Rural Europe on the move English_E_version_all | Page 112

CHAPTER 9
8. The ‘Pellover’ crew of the wool
connection Pellworm-Hiiumaa
9a. 9b. The sustainable mystery tour
arrives on Pellworm island
Pellworm discovers
Europe
With Hiiumaa we had the strongest
group of country women started
ties. We welcomed an Estonian family spinning and knitting sweaters,
to share their experiences of rural balaclavas and socks to be sent
tourism and converting to organic back to Pellworm. That’s how the
ambitions afloat and we found farming. We established the so-called ‘Pellover’ was born! It was not just
them in Europe. In 1995, Ökologisch ‘wool connection’ project. At that time work and added value for both
Wirtschaften! launched the European the people of Hiiumaa were just free islands, it became a story to illustrate
Network of Eco-Islands. We found from their forced military security how creating markets and income
partners with similar ambitions for status during the Soviet Union, and from cooperation and fair trade is
transition on the islands of Hiiumaa Estonia was preparing to join the EU. possible. No government and no
We needed allies to keep our
(Estonia), Alonysos (Greece), Elba
The ‘wool connection’ project
subsidies were needed for that, just
(Italy) and La Palma (Canaries). With became a civic pioneer for fair a spirit of curiosity and cooperation
support of Forum Synergies former trade between islands. At that time, between people. Is it a surprise that
president Isobel Holbourn we also Pellworm farmers got almost nothing in 1996 Ökologisch Wirtschaften!
established intensive contacts with for their sheep wool. Hiiumaa had also became a member of what was
the Scottish island of Foula. Isobel was almost no sheep but it did have later called Forum Synergies? In
a wildlife ranger on Foula and shared unused wool processing machinery. 1998 Pellworm was also a stop of the
with us many ideas of improving So we moved wool to Hiiumaa, the travelling exhibition and events of the
relations between people and nature. wool facilities were repaired and a Sustainable Mystery Tour.
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