 Vermont Organic Fiber Company, the nation’s leading organic wool provider, has launched a new line of soft, moisture-absorbing O-Wool mattress pads for baby through adult made with organic wool grown and certified to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic standard. The organic method of wool production and the fact the high quality pads will last for years make them perfect gifts for the entire family. The pads are ideal not only for protecting mattresses but also for regulating body temperature and wicking away moisture, thus ensuring a more comfortable sleep.
“As the market for organic home products grows, more and more companies were asking us for mattress pads made with organic wool, so we created O-Wool Mattress Pads,” said Matt Mole, VTOF president and founder. “Creating an O-Wool mattress pad line only made sense,” he continued. “VTOF already provides the basic material as part of its extensive fabrics line and by working with local manufacturers we could eliminate both cost and the use of nonrenewable resources, delivering a quality product at an affordable price.”
Wool naturally repels wetness, draws moisture away from the body, is flame resistant and temperature regulating, insulates against both hot and cold, and can absorb up to 30 percent of its weight in moisture. Its structure allows moisture to quickly evaporate when exposed to air, inhibiting the growth of mildew and discouraging the presence of dust mites.
The O-Wool mattress pads use wool from sheep raised to the USDA’s organic livestock standards and processed in the Northeast U.S. Specifically, the wool is spun to the Global Organic Textile Standard at S&D Spinning in Millbury, MA, and woven at Richmand Textiles in nearby South Grafton, MA, while the product is finished at Riverpoint Lace Works in West Warwick, RI to the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 which requires textile products be tested to ensure they are free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances known to be detrimental to human health.
Organic wool is part of the $3.2 billion global organic fiber industry which witnessed a 63 percent increase from the $1.9 billion market from 2007 to 2008, according to the Organic Exchange Organic Cotton Market Report 2008. Domestically, the organic apparel and home products sector totaled $472 million in 2008, an increase of 65 percent from 2007, according to the Organic Trade Association’s 2009 Organic Industry Survey.
For the wool to be sold as “organic” in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program requires that the sheep meet its livestock standards which call for the animals to be fed organic feed and forage from the last third of gestation and be raised without the use of synthetic hormones or pesticides. In addition, organic livestock producers are diligent in ensuring they do not exceed the natural carrying capacity of the land on which their animals graze, resulting in agricultural practices that are healthy for both the animals and the environment. |