Great Cotmarsh Farm creating a warm Sustainable Fashion Educational Space with Truewool Insulation

Great Cotmarsh Farm Case study with Katie Cotmarsh

We are always thrilled when our customers reach out to us on social media. It gives us a glimpse into where our products go and how they are used. Recently, one of our customers posted on Instagram, and we were delighted to see that the TrueWool Sheep Wool Insulation was being installed at an on-site sustainable fashion school for Katie Cotmarsh (known initially as Loopy Ewes) at Great Cotmarsh Farm. We decided to take a closer look at this fantastic business and discover what other interesting projects our customer, Katie, is working on.

The converted old calving shed is now an educational space at Great Cotmarsh Farm. It offers students the chance to learn about sustainable fashion.

Truewool Insulation is being installed in the on-site school 

The classroom provides the local community - both adults, school aged children and teens, with a space where they can feel empowered with the skills and resources needed to drive a positive shift in our collective relationship with food, nature, clothing and the land. As well as growing food, the farm also has a range of unique diversification businesses around fibre, including a knitwear business ‘Katie Cotmarsh’ www.katiecotmarsh.co.uk, a botanical dye garden, and the UK’s first micro-scale tannery for cattle hides www.cotmarshtannery.co.uk.

Great Cotmarsh Farm – A Sustainable Farm:

Great Cotmarsh Farm is located at the foot of the Marlborough Downs in North Wiltshire, within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. Katie and her partner employ farming techniques that promote nature recovery, enhance soil health, and produce nutrient-rich food. It is part of the "Beacon Farm" network of sustainable and regenerative farms launched by the Sustainable Food Trust that offer on-farm, curriculum-linked experiences for primary school-aged children. They do not use synthetic fertilisers or chemicals; instead, they focus on utilising natural resources to create a thriving ecosystem. The environment and welfare of the farm animals are at the forefront of Katie's priorities, which is one of the key reasons she chose Truewool Loft insulation made from sheep wool sourced from Wales.

Meet the Farmer and Knitwear Designer Maker, Katie Allen

“My craft practice is founded upon the intention to create beautiful heritage knitwear, that plays an integral role in regenerating the landscape and supporting nature recovery. Each piece I make is a creative expression of my life spent working the land, honouring the balance of nature and the role of farming in our countryside. On our organic farm, I grow all the fibre for my knitwear from our flock of over 300 native breed sheep - grown, spun and finished within 130 miles. I have also started cultivating my own colour in a botanical dye garden, allowing me to work with a natural palette rooted in the landscape.”

" - Katie

The eco-school project:

Natural sheep's wool insulation has been integrated into renovating a farm outbuilding, turning it into a welcoming educational space. This facility will allow students to delve into the origins of the fashion supply chain, helping them grasp the important concept of circular fashion systems that connect everything from soil to soil. We believe this experience will profoundly enrich their understanding and spark their creativity, leaving a meaningful impression on their future perspectives.

“The best place to share about regenerative fashion systems is standing in the field where you can feel the life in the grasslands and see the bees on dye plants. We have a farm classroom dedicated to supporting knowledge sharing around regenerative systems for food, fashion and rural craft. We work with school children and fashion students from GCSE right through to MA level and are working on programmes to support the farming community too.” - Katie

Landscape and opportunities:

Due to the challenges of biodiversity decline, microplastic and toxic chemical pollution, and reliance on fossil fuel-based textiles, fashion education must integrate "sustainable" fashion more deeply into the curriculum. Katie seeks to connect fashion students with nature and localisation to cultivate a regenerative mindset in their design practices. Katie plans to engage fashion students with nature, the landscape and the opportunities for localisation in a way that ingrains a regenerative mindset into their design practice.

We have been excited to see the renovation take place and for the schoolroom to take shape. Now that it is complete, it will be a special place, and courses are already being booked for the year ahead. Thank you to Katie and the rest of the Great Cotmarsh Farm Tribe for allowing us to see a small part of everything that goes on there.

Reasons to love Sheep’s wool insulation:

TrueWool Sheep’s wool insulation is proudly made from 100% Welsh wool and has full British Wool Insulation certification. It’s like your home is having a cosy hug, or as we say in Wales, a lovely ‘Cwtsh!’ Your property will feel warm and snug, just like being wrapped in a soft blanket.

Other excellent properties of wool insulation:

• It’s very easy to use and handle
• Wool is a natural insulator for the home
• Natural Fibre insulation is breathable, providing comfort in all environments.
• Absorbs moisture – wool can absorb 30% of its weight in moisture before feeling damp.
• Wool is 100% natural and 100% renewable. Each year, a new fleece is grown and then shorn for the animal's welfare.
• Wool is planet-friendly – sheep’s wool insulation doesn’t contribute to landfill or ocean pollution
• Wool regulates temperature; it adapts to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
• Wool is durable and strong!

For more information about the farm and the classes;

https://katiecotmarsh.co.uk/pages/our-farm

https://www.greatcotmarshfarm.co.uk/farmclassroom

For more information about Beacon Farms;

https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/our-work/beacon-farms/

Truewool Insulation:

https://www.celticsustainables.co.uk/truewool-loft-insulation/