No woolly thinking

Isobel Davies, who set up knitwear company Izzy Lane, has set the standard for farmers looking to diversify. The agricultural community has been hit by more than a decade of crises, a lack of Government support and cheap foreign competition. Now the success of eco-entrepreneur Ms Davies, who is making warm clothes from her own flock of rescued rare breed Wensleydale and Shetland sheep in Richmond, means there is one more reason to be cheerful about farming in Yorkshire.

This is important because just a few years ago many sheep farmers were burning their wool because the price for which they could sell it did not even cover the cost of shearing. Diversification has become essential for many farms to survive. By employing a group of women knitters in their 70s and 80s, however, Ms Davies has given her sheep sanctuary a new lease of life. As Britain struggles to come out of recession, it can learn from her innovation.