We're baaaack! Visiting the Rheden Sheep Herd Again

Yes to Love!

We feel love for Mother Earth, love for everything she allows to grow and flourish. There is so much to be grateful for, and we express that not only in words but also in deeds. That’s why we give 1% of our revenue back to nature.

As wool lovers, we might have a soft spot for sheep. Not very surprising, of course, because without them, many of our favourite knits simply wouldn’t exist.

That’s why, with your support, we’ve been donating through our 1% account to the Rheden Sheep Flock for a while now—and— drumroll —we’re even the Sheep Flock’s new main sponsor for the next five years! We’re so excited about this!

So we went to visit the sheep again. Not only to hand over a check—figuratively speaking, of course; these days you just transfer the money ;)—or to see last year’s lambs, who’ve grown so much in the meantime, but also to see how the donations are being put to use.

And for our ‘reporter’ Rens, that meant: boots and overalls on, and turning up those sleeves.

That donation will come in handy

When we asked what the money would be used for, we got a wonderfully practical answer: a new roundup pen.

A large corral where the entire herd can be safely gathered for checkups, care, and other tasks.

Maybe not the most spectacular answer ever, but that’s exactly what we love about it. No grand plans or complicated projects, just something they use every day and—in the words of one of the herders himself—something they:

“will get a lot of use out of in the future.”

Wolf-proof fence

During our visit, we were updated on the developments of the past few years.

Among other things, we saw the upgraded wolf-proof fence, an important investment after a wolf did manage to get into the pasture a few months ago. Thanks to the upgrades, the sheep are now better protected.

These are exactly the kinds of things you don’t immediately notice when you see a flock of sheep peacefully grazing on the heath.

Behind the scenes, work is constantly being done to ensure the animals’ well-being and to preserve the area and biodiversity right here in the Netherlands.

Spotted: our very own sheep, Kelly!

As you’ve already read, we naturally had one very important question for the shepherd: Would Kelly the sheep still be there?

Anyone who’s followed our previous visits knows: yes, there really is a sheep named Kelly wandering around among the now-fully-grown lambs we adopted and named last year.

And sure enough, after a quick search, we found her back among the flock. Healthy, happy, and just as photogenic as last time.

If you haven’t already, press play on the video above to see how our very own Kelly and the little sheep named after her are reunited via video. ;)

1% Back to Nature

At PLEIN PUBLIQUE, we’ve been setting aside 1% of our revenue for years to support initiatives that contribute to nature and biodiversity.

Thanks to your purchases, we can continue to support organizations like the Rheden Sheep Herd—not just once, but year after year.

Thank you so much—we couldn’t do this without you.

Curious about how our partnership began? Read about our previous visit to the Rheden Sheep Herd.

More information can be found on the Rhedense Schaapskudde Foundation’s website.