A life woven in wool

  Beverley Forrester in the wool barn with a selection of garments – including those featured in Fashion Week. Claire Inkson

When I meet Beverley Forrester at her home in Leithfield, I am greeted with a warm hug and a fresh batch of scones smothered in homemade blackcurrant jam.

“I made it in December. I quite like preserving — apricots too. I’m a bit like a squirrel.”

It’s such a humble, country welcome that you would never guess Forrester has just added one of the highest honours to an already remarkable list of achievements — being appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the wool and fashion industries.

“You don’t do things expecting recognition. Things just evolve,” she says.

“Who would’ve thought I’d end up doing trade fairs all around the world?”

She describes the recognition as “mind-blowing” but is quick to downplay it, describing the strong wool industry as “one big family.”

“You do things because you love them. Because you enjoy them. Because of the people.”

That grounding — in people, place and purpose — runs through every chapter of her story.

Black Hills: farming, family, and restoration

Forrester’s working life is deeply tied to the land.

She and her late husband Jim farmed Black Hills, a fourth-generation sheep and beef property near Waikari.

After Jim’s sudden death in 1997, Forrester carried on alone, taking on the challenge of running the North Canterbury property herself.

In the years that followed, she restored the historic buildings at Black Hills and opened the woolshed to visitors, turning the farm into a place where the story of wool, farming and rural life could be shared.

Bus tours, wool groups and international visitors passed through the woolshed — well before agritourism became a familiar term.

“I always believed that if you’re going to do something, you do it properly,” she says. “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Life at Black Hills shaped much of what followed.

 In 2015, Forrester documented that chapter in her memoir, The Farm at Black Hills.

The book traces her journey from occupational therapist to farmer and wool entrepreneur, learning to run the farm after Jim’s death and building an international wool business along the way.

Proceeds from the book funded three scholarships through Rural Women New Zealand, supporting people working in rural communities, particularly in health and disability-related fields.

   Wool provides an alternative to synthetics in bedding and soft furnishings.

From therapy to textiles

Before wool became her focus, Forrester trained and worked as an occupational therapist, including managing staff at Christchurch Hospital.

“A lot of it transfers,” she says.

Planning, managing people, problem-solving — the skills she learned in health later underpinned her business work.

Her interest in wool began early.

 She was taught to knit and crochet by her mother and grandmother and grew up around sheep.

Later, through her hospital work, she developed an interest in genetics, which led her towards coloured sheep.

“At that stage, black sheep were often unwanted,” she says. “People hid them. I told them to keep them. They had value.”

Land-mats, made with non-woven cross bred wool provide a sustainable, chemical-free alternative to sprays when combating weeds.

Taking wool to the world

The wool business gathered momentum in the early 2000s, around the time of the World Corriedale Conference in Christchurch.

“My cousin came out from England and wanted a garment I knitted to take home. His wife wanted one too. They went back, and everyone admired them. That’s how it started overseas.”

From there, opportunities followed quickly — overseas trade fairs, showrooms and shops in Oxfordshire, and international distribution.

 Her garments were selected as official New Zealand gifts, including one presented to HRH Princess Anne.

It wasn’t always straightforward – especially in an industry dominated by men.

“I went to the airport office once and was completely dismissed,” Forrester says. “They couldn’t be bothered. Yes — because I was a woman.”

Rather than stopping, she found the right people and kept going.

“I’m a cup-half-full person,” she says. “You minimise the risk, then you say yes. Then you work out how to do it.”

     Where other people saw coloured sheep as a nuisance, Forrester saw an opportunity.

The Wool Barn and life in Leithfield

After stepping back from day-to-day farming at Black Hills, Forrester moved to Leithfield Village and built the Wool Barn — a purpose-built space that continues the work she began on the farm.

It’s a working space, a place to tell stories, and somewhere people can come and talk wool.

She also mentors people voluntarily, across different industries.

“The principles are the same,” she says. “It’s year three, year four, year five in business where people really need support.”

Y Wool and new directions

Much of Forrester’s current focus is on Y Wool, the brand under which she markets natural, non-woven products made from 100 percent New Zealand crossbred wool.

The range includes wool mats for horticulture and landscaping, insulating textiles, filters, spill kits, and wool knops — small pieces of wool used in bedding and soft furnishings as a natural alternative to foam.

Y Wool mats are currently being used under vine at Torlesse Wines in Waipara, just down the road from where Forrester now lives.

 The wool mats provide weed control without sprays and help retain soil moisture.

She remains confident in wool’s future, particularly as more industries look for alternatives to synthetics.

“I always say it’s our number one product,” she says. “We just have to keep telling its story.”

  Beverley Forrester was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this years New Year’s Honour list – but she remains as humble as ever.

Rural women and changing communities

A lifelong member of Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ), Forrester has held leadership roles and remains strongly connected to rural communities.

She acknowledges, however, that as important as organisations like RWNZ are – times are changing.

“Everybody’s busy,” she says. “People need two incomes now. Women are working hard. “Life’s different to how it used to be.”

But she believes involvement in community organisations is worth the effort -even when time is stretched.

“If you want something to work, you’ve got to put a bit of effort in.” she says.

Despite a busy working life, Forrester still finds time to garden, bake, and has even taken up line dancing.

“You’ve got to take time to do those things,” Forrester says. “That’s your time out. When you live in a small district, you’re part of the community.”