Fosston wool mill fills niche for US-made products

A new wool mill in Minnesota is filling a niche, as consumers nationwide are demanding more natural and American-made products.

Stephanie Anderson started Northern Woolen Mills two months ago in Fosston. The Grand Forks Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1dNfDjq ) that when all the equipment is in place in two weeks, it will produce 100 pounds of yarn a day -- making it the second-largest processor in the country.

The mill has eight employees, so it doesn't have a huge economic impact locally.

But the wool is all grown in the U.S., coming from sheep ranchers in Fosston, Goodridge and McIntosh, and from a bison producer in New Rockford, N.D.

The equipment can also handle llama and alpaca wool. The raw material will be turned into fine, woolen yarn, then sold to clothing makers.

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Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforksherald.com

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