Ask any sheep farmer and they’ll probably tell you they’re lucky if they can cover the cost of shearing when they come to sell their wool.
But Perthshire mum Tessa Sands has come up with a novel new use for her flock’s fleeces.
Because it turns out the cast-off coats from Oakfield Farm are the sustainable gardener’s secret weapon.
The fleeces from the Sands’ 350-strong flock of blackface sheep have a multitude of uses in the garden.
They are ideal for keeping down weeds, protecting tender plants and pots from extreme cold, or heat, and holding in moisture.
They’re even a natural slug deterrent, possibly due to the lanolin in the wool.
And best of all, they break down naturally over time, releasing essential elements into the soil, meaning they’re as environmentally friendly as it gets.
Tessa, who runs Oakfield Farm, near Errol, with her husband Michael and their two children, has sold more than 70 fleeces to local growers since she put the word out a couple of weeks ago.
At £3 a time (or five for £10) they’re a relatively small investment for gardeners.
But £3 is twice what Tessa could expect if she sold them for wool.
And this way, everyone – including the planet – wins.
“Some people have said what a shame it is that they’re just going to rot over time,” says Tessa.
“But I don’t see it as a shame. This way they’re being put to good use.”
“There’s just no demand for blackface fleeces any more,” the mum-of-two added. “Manufacturers all want New Zealand wool now.
“It costs us £1.50 a fleece to get them clipped, with other costs on top of that. And with current wool prices we’d be lucky to break even.”
‘Think differently’ could be Oakfield Farm motto
Tessa has been using fleece to keep the frost off new plants in her own garden for some time.
She and husband Michael recently planted a beech hedge at the farm, and they are helping to keep weeds down there too.
Gardeners who have responded to her offer on Oakfield Farm’s Facebook page have been sharing their own tips for making use of them.
Tessa says she has been amazed to learn how versatile they are.
“I’m learning so much from the people who’ve been coming in,” she said.
“They’re using fleece for things I’d never even have thought of.”
Luckily, thinking outside the box is second nature for the Sands family.
Tessa and Michael were tenant farmers before moving to Oakfield Farm. But the couple always dreamed of having their own place to raise Fergus, 4, and two-year-old Elizabeth.
So they bought an overgrown stretch of ground, near the Horn Milk Bar at Errol and have turned it into productive farm land.
As well as blackface sheep, they rear Kelly Bronze turkeys and hold regular events, including the popular Tots on the Farm play scheme, which gave youngsters a taste of farming life over the summer holidays.
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