Wool dryer balls made in N.C. deserve a shout-out

One of the “coolest things made in North Carolina” is a pack of Stoney Mountain Farm’s Eco-Friendly Wool Dryer Balls, made of the ultra-soft wool from sheep like Willow and her friends.

 

Located near Burlington in northern Alamance County, Stoney Mountain Farm occupies about 56 acres, owned and operated by Olga and John Elder. They raise sheep, llamas and chickens as well as breed Briard dogs. (Briards are excellent sheep herders and protectors of the flock.)

 

It’s a fun story to tell. In 2005, Olga Brewer (single and age 47) ventured from city life in Durham to a rural backroad where she found the perfect project – “a house and barns in need of much repair and land that clearly had been loved, but abandoned.” 

She drove Floyd (her old Ford pickup truck) to the back of the property and parked in the middle of a pasture. She poured herself a glass of wine, sat on the truck tailgate, looked up and toasted the sky. She was going to become a farmer. 

“As it became more and more evident that she was in over her head, Olga sought the advice of John Elder,” an experienced farmer. John said: “I’m not sure if I fell in love with a girl or a farm.” Probably both. They married in 2008. 

Olga ends the story: “I followed my heart and love found me.”

 

Olga says the Stoney Mountain Farm dryer balls “are felted by hand from 100% wool. We use only wool grown on our farm and other small pre-qualified farms. Using wool from our farm and other farms that meet our standards enables us to offer a much higher quality control. We can safely say, ‘no chemicals, no dyes...just natural, humanely raised wool.’” 

“The balls are an eco-green alternative to dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners that contain harmful chemicals. Dryer balls naturally soften clothes. Their tumbling, bouncing action creates loft in the dryer, allowing the heat to distribute more evenly, reducing drying time by 10-25%. 

As an added bonus, the balls reduce static and wrinkles in each load.”

 

Olga recommends just adding three dryer balls to each load. The balls can last up to six years, depending on the volume of laundry in a household. 

Early on, she and John realized that they were going to need help rolling out the balls in order to keep up with demand. Their creative solution was “Balls with a Cause.” 

They organized a group affectionately known as the “Roller Bees,” a cottage industry of people who are receiving supplemental income from Stoney Mountain Farm “by making each ball by hand, with love and care.” 

“Our network got bigger and bigger,” Olga said. “We also began working with a wonderful organization, Women’s Resource Center in Alamance County, dedicated folks who work hard to help women ‘improve and enrich their lives.’”

 

The Elders of Stoney Mountain Farm are very proud to have been awarded a “super preferred” top-tier ranking on the “ecoscale rating system” of Whole Foods Market of Austin, Texas (now a subsidiary of Amazon). 

This is reflective of the farm’s commitment to “preservation-minded, sustainable business and farming practices. Moreover, Stoney Mountain Farm strives for a premium customer service experience at all times.” 

Olga commented: “I had a customer once squeeze some of our yarn and reply, ‘healthy sheep.’ The two go hand in hand.”

 

Visit the Stoney Mountain Farm website for a virtual tour. It’s folksy and informative. Olga invites readers: “Let us hear from EWE.”