Ballyhoo Fiber Mill

KEEP KENTUCKY FIBER KENTUCKY PROUD FROM START TO FINISH
With 10,000 fiber producers and only one working mill, 97% of Kentucky's raw natural fibers are sent out of state to be scoured, carded, and spun, resulting in higher costs of production and longer turnaround times for farmers.
Most Kentuckians don't even know we have a mill. They do know we are desperate for both local milling services and shearers. Enter Ballyhoo Fiber Mill, the purchase and rebranding of US Natural Fibers.

Ballyhoo Fiber Mill will focus on two markets:

Kentucky Fiber Producers: the 10,000 individuals raising wool sheep, llamas, alpacas, goats, rabbits, or other fiber producing animals in the Commonwealth of KY.  Over 50% of Kentucky’s fiber producers fall into the “small” category, meaning they operate with no more than 50 breeding females.
Ballyhoo Fiber Mill is a key component in the creation of a statewide Fibershed  affiliate, as the fiber must be processed within 200 miles of the farm.

Fiber Producers in the greater Tri-State Area: fiber producers outside Kentucky who desire high-quality milling services in a reasonable time frame.
With production and shipping costs on the rise, producers are looking for high-quality milling services within a reasonable distance and turnaround time. US Natural Fibers is the only mill in Kentucky, and one of three mills in the region serving the needs of small producers.

The keys to our success lie in our commitment to Kentucky producers, our focus on education, and our ability to offer complete in-house services including a dedicated shearing floor. Not only will small producers be able to trailer their animals in and have them sheared on site, we will be able to teach shearing year-round!

Ballyhoo Fiber Mill is acquiring US Natural Fibers’ Belfast Mini Mill Equipment. This equipment is currently functioning and comes with several safety upgrades. We will be able to provide: scouring, picking, carding, spinning (laceweight through bulky yarns), cone and skein winding, and rug yarn.

We plan to spend our advertising dollars on sponsoring agricultural and fiber-related programs (such as State Fair, FFA, 4-H, fiber festivals, NAILE, and more). Supporting youth in agriculture is central to our mission of building the fiber industry in Kentucky.

We will partner with the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office and the Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers’ Association throughout the year. Our initial focus will be on supporting shearers and the annual state wool pool. Ballyhoo Fiber Mill will purchase all natural colored fleeces offered by Kentucky producers. We also intend to host ASI courses on wool grading and classing, which have not been offered in our state before.

To read our full prospectus, please visit: http://www.ballyhoofiberemporium.com/bfmproject

And now, the fun part! In exchange for your support, we offer the following rewards:

Early Donors (June 18th - July 1): Priority queuing when we accept fleeces!
$100 +: 10% off shearing or milling services for the first year
$500+: 25% off shearing or milling services for the first year, plus 5 cents more/lb paid for colored fleeces, invitations to open houses and other select events
$1000+: priority queuing, 50% off services for the first year, 10 cents more/lb paid for colored fleeces, invitations to open houses and other select events, your name engraved on a brick in our walkway or a message engraved on the girders of the shearing shed