Woolkeepers Meet The Farmer: Introducing Georgie
As a family-run British business, with over 100 years of expertise, we’re dedicated to making beds that are supremely comfortable and don’t have a negative impact on future generations. This means that every bed and mattress we craft is designed and made sustainably, with the planet in mind.
One element of our ongoing sustainability journey is working with like-minded ethical partners. We are proud to be part of The Woolkeepers® quality assurance platform which focuses on bringing together the community of farmers, manufacturers and brands to offer an independently verified and ethical source of wool, from farm gate to shop front.
This means we’ve formed ongoing relationships with our farmers, committing to their wool in advance to make wool growing a sustainable part of their business. And of course, all our British wool is traceable to Red Tractor assured farms, so we can be sure that all our farmers adhere to high standards of welfare, land and farm management.
As part of this partnership, we’re delighted to bring you the first in our series of ‘Meet the Farmers’ blogs that will introduce you to some of the dedicated producers behind the high-quality British wool we use in our beds. This month we’re meeting Dorset based farmer, Georgie.
Georgie has been shepherding her flock in Shaftesbury for over 20 years, but her dedication to animals started at an early age, as she describes: “My love of animals has been lifelong. Growing up I wanted to be a vet until I found my passion in sheep. My husband and I started out working with a large commercial flock and my shepherding experience goes back 40yrs.”
She focuses solely on committing all of her efforts to breeding the best possible stock of Pedigree Poll Dorset sheep, who graze on Dorset Down land as well as producing excellent quick maturing lambs and superior quality wool for high-end products.
With a dedication to producing the kind of quality wool that will eventually make its way into Hypnos beds and mattresses, her current flock consists of 50 top breeding ewes: the hope is to increase this, hence the recent purchase of two Ram’s of the highest quality and breeding traits that we look for in this flock. As Georgie explains: “For us, it’s not about numbers. It’s about quality and the care and attention we can give our sheep.”
Hugely passionate about the responsibility shepherds have to care for their flock, she’s dedicated to providing the best care for her sheep whilst enjoying every aspect of her job, as she explains: “They trust you and rely on you for everything. You support at a distance, to bring the newborn lamb into the world, and watch them grow, and witness the instant bond with their mother. The ewe and baby are extremely vulnerable, and it’s our duty to keep them safe, to do our absolute best for them. The most enjoyable aspect for me is working outside regardless of the weather and the relationship that has developed between me and the flock - because there most certainly is one.”
It’s clear Georgie is passionate about her flock of sheep and that’s just one of the reasons why her farm is registered as Red Tractor farm-assured. As the UK’s biggest farm and food standards scheme, Red Tractor is a recognisable industry standard by which farmers can be benchmarked and paid a premium price for what they produce. Furthermore, she also works closely with The Woolkeepers® quality assurance platform meaning we’re able to use 100% British wool in our mattresses which is ethically sourced and independently verified.
Georgie adds: “The Red Tractor Standards for wool traceability allows people or businesses that buy my wool to use their logo to promote British wool, which is reassuring for the consumer as they know the farmer in whatever sector has farmed to the high standards and key is animal welfare.”
Hypnos has been part of The Woolkeepers® since 2019 and has supported work to create a community of people at every step of the supply chain in order to build a better way of doing business so that everyone benefits.
The Woolkeepers® sourcing model offers genuine traceability by recording the movement of wool from the animal it has come from, as well as the sustainable production and supply process, right through to the brands that use it in their products.
The initiative uses existing assessment models, such as Red Tractor Standards, to assess safety, animal welfare, land, traceability, environmental impact and biodiversity. It is through these 3rd party certifications that The Woolkeepers® is able to verify that producers and the whole supply chain uphold these high standards.
We’re extremely proud to work with our farmers and support the work that they and The Woolkeepers® are doing to maintain a sustainable journey and ethical product for our customers.
For more information about The Woolkeepers® visit Woolkeepers.co.uk.