The company ran the year-long Sheep to Shop Education Programme (SSEP) to develop closer ties between wool farmers and those involved in every stage of its production.
Expert training was provided to farm owners, managers, their families and farm staff in the free programme.
High registration numbers were received at Devold’s key wool-growing regions in Marlborough, Canterbury, MacKenzie/Waitaki, and Central Otago.
At the end of the programme two farmers from among 137 completing the programme of four modules were awarded the SSEP prize.
Mr Nicholson helps run Barcaldine’s sheep and beef operation on 2600 hectares in North Canterbury, supplying merino wool on fixed contracts to Devold, while Ms Ballagh has a property at Rakaia Gorge.
Devold New Zealand general manager Craig Smith said it had been difficult picking out two people from so many worthy candidates aged 40 and under, but both winners were passionate about merino wool and had bought into the programme.
He said the company had honoured its commitment to developing the next generation of the Devold family with the trip to Europe.
"Chris Nicholson and Courtenay [Ballagh] shone throughout the four modules, with their passion and dedication as wool growers always on show. But what really stood out for us as judges was that they were both absolute sponges, learning new knowledge and putting this into practice on-farm, which is the ultimate goal of running education programmes like this."
They will leave for Europe in June and follow wool through the Devold "pipeline", starting with seeing greasy wool being washed at a Bulgaria facility, then visiting the company’s factory in Lithuania and head office in Norway.
Merino farmers supply 17 to 20-micron fleece wool at a minimum of 85mm, at least 38 newtons per kilotex for wool strength and a maximum of 1.5% vegetable matter.
Devold started making fishermen’s knitted underwear, mittens and beanies more than 170 years ago in Norway and now makes garments such as base layer underwear, active outdoor and functional merino clothing from New Zealand wool.
Mr Smith said the programme was originally developed to strengthen the relationship between Devold and its farmer suppliers and provide professional development for their on-farm teams.
"We are obviously very reliant on merino wool. We have a big machine and a factory in Lithuania. With no wool going through, it’s just a bit of metal so to make sure we’ve got supply coming through we need the next generation of farmers educated on what we do ... and technically growing wool for us. So we came up with the SSEP."
Over the past year it had grown to be a connection, education and collaboration initiative, he said.
It had brought the Devold brand, farmers and wool harvesting teams together.
"Collaboration is pivotal not only for quality wool and sustainable garments, but also for building trust across generations."
The first of four modules focused on growing quality wool so Devold could produce garments meeting customer expectations.
Merino breeders Allan Paterson and Mark Urquhart were brought in to share insights on the influence of breeding and genetics on fibre quality.
Practical sessions were held on sheep selection and breeding for nutrition, animal health and wool quality by veterinary specialists.
In the second module, sheep and shed preparation was covered with wool clip presentation, animal welfare, and communication in the woolshed to improve teamwork and understanding between growers, wool teams and brand partners.
Module three went through Devold’s supply chain for an inside look at wool being turned into garments.
Online sessions featured video tours of the mill in Lithuania and top-making facility in Bulgaria.
Devold chief sustainability officer Trude Ertresvag explained how animal welfare and sustainability on farms were valued within European Union legislation, and the importance of traceability and total transparency to Devold customers.
The final module brought participants together to learn about wool science, wool testing and emerging research in animal health.
Mr Smith said the company was considering reinventing SSEP next year, possibly focusing on wool classing or another speciality as the programme had covered so much detail.
Devold was continuing to invest heavily in its merino suppliers, he said.
