It’s been said ‘where there’s a wool there’s a way’ and that certainly applies to Robert and Gail Gray.
The couple and their sons Brandon and Zaine have taught themselves to use an array of second-hand wool processing equipment and now make a range of niche products.
“We’re building up to our dream of running an on-farm natural products store,” say Robert, who’s Federated Farmers president for Ruapehu, and Gail, who’s the dairy chair and secretary/treasurer.
They run mostly dairy on their property near National Park but also have sheep and beef on that farm and another nearby property.
Robert has been farming all his life and, when younger, worked for a time in Canada on a farm that processed its own wool.
That experience was in his mind eight years ago when the dairy payout was little more than $3 and the family was considering other income streams.
With Brandon and Zaine earning good money, they co-invested in a second-hand carding machine from a woollen mill that was closing down.
Robert, who enjoys perusing TradeMe, soon invested in a spinning frame and a gill, which removes the natural hooks in wool and aligns the fibres ready for spinning.
When they heard that another woollen mill in Milton was closing, they headed south to dismantle and load onto a truck two more spinning frames and various winding, twisting and dyeing equipment.
Of course, then they had to build a new shed to accommodate the growing machinery menagerie.
Through trial and error, the Grays have taught themselves to use the gear.
“It has to be that way; it’s a very closed shop,” Gail says.
“There are no manuals to go with the machinery. It’s just try it out and see how you go.
“Robert and Zaine do most of the mechanical stuff because they’re into that sort of thing.”
Farming so close to the Tongariro Crossing and other tracks, they make and sell walkers’ wool to insert into boots to guard against blisters. It’s only 20 grams to a packet but it fetches a good price and sells well.
Another product is wild bird nesting wool that people can leave in their gardens for birds to grab and use for their nest building.
They also make and sell woollen dryer balls – six to a pack. The balls help keep clothes in a dryer apart, allowing the warm air to circulate better, cutting drying time and reducing static.
“The idea is to put three in at a time, and leave the other three to dry on the windowsill,” Gail says.
Robert says their latest project is to convert a mattress-topping machine, purchased in Kaio, to produce duvet inners, pet beds and continental blankets, using strong wool.
It means they now use all of the wool from their farm in their own products.
Living so near to the masterpiece of railway engineering, the Raurimu Spiral, they’re now branding their products under a ‘Spiral Farms’ label.
Their daughter Jessica, who lives in Taupo, helps on the marketing side.
“Ultimately, we want to set up an on-farm shop to service passing travellers and tourists and others interested in natural products,” Gail says.
“We have our own meat brand, we do free-range eggs, we have the wool products, and we’re keen to sell our own raw milk.”
Ever the entrepreneurs, the Grays are also making fire starters from pine and beeswax.
“The feedback we’ve had from barbecue enthusiasts and people with woodburners is that they’re very effective,” Robert says.
Like many other farmers, the family is frustrated with wool returns.
“We have a value chain where everyone else clips the ticket but we’re the price taker, when we have most of the costs and deal with all the things that can go wrong,” Robert says.
When they bought that first carding machine from Carrington’s, a manager there told them once they’d washed the wool bought from the farmer, it doubled in value.
“Once they’d carded it, it doubled in value again. Once it had been gilled and combed, the value doubled again, and so on,” Gail says.
“We want that value, and I guess by creating these products and having conversations with people buying them, we’re also sharing with others a bit of the amazing rural lifestyle we take for granted.”
Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.
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