Jane Cooper grew up in North Warwickshire and learned to knit when she was very young. In 2010, Jane met the late Sue Blacker of the Natural Fibre Company, who wanted to get British Wool into the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, so Woolsack (woolsack.org.uk) was born, which they ran together. In 2013 Jane and her husband Paul moved to Orkney and got their first Boreray sheep and in 2017, Jane discovered that she was the custodian of the last remnants of the ‘Lost Flock’ of Boreray sheep. To secure the long-term future of the Orkney Boreray, Jane established flocks with more (younger!) Orkney crofters and farmers, to develop products and markets and make them a profitable enterprise for everyone involved. In September 2021 Orkney Boreray mutton became Scotland’s second Slow Food International Presidium. There are now eight flocks of Boreray sheep in Orkney.
‘A windswept love letter to Scotland’s heritage sheep and to
the Orkney farming community too. Jane Cooper gives a hands-on
account of her quest to save a ‘lost flock’ of primitive sheep – of
historic notability.’ Cal Flyn, author of Islands of
Abandonment
‘Rare-breed sheep, Scotland’s most dramatic landscapes and a woman
on a mission. All the perfect ingredients for an ovine true-life
adventure.’ Sally Coulthard, author of A Short History of the World
According to Sheep
‘A delightful tale about one woman’s passionate commitment to save
a unique breed of sheep. Small, with hairy neck ruffs of black and
tan, her chosen wards are not just any sheep; obscure and ignored
by the commercial sheep farming community, Jane’s flock in
Orkney were in danger of dying out. The story of
their enchanting history, promotion and salvation is a tribute
to how individual dedication can avert the very worst of
outcomes.’ Derek Gow, author of Bringing Back the Beaver
‘Starting with the history of the Boreray, one of our rarest sheep
breeds, The Lost Flock tells the fascinating and rather
romantic story of the so-called Lost Flock, a group within the
breed that got left behind when the rest were added to the official
register. An extremely useful and very well-written addition
to the library of books on our native livestock breeds.’
Christopher Price, CEO of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
‘Beautifully written and impeccably researched, Jane Cooper is
deeply committed to her flock of Borerays. Cooper proves to be the
ultimate ovine detective, solving the three-thousand-year mystery
of the Lost Flock while simultaneously securing the future of
smallhold farming in Orkney. She is a treasure to the industry and
a hero to the breed.’ Linda Cortright, founder of Wild Fibers
magazine and author of Twisted Tales
‘Jane Cooper combines intelligence, heart and passion to create a
life of integrity not only for herself but for one of the rarest
breeds of sheep on the planet – and, ultimately, to build a
community that promotes the well-being of all its members, two-foot
and four-foot, and of the earth. Her trials and triumphs offer a
stellar example for others to follow in their own ways. Bravo!’
Deborah Robson, coauthor of The Fleece and Fiber
Sourcebook
‘I fell in love with this craft, these sheep, their islands, this
determined woman and her story: how a knitter and spinner of wool
became a shepherd and changed the fortunes of a rare and ancient
breed of sheep; how, if you are bold and passionate enough to
pursue, pull and ‘roo’ the threads of a craft, it will take you to
the wildest heart of things.’ Nicola Chester, author of On
Gallows Down
‘The Lost Flock is a hugely readable ode to obsession and how one
woman’s knitting project led her to fall in love with the rarest of
rare breeds and follow her passion to the ends of the earth. Part
history lesson, part life lesson, Jane Cooper extols the virtues of
preindustrial farming and cultivating a deeper connection with
food, land and biosphere. The lost flock shows the power of one
committed individual to enact positive change and save part of our
shared natural heritage from extinction.’ Ross Barnett, author of
The Missing Lynx
‘There’s so much interesting historical information threaded
through Jane Cooper’s book about her adventures to preserve the
Lost Flock of Boreray.’ Suzanna Crampton, author of Bodacious: The
Shepherd Cat
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