Landmark Issue 19 2021 SINGLE PAGES

ISSUE 19 | 2021 53 RAU ALUMNI Throughmy studies at theRAC, I developed a keen interest in organic, holisticmanagement of land. However, traditional livestock and arable options on the largely north-facing, clay soils of our land did not lend themselves to profitable, subsidy-free farming. Achance read of a 1920s book referring towoollen overshirts as ‘the most fundamental piece of outdoor clothing’ sparked an interest inwool apparel and the idea of a newvalue added business where I could use the skills and experiencewe learnt fromWilliamsonTea to develop a newvertically integrated business. I beganworkingwith one of the oldestmills inYorkshire to develop a specialist wool fabric for use on outdoor clothing. Wool is nature’s performance fibre and I wanted a fabric that combined fantasticwarmth with durability andweather resistance andwas also very soft to touch. The fabric had to competewith synthetic options andmeetmodern consumer expectations. Following a lengthy trial period, we succeeded in developing two fabrics. Next, I set up our finewool flock. This was quite a challenge as, despitemany famous towns - including Cirencester - being built on thewool trade, theUK sheep industry is now focused almost entirely on meat production. Eventually, Imanaged to source a foundationMerino flock and fromtherewe have expanded significantly. The flock ismanaged tomeet the quality requirements of the mill, shearing twice a year at the end of January and June. Two shearings increases our yield, with the simplemaths of one sheep-per-shirt-per-shearing, and ensures high-quality consistent wool vital for product quality. Old skills aremixed with new: EIDear tags and performance recording guide our breeding plans andmanage the flock’s health, whilst the best organic practices learned inNickyCannon’s lectures are combinedwith new ideas for regenerative farming to improve our pasture and soil health.We rotate through pastures, graze herb-rich leys and set aside large areas of the farmfor wildlife and nature. Oncemilling is completed the finished fabrics are manufactured into apparel in northLondonwith the designs inspired by the clothes of early pioneers. Aunique selling point for the business is that Herne’s products are designed, grown andmade inBritain. Having had ten years of dealing withmajormultiples I decided that any newbusinessmust be able tomarket and sell direct to customers, soworked to create awebsite and develop a social media network. As customers become increasingly interested in howandwhere their products are grown, showcasing the vertical integration of ‘Wool to Wardrobe’ and life on the farm has proved popular andwe have achieved sales all around theworld, most notably NorthAmerica.