Wednesday, 16 May

Dunkeld and the Blackwell family farm ‘Corea’ was the destination today.  Cee Blackwell had arranged a couple of visits for the afternoon.

Jackie O’Brien runs the ‘Hazel Green’ Shop in Hamilton, Vic which specializes in hand crafts particularly knitting and supplies for quilting and sewing. 

Jackie has seen knitting boom recently which she attributes to younger people wanting to return to the values of generations past.  It is part of the movement that includes farmers markets, backyard vegetable gardens and DIY.  She, and her customers, rate Merino very highly now that the prickle factor has been addressed but the favourite is definitely a blend of Merino, Alpaca and Silk – perfect for baby wear.

Jackie believes her customers are becoming more discerning about the provenance of the products that they buy – they want to know the ‘story’ behind the wool they are purchasing.  This is more important now than any organic or similar certification.

Bill and Jenny Crawford’s farm in the Victoria Valley was our next stop.  In the middle of shearing, the woolshed was the perfect place to start.

Sierra Park runs 8,000 Saxon Merino ewes on 2,400ha.  Lambing is split Spring and Autumn with the Autumn lambs sired by Southdown terminal rams.

Bill and Jenny are partners in a vertically intergrated supply of super fine wool called Escorial.  Google it and check out the catalogue.  This group has grabbed an extraordinary niche market and run with it.  Not easy at times and definitely not cheap the finished products are simply exquisite.  With such an exclusive provenance their customers are drawn into becoming part of the story.

I came away from meeting with Bill Crawford so inspired I was just about floating!!  How to transfer even a tiny percentage of his vision and enthusiasm to the rest of our wool industry – now that is a challenge!!

The message for the day – tell the story – it may be just the daily grind for us as producers but our consumers WANT to know.