As an offshoot to our goat meat project with Boer and Cashmere crosses, we are developing herds of Scottish Cashmere goats to produce genuine Scottish Cashmere fibre and to help secure the future of the breed.
Scottish cashmere fibre is currently not grown in Scotland but from goats in China, Mongolia, Iran and Afghanistan. Farming Cashmere goats in Scotland has almost died out so the imported fibre is classed as “Scottish”, as it processed in Scotland. Many believe it is unethical to source from countries where the goat’s overpopulation is damaging the environment, and from communities who shear their goats’ coats leaving them without insulation over the winter months.
As guardians of the largest remaining farmed herd of Cashmere goats in Scotland, we believe this unique natural fibre is gift from our goats and should be treated with the utmost respect. This Spring, we’ll be ethically harvesting our goats’ cashmere fibre by hand combing to leave our goats with glossy new coats for the summer. Goats would naturally spend the summer months rubbing themselves against fences and gorse to remove their unwanted cashmere so we are just giving them a helping hand.
Securing the future of this heritage breed is important to us. Once our Cashmere ladies retire from having kids, we plan let them live out their natural lives at Lunan Bay as a “Thank You” for their fibre, kids and company. This project is in its early days, and we have just begun testing our Cashmere fibre for quality, looking at length, micro size and curvature profiles, and collaborating with Cashmere fibre experts.
We are currently looking to collaborate with hand spinners, fibre processors and designers on our Scottish Cashmere. If this is of interest, please contact Jillian McEwan on enquiries@lunanbayfarm.com.
