Cashmere, the downy undercoat of goats, derives its name from the Kashmiri region of India, high in the Himalaya. It was in Kashmir that the west discovered the warmth and softness of this rare fiber, which only grows thick and long enough to harvest on goats that live in harsh climates. Cashmere provides the protection that allows goats to survive life at high altitude on the open steppe, where winter lasts seven months and temperatures can plummet below minus 50 degrees Celsius. The insulating properties of cashmere are up to eight times warmer than wool. Long guard hairs protect the cashmere from the elements and the UV damage to the fibers which may be caused by the sun.
Nomadic herdsmen still form the majority of the population in Mongolia, and their way of life has changed little in centuries. Harvesting cashmere and other rare fibers from their herds is the main source of cash income for rural Mongolian people. In Mongolia, cashmere is hand-combed from each goat in the spring, as the weather warms and the undercoat naturally begins to shed. Unlike shearing or clipping, which strips the goat of its entire fleece, hand combing allows for the separation of the finest combings from the coarser combings and leaves the goat with its guard hairs intact, providing better protection from wind and rain.
Yarn spun with long cashmere that has good crimp (a curly texture) has better strength and durability, as well as being fine and soft. Mongolia's dry and cold climate, elevation, and herding traditions are ideal for the production of the highest quality cashmere. Each Mongolian goat produces 250 to 300 grams of cashmere per year. After processing, the combings yield only about 50% by weight in cashmere. Thus, it takes combings from between three and four goats to produce just one cashmere sweater!Long prized by the privileged, cashmere wool provides for superior warmth without weight and is exceptionally soft and durable.
The view from our doorstep
Green pastures surrounded by granite mountains, desert scrub dotted with twisted trees, rocky slopes: all are home to Mongolia's nomadic herdsmen and the Mongolian cashmere goat. In early summer, the rains bring new grass, and herders move to their summer pastures to begin fattening their animals for the long winter. Most herders live in gers, small, round felt-covered huts that are highly portable and surprisingly sturdy. A ger can be dismantled in one hour and put back up in two, and is easily transported by two camels. Each day, herders ride along with their animals to watch for predators and to lead them to areas of fresh pasture. Drawing water from wells with a dip bucket is a strenuous process which may take several hours. At night, the animals are herded near the ger.
Fall is breeding season, and herders bring their does together with their breeding bucks for a short period of time. The animals are already growing their undercoats of cashmere. By mid-October, it can be bitterly cold in Mongolia. It is time to move to higher pastures, where herders have their winter shelters. Made of stone or wood, these shelters protect the animals from fierce winds and help trap the heat from the herd which is penned inside at night. The winter is long, and the goats paw through the snow and ice to graze on the dried grasses that lie beneath. Since winter pastures are usually far from water sources, the animals will eat snow or the herder will draw water from very deep wells that do not freeze to water his animals.
In late January, the first baby goats are born. Herders keep a 24 hour watch on their does during this time, and quickly take the newborns inside the gers where they are kept warm. Aside from occasional visits to the mother goat for meals, the kids stay in a small box or pen inside the ger with the family until they are big enough to withstand the cold. By late March, the southern areas of Mongolia are warming, and herders begin combing the cashmere from their herds. Now is also when most nomads return to their spring and summer pastures. As spring advances combing begins in the more northern areas, and is largely completed by June. Herders market their cashmere between April and June each year.The young goats are now ready to join the herd, and follow close beside their mothers. By the next spring, they will produce the finest and softest Mongolian cashmere, which grows on one and two year-old goats!
