At Driftless Tannery, we didn’t go to school for forensic science. But in a way, our work as tanners often feels like stepping into that role. Every hide we receive carries its own story, and over time, we’ve learned how to read the signs written in skin and fiber.

Some of these stories are lighthearted and ordinary. We can tell which sheep spent their days in pastures full of burr dock, who lived among the trees, and who grazed on open grasslands. Grain-fed sheep sometimes leave behind kernels that tangle in the wool. Bits of hay, grass, or even sticks become everyday artifacts of a life lived outdoors.

Other times, the story runs deeper. As we work, we occasionally uncover signs of an animal’s health: parasitic worms lodged in the dermis, cysts (which Danielle admits she finds oddly fascinating), and evidence of whether a sheep carried extra weight or struggled to keep enough on. The skin preserves these details long after the animal is gone, a reminder of how much life leaves its mark.

But every so often, we come across something that stops us in our tracks: seeds embedded in the hide. Just once or twice a year, a sheepskin arrives with a foxtail seed—or awn—infestation. These barbed seeds burrow deep into the skin, leaving behind a record of unimaginable discomfort. It’s one of the hardest things for us to see, knowing what the animal must have endured.

Foxtail plants are common across much of the U.S., with three main species—green, yellow, and giant foxtail. At first glance, they seem harmless, but their awns are anything but. These seeds are covered in microscopic barbs, designed to move in one direction only: forward. Once inside tissue, they don’t come back out. They can travel through the body, causing abscesses, infections, and serious health problems. While foxtail seeds often enter through the nose, mouth, or ears, they can also pierce directly through the skin—the very evidence we sometimes encounter on hides.

For us, these discoveries are a sobering reminder that tanning isn’t just about transforming sheepskins into something beautiful. It’s also about recognizing the real, lived experiences of the animals themselves—the landscapes they grazed, the health challenges they faced, and sometimes, the hardships they endured. Each hide is more than raw material; it’s a story.

And when you bring one of our sheepskins into your home, you’re not just purchasing a warm rug or throw. You’re carrying forward the life of an animal, with all the beauty and resilience it represents. That’s what makes every hide we tan not only unique, but meaningful.

foxtail awn in sheepskin — seeds embedded in sheepskin