We see the objectives of Loom and Power are to bring wool manufacturing back to the Cotswolds and support the community of growers, creatives and crafters who want to work with local wool.
We have recently become a member of the South West Fibershed. This as a local movement stretching from the top of the Cotswolds (us) down through Bristol and Somerset and all the way to St. Ives. We are a big supporter of the mission and values of the Fibershed movement. We have included their mission statement below:
The Fibershed Mission
Fibershed is a non-profit organization that develops regional fibre systems that build ecosystem and community health. Our work expands opportunities to implement climate benefitting agriculture, rebuild regional manufacturing, and connect end-users to the source of our fibre through education. We transform the economic systems behind the production of material culture to mitigate climate change, improve health, and contribute to racial and economic equity.
The Vision
We envision a textile system that embraces the values of de-colonised and equitable soil-to-skin processes. We will strengthen an international system of diverse textile communities that directly enhance regional economies for the purpose of generating permanent and lasting systems of localised fibre production. These regional land regenerating production systems will diminish pressure on the ecologically undermined areas of the world.
We see a nourishing tradition emerging that connects the wearer to local fields where clothes are grown in a system that can last for countless generations into the future. Through a host of scientifically vetted soil carbon enhancing practices, our supply chains will create ‘climate beneficial’ clothing that will become the new standard. We envision a world looking to rapidly mitigate the effects of climate change where consumers, manufacturers, designers, and ecologists collectively rethink and reimagine the lifecycle of garments.
We are convinced that the current prices paid to growers by British Wool are unsustainable for growers, farmers and the local community. As we think about the value proposition of our technology, the way to have the most immediate impact is to enable our local community. We look forward to engaging with other producers in our "fibershed" and converting their fleece into fibre.