Angora Goat Show Judge Theresa Bergeron 13236 Crump Rd Chesterville ON K0C 1H0 - CANADA Born : Cornwall ON, 1951

Theresa was born and raised in Cornwall. She obtained a BA in life sciences from Queen’s and an MSc in nutrition from the University of Guelph. She moved to South Mountain in 1983 where she still raises Angora goats. In 1992 she developed mohair socks from their fleeces and trademarked them under Thermohair. From its small beginnings, the business has expanded and the socks are now sold across Canada, into the US and Japan. For the last 3 years, she is one of 12 on the committee writing the Canadian Goat Code of Practice. This will be the reference manual for the Canadian dairy, meat and fibre goat industry, outlining the required and recommended practices.

In her spare time, she tends to her gardens, and permaculture orchard, always sharing the extra bounty with friends and neighbours.

Goat Code of Practice

Theresa has raised Angora goats since 1983 and is the Canadian encyclopedia on the breed and mohair. In 1986 she took the Angora goat and mohair grading course in Sonora Texas. She then organized the breeders across Canada to ship mohair on the world market via the Canadian Co-op Wool Growers (CCWG) network. In 1987 she trained the CCWG wool grader in Carleton Place to grade mohair. In 1988-89 she, along with Caroll Thomas (dairy) and Frances Gay (meat) had the then OMAF recognize goats as “livestock” and not “pets” and had them included in the Red Meat Plan. All 3 became advisors on that plan. In 2004, 2006 and 2009 she travelled to South Africa and spent time with the breeders in the Karoo and consulted with owners of the mohair processing industry.

She served three 2 year terms as director of the Canadian Goat Society. From 1990 -94 she was a member of the Royal Agricultural Fair goat show committee and achieved the premier breeder and exhibitor awards 1990, 93, 94. She has judged Angora shows in Michigan and at the prestigious Rhinebeck New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, (2015).

Theresa obtained her BA from Queens and her MSc from the University of Guelph 1982. In 1992 she was the first to develop mohair socks in North America and in 1998 was picked as one of Canada’s top 10 entrepreneurial women by the WTN. Her business was covered by CBC Venture in 1999 and 2003 and was incorporated in the 2008 university and college text book “Marketing, Real People, Real Choices”.