About California Natural Sheepskins

Inside a former crematorium on Quintana Road in Morro Bay, something quietly remarkable is happening. James Kennard is transforming what the Central Coast's agricultural system throws away — sheepskins — into beautiful, lasting goods.

California Natural Sheepskins was born from a deep curiosity about materials, food systems, and the hidden gaps within them. During the COVID-19 lockdown, James began exploring the ethics of meat consumption and asking a simple question: if animals are being raised and processed for food, shouldn't every part of them be used? That curiosity led him deep into the craft of hide preservation and natural tanning. He trained with traditional tanners in Oregon and connected with a network of micro-tanneries across the U.S. and U.K., seeking out smaller-scale, more intentional approaches to an ancient craft.

Locally Sourced, Nothing Wasted

James sources his skins directly from Creston Valley Meat, where sheepskins are abundant and typically discarded. He's been collecting them for over four years — often getting a call and picking up skins the same day, racing back to his Morro Bay workshop to begin processing before the clock runs out.

"There's a big gap in the food system where there's a lot of waste of the animal skins. I'm trying to close that gap."

A Living Craft

No two hides are alike. Natural materials are unpredictable, and that unpredictability shapes every piece. Imperfections don't get discarded — they get reimagined. A skin that won't work as a rug becomes a hat, a vest, a bag, or something entirely new.

"If you can imagine it, I'll try."

Every sheepskin from California Natural Sheepskins carries the character of the animal and the land it came from — and the hands that worked through the night to bring it to life.

As featured in New Times SLO: "California Natural Sheepskins turns local agricultural waste into wearable wool goods"