Meet your regional representative - Lindy Head

When Lindy and Robin Head arrived at Harton in Devon 42 years ago, just off the southern edge of Exmoor, they decided to keep sheep and equally as iconic as the landscape, chose the Exmoor Horn breed. On a proportion of pure-breds, they put a Poll Dorset, giving a hardy but milky cross-bred (a Harton-style Exmoor Mule), and on these they use a Sufftex as terminal sire. Finished lambs are sold at South Molton market.

Being a relatively small farm, extra income was generated by Robin firstly working on a fish farm, then a dairy farm.  For the last 20-odd years Robin has been working as a builder. Back home, Lindy was busy running a farmhouse bed, breakfast and evening meal business with the focus being on using home-grown meat, fruit, and vegetables. This was until 2020 when the global pandemic struck. Lindy also enjoys working on local shoots in the winter with her Springer and Clumber spaniels.

Lindy became fascinated with wool when she learnt and started to handspin in 1981. Roll forward 40 years and now Lindy runs Exmoor Horn Wool, a wool based business established in 2014 on behalf of the Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders’ Society. This farmer-owned micro company produces hand knitting wool, two types of socks, pullovers and throws. Lindy says that learning about the journey from fleece to finished product has been enlightening, interesting, sometimes taxing, but ultimately satisfying.

Fundamental to the success of the company is the use of British Wool’s graded fleeces, giving reliable consistency to the product. This grading system ensures that every UK farmer, regardless of wool type, location, or quantity, can entrust the marketing of fleeces and that British Wool returns the true market value back to the farmer.

Lindy has been one of the Devon County Representatives for British Wool on the South West Regional committee since 2014.  This is a voluntary role which is key in representing members within the county and an important link between the organisation and its members. 

Lindy commented: “I feel very proud to be one of the Devon County Representatives for British Wool and I, like every farmer agree that wool values need to return better than we have seen in recent years. By supporting British Wool this ensures a strong collective strength in trying to achieve a better return.  Also, the challenge remains that we need to continue persuading the public that wool, not synthetics, is a natural, quality, and biodegradable fibre and can be part of the answer to a greener universe.”

Besides growing fruit and vegetables, Lindy had recently discovered the joy of garden flowers too, especially scented ones and always looks forward to a sunny afternoon in their pale blue summerhouse under the oak trees in the West Meadow.