From Farm to Yarn /
For nurse-cum-mother-cum-entrepreneur Sarah Reed, The Grumpy Merino has become a vehicle to open the discussions around wool and local business, while diversifying off a family farming operation.
Don’t be fooled by the name, there is nothing grumpy about this new venture
WHILE SARAH REED HUMBLY ADMITS THAT ‘anyone can do what she has done’, the fact is she had the vision, the dedication and the passion to do it. She had the innovation and foresight to establish a brand that allows her and her family to marry the two aspects of their farming operation (Grampians Angus bull stud and merino sheep) together, while showcasing the natural and sustainable benefits of wool.
‘The Grampians is a fourth-generation hill and high country property, rich in history and scenic beauty,’ she explains. ‘And we are very aware of our role to not only ensure our farming business supports our children’s futures; but to maintain, promote and protect our land, our sheep and our story.’
While the focus on the farm is the development and breeding programme of the Grampians Angus bull stud, the farm also runs a number of merino sheep and it was here that Sarah saw room for development. ‘I knew I wanted to do something with wool and retail,’ she explains. ‘My husband Jono and his parents Graham and Ann have always been passionate about merinos and wool and have supported my gut instinct to pursue this dream.’
Sarah’s gut instinct has put her in good stead and despite diving headfirst into business ‘with no business background’, she is succeeding at every corner, an unsurprising feat to anyone who knows her. ‘I don’t like to sit still,’ she shares with a smile.
‘I lost my grandmother in June 2019. She was passionate about wool blankets and I inherited one of her woollen throws which is now used regularly in our home. She had a merino blanket knitted for each of our children when they were babies and I wanted to be able to share this notion with others, in a new way.’
The result was the development of The Grumpy Merino (TGM) in May 2020. ‘COVID-19 taught us to be quick thinking, creative and smart in our business models and decisions,’ she continues. ‘We’ve produced a TGM brand purely from social media, a website, being on the road and word of mouth. It’s a completely New Zealand-grown, designed and produced range. We wanted to support other New Zealand businesses, creating a circular economy, which has allowed us to collaborate with passionate, like-minded people who are just as excited about their businesses as we are.’
TGM is driven by a desire to better utilise the wool from the farm’s merino flock, transforming it into a high-quality yarn, blankets and throws, with room for the product range to grow. ‘A little goes a long way,’ she explains. ‘From 1,000 kilos of wool we have made 2,000 balls of yarn and 800 blankets.’
Once shorn, the hogget merino fleece is sent from the farm in Culverden to Timaru for scouring before it is transported to either Wild Earth Yarns in Christchurch to become natural undyed yarn, or to Woolyarns in Wellington to be spun. The spun wool is then transported to Interweave
in Auckland to become a blanket. The end products are then sent out to local stockists for retail, and home to Sarah to sell online and at local fetes.
‘The yarn is beautiful to knit with,’ enthuses Sarah, ‘and the blankets soft and luxurious to snuggle under.’ While some may recall the woollen blankets of their childhood as scratchy, the high-quality merino wool is a far cry from this. ‘Our fleeces are 17.5 micron, which is really soft, and as we are 100 per cent merino and not a blend, you are guaranteed a premium, natural product that has been produced naturally and sustainably.
‘Merino has all the wonderful properties of wool, plus extra benefits and we are very lucky to be involved with Devold of Norway to ensure our genetics produce the ultimate sheep. We need fine, soft wool, without compromising on a gutsy, fertile ewe that will survive the harsh winters up here at The Grampians.’
For Sarah, one of the most exciting aspects of TGM is the traceability. ‘It is really exciting to know that we own the sheep who produce the wool and that we can follow every step the wool then takes to convert it into a natural, high-quality, New Zealand-made product. In other words, we have 100 per cent traceability; we can muster the ewes, shear them and then hold a blanket which they have grown. It’s awesome.’
‘We need fine, soft wool, without compromising on a gutsy, fertile ewe that will survive the harsh winters up here at The Grampians.’