A Throwback to the Basics

This is not wool, as you probably imagine it. Topsy Farms' wool is shipped to a mill in Prince Edward Island, where it is treated with a gentleness that no usual industrial process can mimic. The wool is washed in soap and never comes in contact with the sulfuric acid used in commercial processes, leaving the natural fibre-softening lanolin intact. The wool is never aggressively combed or pounded, so the wool fibres never break. The result is a soft and gentle product that never itches.
After first coming to Amherst Island in the early 1970s, Sally Bowen, above, and her husband, Ian Murray, have been farming Topsy Farms for more than 45 years. It hasn't always been easy. They often found work on neighbouring farms or on the mainland, now their three children and friends are taking the reins and are learning how to manage the farm.
Standing with his father, Ian Murray, and friend, Colette Wigmore, Jacob, top left, is now managing the farm with his siblings Leah and Kyle, as well as their friends Will Adam and Kayleigh Graham.
"This is our first year without training wheels," Jacob says. "But we're getting the hang of it, and we're guided by the principles of connection to the land, respect for the animals and an openness to the public that comes to learn about what we're doing."
A rainbow assortment of queen-sized wool blankets, fluffy duvets, mattress toppers, pillows and yarn — in aran, fingering and worsted weights — fill The Wool Shed at Topsy Farm.