[Rosemary]

Just floating this, following a conversation with a friend.

We currently sell our Coloured Ryeland fleeces raw to hand spinners and crafters. We ask £7.50 per fleece. It's not a huge market though and it means packing and posting whole fleece. I suspect, although I haven't done any figures, that I could make more money selling processed fleece IF I could get it processed locally.

Yesterday, Sue and I were talking about a mini mill for Central / NE Scotland - the only other in Scotland that we knew about was in the Borders.

Anyone any thoughts, experience, knowledge of this subject that they'd like to share?

[Fleecewife]

It would be lovely to have processing facilities locally as often the main costs are for postage.  I did look at minimills a few years back with a view to setting one up myself, but they seemed to be astronomically expensive. Perhaps one option might be a co-op.  RBST Caley were discussing fleece sales at the AGM - might it tie in with them?

[scarlettoara]

we used to sell our raw fleeces for £10 but sometimes the postage was more than the fleece, especially if high in lanolin.
theres a hand spinning company on orkney - north ronaldsay -  i have enquired before about getting mine made into woo but was told they were full to capacity.

[Rosemary]

RBST Caley were discussing fleece sales at the AGM - might it tie in with them?

I was there and I've been talking to Martin Beard about it - hopefully there will be the will to get something up and running.

[Fleecewife]

RBST Caley were discussing fleece sales at the AGM - might it tie in with them?

I was there and I've been talking to Martin Beard about it - hopefully there will be the will to get something up and running.

I thought you would have been there    I couldn't get there but Ian sent me all the handouts; now I just need the report to know what was decided 
Looking forward to hearing how your investigation goes.  All the mills in GB seem to be really busy, some with long waiting lists, so I'm sure there's room for another one.  It would need a really catchy name.

[renee]

We have a mini-mill in Jämtland. Bought by the E.U and the regional government about 4 years ago. I was so lucky to be there when the bloke from Canada was installing it. Up here everything works whilst the E.U grants are to be had then it flops. So, it ran for three years. Not well, a lot of starting problems. The carded wool, yarn was very nice but production low. Now it has been closed down for a year and has just opened again as a private concern. They are offering to spin for farmers for 60 quid per kilo for the weight of wool you send in.
I have carded on industrial machines for many years and I know that you can reckon with 40-60% disappearing in wash and going through the machines so that is damned expensive yarn.
But I also know, with the cost of the machines the price needs to be in that region or you cannot pay for the machines
 Hope you get some contacts who appreciate your beautiful fleeces and realise they have to pay a good price for good raw material. 

[Rosemary]

now I just need the report to know what was decided 

Um, Keith Legge is Chair, Moyra is Treasurer, Ian is Secretary, Martin is marketing and DAN is on the committee to help develop communications and the website. can't remember all the rest of the committee but each event was allocated to a committee member rather than Ian doing them all.

There is a programme of about 19 events this year and Caley is taking responsibiity for the RBST stand at the Highland - very ambitious stand planned and we're hoping to get a good site in the Countryside area near the poultry tent.

Doing Blair Horse Trials again - it went really well last year with nine rare breed equines involved.

Plus maybe five local shows. Busy year