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This week we had the pleasure of welcoming Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid Cymru, and Elin Jones, Llywydd of the Senedd and Ceredigion’s MS, along with three other Plaid Cymru candidates, to our mill here in West Wales. Their visit was part of a wider day spent meeting local businesses and organisations across Ceredigion and Preseli - a celebration of the innovation, resilience, and creativity that thrives in this part of Wales.
For us, it was an opportunity to share what we’ve been building over the past few years: a small, independent spinning mill dedicated to producing traceable, climate-positive, British wool. More importantly, it was a chance to show the reality of life as a small manufacturer - the joys, the challenges, and the daily work of turning raw fleece into yarn.
We began, as we often do, among the machines. It was a quieter day than usual in the mill, with just the two of us - Sally and I - on hand to give the tour. But the smell of fleece, the enormity of the machinery, and the sight of skeins in progress did most of the talking.
One story that particularly caught the group’s imagination was about Florence, our spinning frame. She arrived with us in thousands of pieces, without manuals or diagrams, and had to be painstakingly rebuilt, part by part, until she came back to life. To anyone who has ever wrestled with a flat-pack, it raised a smile - though in this case it was industrial-scale engineering rather than a bookcase. Florence has since become one of the cornerstones of our mill, and her story neatly sums up the spirit of what we do: resourceful, determined, and willing to take on challenges that don’t come with an instruction sheet.
What really seemed to strike a chord, though, was hearing from Sally herself. She spoke about the beginnings of Garthenor, over 25 years ago, when she first started farming sheep and experimenting with turning their fleeces into yarn. Back then, there was no clear route for producing certified organic wool - so she helped campaign to create the very standards that now underpin the organic textile world.
That early determination still shapes everything we do today. She explained how the business has grown slowly and sometimes painfully, from a few skeins at the kitchen table to running a full mill. She didn’t gloss over the challenges either - the financial risks, the long nights, the sheer graft of keeping the vision alive. But she always brought it back to the mission: showing the true value of wool, supporting small flocks and rare breeds, and proving that sustainable manufacturing has a place in rural Wales.
The visitors described her as a trailblazer, which felt right. She has always been ahead of the curve, both in believing that organic farming mattered long before it was fashionable, and in showing that provenance and storytelling could make wool something precious again. Listening to her speak, I was reminded - as I often am - that this whole enterprise exists because she refused to give up on the idea that wool deserved better.
It’s always heartening to see politicians take time to step inside a small business. Beyond the immediate interest in the whirring machinery and the stories of sheep breeds, there’s a bigger purpose here.
Small rural manufacturers like us are part of the backbone of the local economy. We create jobs, keep traditional skills alive, and offer an alternative vision of what industry in Wales can look like: sustainable, community-rooted, and forward-thinking. But we also face real challenges - from the rising costs of energy, to the complexity of supply chains, to the infrastructure needed to keep rural businesses thriving.
Sharing these realities openly helps shape the future. When decision-makers see firsthand the graft and ingenuity that goes into running a mill, it adds colour to the statistics and policy discussions. It shows that sustainable manufacturing in Wales isn’t an abstract idea, but something happening here and now, with fleeces stacked in the corner and cones spinning on the frame.
Equally, visits like this remind us that we’re not alone. That day, Rhun, Elin, and their colleagues visited a number of other small businesses across the region - each with its own story, challenges, and ambitions. To be included in that community of innovative enterprises felt significant. It’s a reminder that rural Wales is full of ideas worth backing, whether in food, farming, textiles, or technology.
The conversations we had in the mill were wide-ranging: the potential of wool as a sustainable material, the importance of investing in local skills, and the opportunities that come from keeping production close to home. None of these issues will be solved overnight, but they’re part of a bigger dialogue about how Wales supports its industries, its landscapes, and its people.
For us, the commitment remains simple. We’ll keep farming sheep, spinning yarn, and telling the story of British wool in all its diversity. We’ll keep making things ourselves, even when it means wrestling with machines that arrive in crates with no manuals. And we’ll keep welcoming anyone - whether knitter, neighbour, or politician - who wants to step inside and see how it all works.
I’d like to extend a warm thank you to Rhun ap Iorwerth, Elin Jones, and their colleagues for taking the time to visit us. It was a privilege to share the story of our mill and our mission, and to add our voice to the wider chorus of small businesses that make up the fabric of this community.
We’re proud of what we’ve built so far, and hopeful about what the future holds for wool, for farming, and for sustainable manufacturing in Wales.