Tierra Wools: Tradition, community and commerce

Los Ojos is a small community in rural northern New Mexico. It has little economic opportunity for the folks who live there - save Tierra Wools, a limited liability company that began more than 25 years ago to offer jobs for local women and a market for local wool-growers.

Not only has Tierra Wools offered traditional housewives a way to make money outside the home, it's also provided a sense of community. It's given the women - Sophia De Yapp, Olivia Valdez, Lupe Valdez and Angie Serrano - a place to be and become.

By creating rugs with the wool of local Churro sheep, the women of Tierra Wools are also preserving Rio Grande Weaving, a tradition brought to the area by the Spanish several centuries ago.

This piece is part of a Frontline series about social entrepreneurs - "people whose ideas and organizations create new and sustainable markets and services that benefit underserved communities... whose ideas leap beyond charity to find systemic solutions to poverty, educations, health and social justice," in Frontline's words.

Tierra Wools certainly fits this description.

Chris Dudley wrote and composed the music for this piece. He also helped with the photography. Read his blog: bullhornjournal.com.