A passionate voice for sustainable farming and a Trustee of the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere for more than a decade, Joan has been part of the Merrick team from the very start. In fact, ‘the wool project’ (as Merrick was known in its first few months) got underway when Joan asked the question, “Can we do something about wool?”
We sat down with Joan for a short Q&A to ask what the social enterprise means to her, and its place in the wider story of wool production in Scotland’s south west.
Joan, can you tell us a bit about how you came into farming?
My family have been tenants of Bagbie since 1945 so I inherited the interest from my father. I always loved the farm, and especially sheep. I spent many a happy day in my childhood leaning over the bucht dyke with my father and Jim the herd talking about sheep! In the 1960s when I was choosing my career, girls didn’t go into farming so I studied Geography and Ecology. In 1972 I got the chance along with husband Steve to come back to Galloway and take over the management of the farm and it was a dream come true.
Scottish Blackface sheep are the most common breed in the UNESCO Biosphere region and in the UK as a whole. How many do you keep at Bagbie and how much fleece do they produce in a typical year?
We have around 250 Blackies now producing about 550 kilos of wool.
You live and work with Scottish Blackface and observe their characteristics at very close quarters! What can you share about the particular qualities that distinguish the breed?
Scottish Blackface are the traditional hill breed of Galloway and suit the terrain and climate. The Galloway Hills are rugged and traditional Blackies are rugged sheep – hardy, capable of foraging and thriving on the hill pastures and rearing one or two lambs without fuss. They can survive some pretty cold and wet winter weather on the hill and lamb on the hill without constant supervision yet they have the genetic potential to grow big strong lambs when brought onto better pasture.
Merrick is committed to widening understanding of the challenges in modern farming, in particular balancing sustainability and profitability. What do you think are the key issues around wool production and processing today?
For years now there has been little value in wool, especially the coarser fleeces which hill breeds need to thrive on their native habitat. Competition from artificial fibres, competition from finer wools from specialist wool-producing breeds like merinos, and vagaries of a global market have meant that for years the wool cheque fell far short of covering the cost of shearing by contractors. We were basically working with a waste product and when that happens there is little incentive for farmers to prioritise fleece quality either in their breeding or in their handling of the fleeces. British Wool has worked hard to retain interest in wool and to open up new markets.
Back in 2021 you were the source of the idea for a project to explore new uses for Scottish Blackface wool. What was your vision for this at the very start?
There was no readymade vision. When John McKerchar [fellow GSA Biosphere Trustee] and I suggested this project I think it was quite a kneejerk reaction to the scandalous waste of a local product which had once had value now being seen as a problem to dispose of. John suggested the Biosphere with its desire to add value to local raw materials should look at wool. I said, ‘Great, but it has to be Blackface.’ The enthusiasm, support and willingness of other people to experiment and innovate has brought us to where we are today.
We know that you have a personal love for the history and heritage of farming in southwest Scotland. How can someone with no obvious connection learn more about rural life and industry?
That is a very difficult question but perhaps one which needs to be answered. Without romanticising the past, the heritage of hill farming deserves to be known – the self-sufficiency and independence of the life, the relationship to the land, the passion for sheep and sheepdogs, the language of Lowland Scots which has so many sheep-related words. In the absence of a museum I can only suggest going to a local agricultural show and eavesdropping at the sheep judging ring!
It took three years to get Merrick from conception to a social enterprise with a clothing range for sale here on merrickscotland.com. What was your best or favourite moment in this journey?
I guess it has to be when we attended the Royal Highland Show at the invitation of British Wool and saw our garments modelled on the catwalk.
What do you hope that Merrick Scottish Blackface Knitwear can achieve, above and beyond creating beautiful garments that last a lifetime?
I would love if these garments could remind people of the hills of south-west Scotland and the people who still make their living there – a way of life which is in danger of disappearing.
We have to ask – if you were gifting a single item from the Merrick knitwear range to a loved one, which piece would you choose and why?
The stylish shirt jacket which epitomises practical warmth and modern design bringing a traditional product bang up to date.