S2 Ep 10 - Not Kidding Around

Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story

Many of us have heard of mohair but for a fibre that’s been around for centuries, perhaps we don’t know a lot about it. It is a textile made from the hair of Angora goats. These animals are native to the mountainous regions of Turkey with the Sultan of Turkey first allowing the export of raw mohair to Europe in 1820. Now, they’re raised in many other parts of the world, including Australia. Doing her bit to bolster the local population is a veterinarian from the NSW Riverina region who has fallen in love with the species. Dr Kiri Westphalen, proud owner of 120 Angora goats is today’s guest. We discuss:

• Kiri paints a picture of her favourite place on the farm.
• How a veterinarian came to farm Angora goats.
• Mohair is a fascinating fibre that has been raised in Asia Minor since the 5th century BC.
• What it takes to produce a good Mohair fleece which, grows quite quickly at 2cm per month.
• A day in the life of a full time veterinarian during Kid season.
• Kiri’s fleece from her flock is exported to South Africa for processing and is used in luxury fashion houses.
• The scientific studies Kiri has done to correct reproductive issues with Angora goats.
• The broader need to produce goats that are more resilient.
• What Kiri loves most about her work.
• The most unexpected thing to happen since establishing the flock.
• Common misconceptions about working on the land.
• Kiri’s ultimate dream for the future.

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.

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