Laury-Anne Boschman and Andrew Johnston

Winner of the 2024 New Entrant Award

About Laury-Anne and Andrew:

Annfield Farm is a traditional mixed farm in West Fife which has been farmed by four generations of Andrew’s family. 

In October 2020 Laury-Anne and Andrew introduced a herd of Angora goats which they breed exclusively for their fleeces and keep to the end of their natural life. Their goal is to raise animals with high welfare standards: happy goats and no kill. They are a rare breed in the UK, with only around 30 breeders and only four in the whole of Scotland. 

The goats produce an exceptionally fine and luxurious fleece called Mohair, which is in high demand worldwide. Every year, a laboratory tests the wool of all the 18-month-old goats to determine their individual qualities. This allows Laury-Anne and Andrew to organise breeding and create fleece statistics. 

The goats produce fleece all through their lives and whilst the diameter increases with age there is still a valuable use for it. The goats’ fleeces are mixed with local smallholders' Shetland fleeces to produce the main yarn collection. A range of yarn has also been developed using fleece from the neighbouring farm’s Texel and Suffolk sheep. The neighbours are commercial breeders who used to view the wool only as a by-product which got sent straight to the wool board. All the fleeces are sourced within 20 miles of the farm. 

The yarn is spun in a traditional wool mill in Yorkshire. Laury-Anne and Andrew then dye it themselves using British-made dyes. Their goal is to offer local, high-quality yarn, which pays a fair price to everyone involved. They believe that natural yarn is good for the environment but can also be good for business. 

What the judges said:

“Laury-Anne and Andrew have taken something that was seen as a by-product with little value and produced a high-quality Scottish wool that is marketable. They have helped put wool back on the map and shown other farmers that it is possible to add value to something so often discarded.”

What Laury-Anne and Andrew said:

"It has been incredibly rewarding to receive this award. Especially when our farming venture is so niche and unusual.

We appreciate everything SRUC did for us when we were students there and all the support we have received since. This award is the cherry on top of the cake.”