Cheryl Stewart

I am an Ecological Community Psychologist who has a small eco-friendly farm in Fife Scotland. We took on the farm/horse livery yard in 2016. I have a flock of Soay sheep and am constantly learning about the unique contribution they make in our efforts to improve our soil and plant diversity. I was drawn to Fibreshed Scotland out of curiosity. We originally got the flock to companion graze with horses because they were hardy and naturally molted their fleece. I had only just started to fully appreciate the value of Soay wool, picking strands of wool from wire fences and out of wooden posts and twisting it between my finger tips soon turned into seasonal rooing and scouring sessions, learning to spin, knit and felt. I wanted to share ideas, discoveries and queries with others who understood and valued natural fibres and the systems for processing them into textiles. I love observing and learning about the ecosystems on the farm and apply closed loop practices whenever possible. For example, we compost horse manure using a windrow system and then spread it on vegetable beds and paddocks. Being part of Fibreshed Scotland has broadened my appreciation for other fibres and the use of natural dyes. But it also awakened my awareness of the challenges and opportunities for using our land more effectively in promoting awareness of using regenerative agricultural practices for producing good quality fibre as well as food.