Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of who we are…
Shepherd’s Dream was founded in 1997 by two women devoted to sustainability and healthy living, Eliana Jantz and her daughter Sarah Sunshine. At the time, it was incredibly difficult to find mattresses and bedding that weren’t made with synthetic materials and treated with toxic flame retardant chemicals. Jantz knew all the wonderful qualities of wool for personal and environmental health, and so Shepherd’s Dream was born. In 2018, Robin and Hank Kearns, longtime friends of the original founders and lifelong believers in the benefits of wool bedding, acquired Shepherd’s Dream and they continue its legacy as a family business committed to best practices for its employees, community, and the planet. We strive for a full-spectrum sustainability approach, because true sustainability brings us into the right relationship every step of the way. Our Farm-to-Bedroom Ethos includes:- Humane animal treatment
- Regional operations for economic impact and reduced carbon outputs
- Fair exchange and economic support for farmers
- Creating demand for human-scale cottage industry and local skilled labor
- Holding globally-recognized certifications and making local commitments
- Helping to optimize human health
- Greening our business practices
Wool is a Natural, Renewable Fiber and is 100% Biodegradable
The only conditions required for a wool mattress to biodegrade are oxygen, warm temperatures, and humidity!
More Than 80% of Conventional Mattresses can be Recycled
If you were to lay these discarded mattresses out end to end it would only take 4 months to wrap them around the entire planet.
50,000 Mattresses are Thrown Out Daily in the United States
If you were to stack all of these mattresses on top of each other, they would be the equivalent of 40 Empire State Buildings!
Farm-to-Bedroom Ethos
Humane Treatment and a Small Carbon Hoofprint
The journey of our wool begins on the beautiful, rugged coastline of Oregon. All the farms we work with raise their sheep humanely and ethically on wide-open green fields. No harm comes to the sheep during shearing, and the wool is processed without the use of chemicals.
That Oregon-grown wool travels a few hours to the Woolgatherer Carding Mill located in the town of Montague in far northern California. From there, it’s just down the road to Shepherd’s Dream production facilities.
Supporting Farmers and Reviving a Cottage Industry
Our EcoWool® program seeks to reverse the trend of dwindling domestic wool production. By paying a fair price for EcoWool, we are reviving the market for North American wool and providing demand for sustainable wool growers.
All of our products are made by hand in our Northern California workshops. Our expert team of skilled crafters takes great care to ensure that each product is made with the highest standards and purest intentions. As a small business, we strive to empower our local economy by creating jobs in our region that offer a living wage and a joyful work environment.
Sustainable Credibility
As pioneers in the North American natural mattress and bedding industry, we believe in demonstrating the highest quality craftsmanship combined with sustainable industry practices. Shepherd’s Dream is a Green America® Certified Business, and we carry numerous certifications for our products, including The Global Organic Textile Standard and Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Read more about our certifications and commitments here.
Healthy Planet, Healthy Humans
Our health is intimately connected to that of our Earth, and one major factor for many people today is poor sleep. Our all-natural, non-toxic mattresses and bedding are made without the chemicals other products contain like polyurethane, synthetic latex, and vinyl. Wool’s naturally-occurring protective coating of lanolin provides it with inherent flame resistance, so there’s no need for the flame retardant chemicals found in mass-produced bedding. Every purchase of a Shepherd’s Dream product is a vote for your health and to keep these chemicals out of our environment.
Allergy and chemical sensitivity sufferers find refuge with our pure, natural bedding products. Even those who have wool allergies can often tolerate our bedding due to the careful way in which we clean and process the wool.
Greening Our Entire Business
We make every effort to minimize our impact on Earth. We reuse boxes, buy 100% post-consumer waste paper, recycle or reuse everything we can, use energy efficient everything—even our hand soap is organic! We are living proof that a business can make these green choices and still remain competitive with bigger businesses.
