhunter
Lake Heron Station
Lake Heron Station
- Established: 1857
- Hectacres: 19,620
- Location: 43°S/171°E
- Merino Sheep: 11,000
“For us it’s more than just ticking boxes. We absolutely love what we do. The excitement and passion comes from having healthy animals and producing a fibre that we believe in.”
Philip and Anne Todhunter
Lake Heron Station
Middlehurst Station
- Established: 1998
- Hectacres: 16,550
- Location: 41°S/173°E
- Merino Sheep: 11,000
“We’ve been in partnership with icebreaker since forever! Since the beginning of the long term contracts. We’re in it together to ensure the highest quality and welfare of our merino sheep. It’s a transparent, open relationship. We’re on the same page.”
Willie and Susan Macdonald
Middlehurst Station
Middlehurst Station
- Established: 1998
- Hectacres: 16,550
- Location: 41°S/173°E
- Merino Sheep: 11,000
“We’ve been in partnership with icebreaker since forever! Since the beginning of the long term contracts. We’re in it together to ensure the highest quality and welfare of our merino sheep. It’s a transparent, open relationship. We’re on the same page.”
Willie and Susan Macdonald
Middlehurst Station
