Ed Cothey is St. Ives (Cornwall, UK) born and bred. Raised in a fishing family, he first went to sea at age 5. As a child he also used to help out on his brother- in- law’s nearby farm and it was there he developed his first love and respect for domestic animals. Ed left school as soon as possible and joined the British Merchant Navy. He traveled extensively and, already familiar with nets and ropes, learned the crafts of macrame and rug hooking while at sea. Later, after several jobs back in the UK including that of dairy herdsman, he returned to St. Ives and took up share fishing. In September of l982 he met his present wife Jody (Pamela Stewart) who was traveling on Guggenheim Fellowship in poetry. After returning to the States, Jody came back to Cornwall in l983 and they were married that June. They lived in St. Ives for 7 years during which time Ed developed his visual skills as a photographer.

When they moved to New England in l990, Ed worked as a landscaper and also learned computer skills which allowed him to manipulate photographs into a kind of pre-digital art. Jody was doing a little writing and published a her 4th book of poems with Alice James Books in l991 and began work on her 5th. For a break, Ed and Jody went to a B&B a few towns away which was a working farm with llamas and Fjiord horses; Ed found how much he missed animals and the Cotheys became intrigued with llamas deciding it would be nice to have a couple of those remarkable beings. (A couple?)

The search for land and privacy took awhile but eventually they were led to the original Dodge farmhouse at Dodge Corner in the town of Hawley. Thus Tregellys Fiber Farm was born on a windy north facing hillside in western Massachusetts. There was no electricity or phone for a number of months, but Ed and Jody traded a wood chipper for several dairy goats, picked up 2 Tamworth pigs and 2 Merino sheep at a local fair and got started on a barn. Their first two llamas Talfan and Loveday moved in come November along with a granny llama Tanya. It all seemed quite peaceful and simple until Ed met Angora goats at Keldaby Farm in Colrain. Well, 3 more animals joined the farm and suddenly an interest in fiber was born and the world of “fiberholics” and small farmers with interesting animals became part of the Cothey’s life. Within a year there were more llamas, more goats, a couple of different sheep, some chickens, ducks, a lot more manure and bags of fiber in the house.

Ed decided to take a weaving course at Becky Ashenden’s Vav Stuga in the nearby town of Shelburne. He became hooked; working with yarn, dressing a loom, visualizing patterns and colors were natural to Ed who was used to nets, ropes and working with his hands. Shortly thereafter Tregellys made its first yarn in conjunction with Keldaby-Two Guys Yarn- which used some of the less desirable mohair from both farms’ goats. For awhile Ed wove and wove and wove and Tregellys worked in partnership with the natural dyer Jody Mckenzie who still has her dye studio at Tregellys Farm .

The livestock grew with Jody Cothey's increasing interest in primitive breed sheep; Tregellys got its first two yaks and now have a herd of about 30 yak and Dri, probably the largest on the east coast at the moment. The farm now includes 6 breeds of sheep, 3 are rare breeds, and also 5 Bactrian camels as well as some peacocks, rescued pigs, dogs, cats, guinea fowl, cattle, dzos, a couple of alpacas , a Poitou and a mini donkey, and one very noisy goat that belongs to a friend. Ed continues to increase his weaving skills and will soon be working with more rare breed sheep yarns.

In 2002, a Tibetan family came and stayed for 6 months and Ed and Jody developed a new interest in ,and serious concern, for the Tibetan people and their culture. Ed has begun traveling to India and Nepal, not only for fun but to help some Tibetan refugee friends. He often brings back goods to sell in the new farm shop and Weaving Center. The Tibetan influence suits Tregellys Farm as it is a way of expanding fiber concerns to also help preserve and respect a number of Tibetan crafts and fiber skills. The farm is now home to a Stupa built with local stone which was dedicated as a memorial to the victims of 9/11 and to martyrs to freedom everywhere.

Ed’s dream grew as circumstances changed and offered new visions and interests. In recent years, Ed has moved his weaving and fair trade shop Tregelly's World to a more visible location in downtown Shelburne Falls.