Rosemary Michael selling her home-grown Lechcim Wool products at this year's Sheepvention in Hamilton, Victoria.
Rosemary Michael of 'Leahcim' at Snowtown in South Australia has set up business transforming 100% Merino wool from her own family farm into yarn and knitted products, with the processing and manufacture done entirely in Australia.
The Michael family has been farming at Snowtown in South Australia since 1873. The family's farm and stud, Leahcim, is run by Andrew and Rosemary Michael and their family, with Andrew well known in the industry for his passion to breed the best sheep possible. Rosemary shares Andrew's enthusiasm for sheep and also has a keen interest in crafting wool.
Given the effort they put into growing quality Merino wool, the Michaels recently decided to take some of their own wool through the supply chain themselves and have it processed and made into yarn and end-products, thereby enabling them to market the yarn/products with a unique provenance and traceability story.
They began their venture at shearing in October 2019, when some of the best fleeces from their mixed aged ewes, 17-micron with 8.5 months' wool growth, was handpicked to make up a bale.
It was important for Rosemary that the wool processing takes place in Australia, so that the yarn is 100% Australian processed as well as Australian grown.
Rosemary and Andrew drove the bale of wool to EP Robinson in Geelong for scouring, from where it was taken to Cashmere Connections at Bacchus Marsh to be made into wool top. Rosemary kept some of the top, with the remainder sent to Wangaratta Woollen Mills for spinning.
Rosemary says the production process took nine months, and it was with great anticipation that she opened the first boxes of yarn to assess what the quality was like.
"After many years of Leahcim breeding poll Merino sheep, using every bit of available technology, to produce sheep that are ethically and sustainably managed, and still tick all the boxes for meat and wool quality, I was hoping I wasn't going to be disappointed with what was inside," she said.
"My first thought was, 'It looks good'. Secondly, I put my hand on some wool on the cone, 'It feels particularly good'. Then once I started weaving and hand dyeing the spun wool, all I can say is, it is so soft and beautiful to handle and takes the dye colours so well.
"For the past year, we have been selling the yarn, under the name Leahcim Wool – farm to yarn to you. It has been a major part of my life since those first boxes of spun woollen yarn arrived back at Leahcim Farm and I'm enjoying every aspect of this beautiful product."
Rosemary has been touring rural shows selling her yarn. The shows range from the smaller, local shows like the Jamestown Show to the larger shows such as the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo at which her marquee also showcased some of their own poll Merino sheep, showing the complete 'farm to yarn to you' story.
"Probably, the most exciting thing during the past couple of years is the reaction we get from everyone who takes the time to lay their hands on this 100% home grown, Australian product. It is this reaction that makes me realise, we have something very special," she said.
"Along with the wool, people love the fact they are talking with the farmers that grow the wool on their own family farm, and that it has been fully grown and processed without leaving Australian shores.
"There are a lot of people out there today that are looking for products that are ethically and sustainably produced. At Leahcim, we are doing everything possible to keep our part of the planet as sustainable as possible, so we can pass on this great land that we have inhabited to many generations to come."
The new business continues to grow. Last year, Rosemary sent off another two bales of their wool to be processed, and spun at Bendigo Woollen Mills, with half of it commercially dyed and then knitted by Silver Fleece in Adelaide into scarves, beanies and rugs/wraps. And in April this year, a third lot of their wool – this time, five bales – was despatched for processing.
"We continue to be overwhelmed by the interest and support we are receiving," Rosemary added.
