Sustainability

Here at the farm we are passionate about many things, organic methods being a clear driver of our enthusiasm. Organic farming encompasses many aspects and sustainability is at the true heart of it all, as well as animal welfare. For this reason we feel our packaging should reflect this. We always try and come up with new ways to save the environment within our business and the amount of packaging used is a real issue, not only for us but also many other businesses around the world. Around two years ago we were approached by a company called Woolcool. Woolcool are a fantastic company that are hitting the huge packaging issue, head on.

WoolCool

So who are Woolcool and what is different about their product? Well it’s all in their name. They supply wool liners for packaging that not only protect products but also keep them cool. The liners are able to keep a product cool from 12 to 72 hours and beyond. The prodcut is abundant, sustainable, biodegradable and with wool's unique natural properties, it's named nature's smart fibre. Wool is a bi product; it’s something that has to exist and whether we use it or not wool will still be there. Wool not only already exists but also lasts extremely well, so these liners, if returned, can be used time and time again.

We sometimes forget that farming knowledge isn’t something that everyone grows up with. Being a farmer sets you in a completely different mindset. It’s so intense you completely forget that the knowledge you have is something you’re taking for granted. For this reason we feel many aspects are misunderstood. Feel free to stop reading if we’re about to explain something you know, however if you want to understand wool and why sheep have it then feel free to continue reading…

Many, many years ago (cor blimey we now feel we’re writing a story book! But rest assured this is no fairy-tale, it’s all very much the truth) Many years ago sheep used to grow wool from the day they were born and it would keep them cosy in the winter and then slowly shed itself over the summer. This wool was a completely different type of wool; it wasn’t as thick and each breed of sheep had a variation on the wool they carried. Even before 10,000BC wool was used by humans, this wool was collected off the gound and then used to make cosy beds. However something changed around 1900BC, human’s realised you could breed different breeds of sheep together to create meatier, bigger animals. Part of this meant the wool a sheep once carried changed. Skip forward a few thousand years and the sheep that were bred by humans in 1900BC, are now a completely different animal. Part of all this means, because of us, sheep can no longer shed their own wool; it’s now thicker and made up of different qualities to what it was in 10,000BC. It would be cruel for farmers to not get their sheep sheared, due to the fact they face an issue with sheep having think wool fleeces in the summer. Their animals get extremely hot and sweaty, creating an ideal place for flies to lay their eggs....causing maggot infestations which eat the sheep flesh. If left unattended the sheep will die. But don’t worry, farmers are very kind people. Once a year a farmer will get their whole flock sheared. This isn’t anything scary and doesn't harm the sheep, it simply means they get a haircut to keep them nice and cool over the hot summer months.

We love the fact we’re able to use a natural product to pack our produce in. It feels right and very much connects with our morals.

If you ever have a farming question, then please do let us know!

One very happy customer...

'I wanted to give some feedback re the WoolCool insulation...
It's brilliant and works better than the sort of insulated bubble-wrap I've had from other online orders of frozen stuff!
Plus, you will take it back - if I ever get round to sorting out returning my boxes to you - I often end up passing them on via Freecycle as packing boxes for people!!!
The WoolCool stuff is also brilliant for protecting plant pots in the garden over the winter if you have something delicate...
I used one to insulate my outside tap over the 2018/19 winter period and never had a frozen tap!
The birds then loved it for nest-building the following spring :)

Cathy'