Jared Manihera is never far from wool.

“I grew up in Masterton where my parents were shearing contractors for 25 years. I left school at 15, though Dad banned me from going into the sheds until I turned 16, so I stacked shelves at Woolworths for six months,” he says.

He worked as a shearer for the next seven years, before checking out Perth for off-season work.

“I really enjoyed it, and the money was good, so I stayed over there,” says Jared.

He started his own business, marketing in the automotive sector, building it up to employ nine staff, before the call of home, and wool, became too strong.

“I came home in 2008, headed south and went back shearing for the next five years, mainly in Central and West Otago, though also with stints taking the handpiece back to Aussie.

In the meantime he met his wife Kylie, who is now store manager of PGG Wrightson and Fruitfed Supplies in Alexandra.

Jared joined the company in November 2013 and has served as PGG Wrightson wool rep for South West Otago coming up nine years.

“Although it has its challenges, I love it. Clients become friends. I’ve gone from someone who goes up their drive, to pretty much a valued friend or family member.

“You get to know their children, and you see them out at social occasions. I love being able to see clients out of work, sit down and talk about anything: not just wool,” he says.

Although those conversations can be diverse, inevitably, the price of wool comes into it.

“Recently I’ve been sitting down with clients and their bank managers. They want to be able to budget for a profit, or even a shortfall if that’s how it is. They need to have something to go on, instead of just hoping,” he says.

Like many other regions, South Otago has seen sheep and beef farms converting to forestry in recent years.

“Talking to local shearing contractors recently, in the past year, between the Catlins and Roxburgh, we worked out that farms carrying 120,000 ewes have gone to trees, which will make a big difference in many ways for those communities and the businesses that serviced those farms.”

On the other hand, several farmers are investing in their wool infrastructure.

“I’ve guided clients to buy plenty of shearing machines and several wool presses recently. Record returns for lamb mean they have surplus cash, and many are choosing to invest that in their future as wool producers, including upgrading shed floors and putting in new stands which is a reassuring vote of confidence.

“As an ex-shearer, they often call me in to advise. Despite the current prices, there are still plenty of farmers out there with a massive passion for wool,” he says.

Jared’s own passion matches them. As well as keeping his hand in on the boards whenever time allows, he is a competitive shearing judge, and has taken on a significant shearing mission.

In February 2020 Jared organised a shear-a-thon to help Tapanui farm manager Shaun Bradley and his family when Shaun was diagnosed with stage four B cell non hodgkin’s lymphoma, raising over $50,000 from the event. This year Jared took it to the next level, motivated by the late Blair Vining, whose campaign before his 2019 death from bowel cancer, continued since by his widow Melissa, has led to the foundation of the Southland Charity Hospital. Jared’s contribution to this community project, called Shear4Blair, raised over $200,000 for the hospital.

Plans are already under way to do it all again, with an extra opportunity for wool growers to donate.

“After Shear4blair, it was clear that the Southland community has a big heart, and we realised there is more we can do. We are therefore inviting farmers to donate bales of wool to the Southland Charity Hospital, through PGG Wrightson. We aim to acquire 2500 donated bales, which PGG Wrightson Wool will sell, with all proceeds going to the Southland Charity Hospital.”

For more information, or to donate your wool, contact Jared on 027 226 0263, or speak to your wool rep.

Otherwise, Jared’s spare time is devoted to fishing, doing up a classic Holden station wagon, and spending time with Kylie and their children, five-year-old Parker and two-year-old McKenzie.