Sarah Reed’s husband Jono is the third generation of the Reed family to farm The Grampians, a 3500 hectare high country station 18 kilometres west of Culverden.

With the couple’s young children Hank, Greta and Alba poised to eventually take on the mantle, Sarah, a nurse by profession, was keen to find her own niche in the family business, which runs 5500 merinos and 400 cattle.

“Our farm is best known for Grampians Angus, our established stud business, which has an annual Angus bull sale each June. However, via a relationship set up by Bloch and Behrens and PGG Wrightson, Jono and his parents Graham and Ann have been supplying Devold of Norway with Grampians merino wool since 2017.

“We were fortunate to become a part of the Devold brand and meet the team from Norway last year. I saw an opportunity to take Devold into New Zealand rural communities, which led to starting our new business, The Grumpy Merino, selling Devold products in pop up shops around the country,” she says.

Running the business from the farm, Sarah sees wool grown by the family’s own ewes transformed into specific garments.

“Our products are traceable, natural and sustainable. Being part of the Devold brand, which stands for high quality, is inspiring,” she says.

A true family affair, The Grumpy Merino was named from a combination of Graham’s nickname, Stumpy, and the name of the station. Meanwhile Ann assists with the books and Jono, alongside shepherd Will Brown, concentrates on producing the wool.

With assistance from PGG Wrightson local wool rep Peter McCusker Sarah has also started a dedicated Grumpy Merino range of blankets.

“We are producing Grumpy Merino blankets for babies and children, in bassinet, cot and single bed sizes, plus a throw for bigger beds. We send our premium hogget fleece for scouring in Timaru, it then goes to Wool Yarns to be carded, then to Interweave in Auckland where the blankets are made. We are also working with Wild Earth Yarns in Christchurch on a natural, undyed yarn. We are passionate about designing, developing and producing in New Zealand, working with like-minded businesses that support our values and commitment to the wool industry,” she says.

According to Sarah, a good day of sales is the most satisfying aspect of the new business.

“I like to let the products speak for themselves, then allow ‘word of mouth’ to take over. Someone coming in and saying ‘I heard about you from so and so’ is powerful encouragement. Watching the business grow and evolve, taking on and overcoming new challenges: although you have highs and lows, if you keep an open mind, and find new ways to stoke the passion, it is really rewarding,” she says.