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MENDIP TIMES
Wool can be so versatile
WHEN you talk about farmers harvesting, the first image that springs to most people’s minds is a combine harvester cutting a field of cereal crops With NICK GREEN with a trail of dust in its wake in bright sunshine. That’s one harvest, but there are many more on a farm. One that happens at this time of year is the wool harvest. More commonly known as sheep shearing. In the UK, the main reason for keeping sheep is to produce lamb. However, in other places such as Australia the main output is wool. In the UK, in recent history, wool has been viewed as a bi-product. It hasn’t always been the case.
Places like Frome drew their wealth from wool. There is a resurgence of interest in wool and its use by Mendip farmer Jen Hunter. She is trying to put a sensible value on the wool shorn from her sheep by proving its usefulness. Wool has many uses. The obvious ones which we all know about are clothing and carpet making. Others not so well known are insulation for buildings, blankets, horse rugs, upholstery. It can even be mixed with compost and used as a mulch and source of nutrients in the garden. So, what happens on shearing day? Once the sun has started to warm the sheep, they are rounded up into a holding pen. With the increase in temperature, the lanolin in the sheep’s wool rises and makes it easier for the shearers to give the sheep a nice tidy
haircut. Shearing is a skilled job usually using modern, mechanical shears. Before these were invented the shearing was done using hand clippers. Jen’s partner, Andy Wear, still uses this technique on some of their sheep. The world record for mechanical shearing is 872 sheep shorn in nine hours. You can imagine the relief for the sheep when it has its thick winter coat shorn off at this hot time of year. Once shorn, they walk away with a spring in their step looking forward to a much cooler summer. The only problem then is their lambs have to find their mums – which all look exactly the same.
Nick Green is Farms Director for Alvis Bros Ltd based at Lye Cross Farm. He is responsible for the farming and estate business and is passionate about British food and farming. As well as the business, he is involved with a number of local and national farming charities.
Dairy farm’s record
TWO Quoit Farm cows have given more than 100 tonnes of milk each in their lifetime. Since moving to the farm in Stanton Drew, D and PR Tibbs have had ten cows reach this record. The team is headed by Mark Tibbs, who is in charge of feeding the herd. Mark’s nephew Denis looks after the milking parlour robots and nephew Lewis looks after the calves and has a small flock of sheep of his own. Mark’s wife Clare is the onfarm vet. The farm also has a farm apprentice Will Parry. The average lifetime yield per cow equates to 31.20 tonnes, which puts the Tibbs’ team achievement into perspective. PAGE 10 • MENDIP TIMES • JUNE 2022
