Returning to the subject of wool, as I previously told you each fleece is rolled and packed into a white wool sheet.

Organic wool is packed into green sheets. Each sheet has to be labelled with the producer’s name, address and unique registration number before leaving the farm of origin. Trials have been carried out on the traceable sale of wool, as buyers are now wanting traceability. Wool is graded by hand and eye at the eight British Wool Depots, then baled, core sampled and sent to the Wool Testing Authority for the information on dry yield, also the fibre diameter, measured in microns.

Higher prices are generally received for the finer wools. Finer wool is usually associated with expensive lighter weight fabrics, while coarse fibred wools are used in bulkier goods, such as blankets and carpets. All the, grading information is gathered before auctions, held throughout the year.

To maximise the value of their wool, farmers need to ensure it is clean with extraneous matter removed. It also needs to be correctly rolled, not mixing colours, breeds or sexes. Damage to wool occurs when it is shorn from damp sheep, sheep with excessive contamination from vegetable matter, such as straw or has excessive colour marking.

When scoured (washed) wool loses up to 40 per cent of its weight. Scouring removes the lanolin and other contaminants and involves passing the raw wool through two or three wash bowls of warm water and detergent. It then passes through more bowls of fresh water to rinse it thoroughly before further processing can occur. There are only two scouring plants in the UK and around 70 per cent of the wool is bought by the two buyers who have the UK scouring plants, with a number of others purchasing much smaller amounts. The 2020 dry yield of UK wool was 25,000,000 kilos.

There are currently 58 development projects underway to find alternative uses for our wool, to try and find uses which will add value. Apart from its traditional uses to make carpets and fabrics, much of which is used in cruise liners, hotels, casinos and aeroplanes due to its fire-retardant properties. It is also used for insulation and packaging and it makes great duvets.

Mixed with a resin, wool fibres are now being used to make more environmentally friendly tree guards for young saplings, replacing those made of plastic. An interesting fact about wool is that it deters slugs, the fibres being slightly serrated, which they hate. Wool also holds its own weight of water, so a great product to line flower baskets.

Because of the Covid pandemic, electronic auctions have been held remotely, rather than in a room at Wool House, Bradford, the first country to do so, with on-going trials to enable bidding to take place from anywhere in the world, extending the reach. There is also an E-commerce website, shop@britishwool.org.uk for consumers to buy wool products.

Here on Manor Farm the elongated harvest has come to an end, with all the winter wheat safely gathered and most of it sold and taken by Ian to a local storage facility. This store is designed for long term storage, as all grain harvested on our farm can only remain in our temporary store for a short time. Kevin has also gathered all his cereals, with only peas left to harvest. Most of the wheat was below the 15 per cent moisture required, but a few loads were just over this so we will incur a small drying and handling charge.

Kevin has at last been able to cut and bale all his permanent grass, which is part of an environmental stewardship scheme. Apart from this work has involved checking cattle and sheep , moving them to fresh pasture when necessary.