Tristan da Cunha Economy News

Farmer Returns after 44 years

Nostalgic Return to Tristan

Gavin Jack

Aboard the MFV Edinburgh which departed from Cape Town on 12th February 2020 is Gavin Jack, returning to the island where he was Agricultural Officer 1972-1976. Gavin will help Neil Swain with a sheep artificial insemination programme and other farming matters.

We hope that Gavin will be able to submit a report with photos of his Tristan visit for the website and the August Newsletter.

Gavin with Neil Swain when they met in August 2016

Gavin renewed his friendship with Neil Swain when they met in August 2016 when Neil was studying at Harper Adams University in Shropshire. Neil came to work with Gavin in the Agriculture Department when he left St Mary's School in 1974.

Gavin commented at the time:

Some of the happiest days of my life were spent on Tristan and while I left Tristan 40 years ago Tristan never leaves me!

Our meeting was just absolutely wonderful. It was like we had never been apart in all those years. We chatted of old times and, of course, about farming on Tristan and it is good to know that Neil has had an interesting time at Harper Adams. He has found some useful ideas to try back on Tristan. It will not be long before there will be strawberries growing in Tristan gardens!

2019 Sheep Shearing Day

Report and photos from Dawn Repetto

The 2019 annual Sheep Shearing Day was held a little later than usual on Saturday 18th January 2020, normally it is held in December.  It started out as a cool calm day with a bit of sunshine later on in the day.  The community was most grateful for the cool weather as they all gathered at the sheep pen early morning.  The event was underway and the youngsters were soon busy chasing sheep and lambs for shearing.  Early afternoon everyone returned home where braais and meals were soon cooked and enjoyed for the hungry workers.  Celebrations carried well on into the night and everyone was grateful that it had been a successful shearing day.

Photo taken by Robin Repetto shows a fantastic birds eye view of the sheep pen as the day unfolds
Warren Glass with one of the sheep he caught	Nathan Swain busy with the shearing process
Sheep making their way into the pens after being rounded up ready for shearing, the well trained sheep dogs will be nearby after doing their bit	Bewildered looking sheep awaiting their turn, note the colourful markings used for identification
Christopher Swain busy with the shears, Christopher is using a pair of manual sheep shearing tools, a skill the islanders have passed down for generations	Gladys Lavarello helping to sort wool which will soon be processed and spun into yarn.
Even the youngsters get busy (L-R): Connor Green, Aiden and Ella Repetto and Owen Glass	Sheared fleeces of wool, packed and ready to taken home for the next stage of the process.  See the end products in the online store Handicrafts
View of the sheep pen