Join ORFC in the Field at Fernhill Farm for two days of on-farm learning and connection this Spring. Dig into working with the wonders of wool, raising rare breed sheep, experimenting with natural dyes, and building your own fibre business in Somerset’s beautiful Chew Valley.

Over two days, you can expect practical and creative opportunities:

• Fernhill Farm tour: conservation grazing and building a thriving fibre business
• Hands-on blade shearing demo with a speciality fibre flock 
• Yarn, felt, fabric or mulch? Grading fleece for processing 
• Sheep breed selection and management for conservation grazing and fleece quality 
• How to: wool marketing and development for your wool business
• Discovering the world of natural colour with dyes for fleece and yarn 
• Leather-making from Fernhill cattle hides 
• Felting, knitting, and learning to spin fleece
• Networking, social connections and more!

Wool Workshops: Details of What to Expect

Fernhill: Farm Tour and Fibre Demos with Jennifer Hunter and Andy Wear

Jen Hunter and Andy Wear, farmers at Fernhill for the last 30 years, will guide us through their farming system, events and wool enterprises using nature’s gifts from the land.  

Visit ancient sites across the farm, the woodlands plantations, renewable energy installations, natural water purification, and the families of cows, sheep and pigs at Fernhill. 

Then head into the barns for a shearing demonstration led by Andy, while Jen will demonstrate grading fleece for quality and processing into yarn, felt, and fabric, or using for garden mulch. 

Takeaway skills: shearing, fleece grading, fibre farming, wool enterprise models

Selecting Sheep Breeds for Conservation Grazing and Fleece with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust 

We’ll be digging into rare and native breeds of sheep with Tracy Wathen-Jones of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust to discover more about their role in conservation grazing and agroecological systems. With a look at different breed traits, we’ll explore how breed selection and management can shape environmental outcomes on the farm. And we’ll also be looking at the qualities and uses of different fleeces. All fleece has a use, it’s just about finding what it is! 

Takeaway skills: conservation grazing, breed selection and management, fleece qualities and applications

Exploring Natural Dyes with Ria Burns 

Explore the world of natural colour with textile designer Ria Burns. We’ll dye fleece and yarn from the sheep of Fernhill with a vibrant range of colours using native wild plants, cultivated dye crops and food waste. Whilst the pots are bubbling away we’ll go on a short walk to identify the abundant wild plants on the farm that can be used as a dye resource.

Key takeaways: natural dying, foraging, native wild plant identification

From Fleece to Product: Adding Value to your Wool Clip with South East England Fibreshed

Learn how to grow your wool business with Deborah Barker, co-founder of South East England Fibreshed. This session will take you through the foundations for developing a brilliant business plan to add value to your wool.  We will start with fleece quality considerations and identifying your market. We will then discuss finding, briefing and working with mills and designers, before moving on to the business plan, pricing, and finally marketing and telling your story. Whether you are just beginning your wool journey, or looking to develop an existing project, come along to gain new skills, ideas, and vision for your business. 

Key takeaways: fibre business planning, markets, supply chains, storytelling

Time to Craft, Make Leather, Socialise and More

In a mixed system, it’s not all about the sheep! Join Alice Robinson of British Pasture Leather for a lunchtime deep dive into the leather making process and working with the hides of Fernhill cattle. 

Plus we’ll be enjoying a relaxed and social evening of crafting with felting, knitting, and spinning fleece together. 

Two Trees catering will be serving up delicious lunches and celebratory dinners, and for early risers we’ll make time to enjoy a relaxing yoga session in the farm to connect mind, body, soul and land!

Practical Information

Meals
Hot lunches, tea and coffee are included in the ticket price on both days. Ticketed dinners are also available for purchase. We especially encourage attendees to join us for a celebratory evening meal on Tuesday, 7th April, featuring meat produced by Fernhill Farm (vegetarian/vegan options also available). Please note dinners must be booked in advance. Spaces are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Accomodation
A range of on-site accommodation is available, including camping (campervans welcome) and a limited number of indoor options (including shepherds huts). Camping is £15 per person / per night. Campervans in the field (without an electric hookup) are £20 per van per night; campervans in the field (including an electric hookup) are £25 per van per night. Bunkbed accommodation in a shepherds hut is £50 per person / per night. Please book accommodation with Fernhill directly via their website. Please note this is a working farm with livestock; unfortunately, dogs are not permitted.

Parking
Early arrivals are welcome from 4pm on Monday, 6th April. Parking is available on-site. As much as possible we encourage delegates to liftshare (or self-organise shared taxis) using the spreadsheet included in the order confirmation email. 

Subsidised tickets
We offer a limited number of subsidised tickets for students; young people (under 25); BPOC; part-time, low-waged, and/or unpaid workers; new entrant farmers; and anyone otherwise unable to attend.