The Problem
For over 5 years, many farmers in the Lake District have been burning the fleeces from their Herdwick sheep. A potentially valuable renewable resource was going to waste. It costs 50-70p to shear a sheep yet it costs farmers about 5p/kilo to sell their Herdwick fleeces.
The Challenge
The Herdwick farmers faced two main challenges: to find new markets for the Herdwick wool and to secure a much bigger proportion of the final price consumers paid for the wool product.
The National Trust
The Trust owns over a quarter of the Lake District, so we share the problems faced by our tenant farmers and we recognise we can be part of the solution. Our policy commits us to working in partnership with our tenant farmers to both raise the environmental performance of their farms and to help them develop economically viable businesses.
The Solution
Backed by financial support from the Northern Rock Foundation and Cumbria Fells & Dales Leader+ programme, the Trust developed a scheme that gives Herdwick sheep farmers an assured price for their wool. About 70 Herdwick farmers (52 are Trust tenants) are now taking part, supported by the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association.
Herdwick wool prices have risen to 50 times those of recent years. Each farm in the scheme now earns on average £350, a healthier contribution to a farm's income from what was previously a worthless waste product.
The Trust worked with Goodacres of Kendal to create the 100% wool `Naturally Herdwick` range of carpet, a traceable and unique product that can be sold with the story of how it was produced. These carpets are being sold to Trust properties and are also available nationwide in carpet shops.
'We hope this will ensure a long term future for Herdwick wool production and create the right incentive for farmers to sell their wool and support the manufacture of Herdwick wool products,'
David Townsend, Project Manager.
The Secret to Success
The Herdwick farmers individually didn't have much capacity to seek new markets or bargaining power to get a better price for their Herdwick wool. The Trust adds value by facilitating a collaborative approach between farmers at a grassroots level. One Project Officer was all it took to get this initiative off the ground.
Farmers were only receiving 2p/kilo from the Wool Board and it cost 7p/kilo to transport the fleece. The Trust now operates as a wool merchant, buying Herdwick wool at auction, processing it and selling it on to be made in to yarn.
Under the scheme farmers now get 10p/kg for light Herdwick wool and up to 8p/kg for dark wool.
By using collective bargaining power throughout the wool supply chain, from the Wool Board to the carpet manufacturer, the Trust is able to negotiate a better price and guarantee an increased return of 50p/kg of fleece to all Herdwick wool producers in the scheme. Farmers must sell more than 50kg of wool to be eligible for the scheme.
This funding has been made possible by the creation of a new Herdwick wool trademark that guarantees products using the wool. Manufacturers buy trademark licences from the Trust, which then pays the money back to the farmers.
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