The Groundswell Festival provides a forum for farmers, growers, or anyone interested in food production and the environment to learn about the theory and practical applications of regenerative farming systems.

Textile Exchange’s Anna Heaton, Lead, Animal Materials, will be speaking on the panel “Rebuilding British Wool from the Soil Up,” exploring how Britain lost much of its farm-to-fiber wool infrastructure through decades of offshoring, and what can be learned from countries that have retained strong domestic wool systems.

Bringing together voices from farming, grading and processing, the discussion will examine how to rebuild a resilient British wool economy—improving the wool clip, restoring skills and machinery, strengthening regional manufacturing, and supporting the value of ‘Made in the U.K.’ textiles. The conversation will also connect wool production to regenerative land management, soil restoration and the future resilience of rural communities.