Foley Shearing Company: Multiple generations carry on Foley family’s rich heritage in sheep shearing industry
This year marks the 37th year Dave and Janine Foley have worked in the shearing business together – a livelihood rooted in heritage, hard work and global connection to the sheep industry spanning across multiple generations and continents.
From the hillsides of New Zealand to the sagebrush steppes of Wyoming, the Foley family’s story is one of tradition, grit and adaptability.
Deep roots in ag
Both Dave and Janine have deep roots in the sheep industry.
Born and raised in New Zealand, Dave grew up on a farm raising sheep, red deer and elk. His father was a shearer, and from an early age, Dave learned the craft at his father’s side.
As a young man, Dave began traveling internationally, shearing sheep in multiple countries and immersing himself in the global shearing circuit. The work was demanding, but it offered opportunity and adventure and eventually led him halfway around the world.
At just 19 years old, Dave arrived to the U.S. to shear sheep, working for another shearing contractor and moving from ranch to ranch, but one of those stops would change the course of his life forever.
Janine clearly remembers the day Dave arrived at her parents’ place with the shearing crew.
“I met Dave when he came from New Zealand to work for another guy who shears sheep, and they happened to come to my parents’ place,” she shares.
Janine notes her grandfather was a Basque sheepherder who emigrated to the U.S. from the Pyrenees Mountains along the border of France and Spain, and although her father was born in the U.S., sheep ranching remained central to the family’s livelihood.
When Janine’s parents married, they purchased their own ranch and continued raising sheep. The operation was located about 21 miles from Kaycee where Dave and Janine reside today.
After meeting, Dave and Janine’s relationship moved quickly.
“We met in March, were engaged in July, then Dave left for six months and we got married the next May,” Janine shares.
Building a business
In 1989, Dave and Janine officially started their own sheep shearing business. They began modestly with a crew of five shearers and built the operation steadily over time.
Before having children, the couple spent several years traveling internationally, following shearing seasons through Wales, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.
The lifestyle required constant movement, adaptability and endurance, but it also provided invaluable experiences and connections within the industry.
Eventually, the couple settled down on a small ranch near Kaycee while continuing to travel regularly. Today, they still make at least one trip to New Zealand each year.
Their home operation includes about 120 sheep and four sheep dogs, as well as several goats, horses, turkeys, peacocks and chickens.
Janine points out, traditionally, the primary shearing season in the U.S. runs from February through May ahead of lambing season, and while summer was once considered an off season, today this is no longer the case.
“Now it’s pretty busy for more of the year,” she notes.
The Foleys’ crews shear sheep across Wyoming and Colorado, traveling with specialized shearing trailers when ranches don’t have dedicated facilities. These module units allow operations almost anywhere.
Dave also works in Colorado early in the winter to shear feedlot lambs – extending the season even further.
Over the course of the year, Foley crews shear approximately 200,000 sheep.
Challenges of the trade
“Shearing is a hard physical job, even with good equipment,” Janine states. “It’s not for the weak hearted.”
She notes the business also comes with logistical and regulatory challenges.
The Foleys regularly bring shearers in from New Zealand, which requires navigating complex federal immigration systems and extensive paperwork.
Changes in immigration and deportation laws have made securing foreign labor more difficult, and while policymakers may assume domestic workers can fill these roles, Janine says reality is different.
“You can’t find Americans to do this kind of work,” she says.
Weather presents another obstacle, particularly in Wyoming where storms can force rescheduling and complicate lambing timelines. Ranchers are understandably cautious about shearing too early, fearing exposure to harsh conditions.
The U.S. sheep industry has seen declining numbers in recent years, and the wool market has struggled. Demand for wool has decreased, but Janine emphasizes wool remains irreplaceable.
“It’s still the best material for so many things,” she states. “It has qualities that can’t be duplicated by synthetic materials.”
Despite industry fluctuations, the Foley shearing business remains fully booked year after year.
“So far we’ve had as much work as we can handle,” Janine admits.
Raising a family
On top of all this, Dave and Janine have also raised four children – Jayson, Tiana, Hannah and Laree – all of whom grew up working in the family business.
“We paid them just like we did everyone else,” Janine says. “They all paid their way through college. Education means a lot more if you earn it and pay for it yourself.”
The Foleys’ oldest son, Jayson his wife Kelsey and their two young daughters operate their own ranch near Casper where they raise sheep, goats and rams. Jayson also runs his own shearing business and works at a feedlot in Colorado.
Janine notes Jayson began shearing at a young age, paid his way through college and has since traveled the world shearing sheep.
Their oldest daughter Tiana lives in New Zealand with her husband Brad and their four sons. Brad originally came to the U.S. to work for the Foley’s shearing crew, and today the couple runs their own shearing business in New Zealand, while also traveling internationally on the shearing circuit.
The Foleys’ third child Hannah works as a physical therapist in Casper. Early in her career she also traveled, working in Australia and New Zealand. Today, she continues to help with the family business when her schedule allows.
Laree, their youngest daughter, married a New Zealand sheep shearer she met while working for her family’s operation. The couple has since traveled to shear sheep in England, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.
They recently purchased a home and plan to return to Wyoming to work for the family business.
After 37 years, Dave and Janine continue to do what they’ve always done – follow the sheep, train the next generation and adapt to an evolving industry.
In a world of changing markets and shifting policies, the Foleys’ shearing operation stands as a testament to the enduring value of skill, heritage and hard-earned expertise, one fleece at a time.
Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
