The aims of the Association shall be:

a) To promote the production of top quality straw suitable for either ‘Combed Wheat Reed’ or ‘Long Straw’ thatching, grown & harvested according to the tried & tested age old ‘First Principles’ set out within the constitution. Schedule A.

b) To support our members in achieving a high standard of consistent thatching straw production through pooling of husbandry advice & records. Schedule B.

c) To lobby authorities and raise the environmental profile of the production of thatching straw.

d) To support regional conservation & vernacular requirements for thatched listed buildings by working with sympathetic conservation and thatching organisations.

e) To have a commitment to research the growing of both the old heritage/conservation wheat varieties and possible new cereal varieties for thatching use that doesn’t compromise the ‘First Principles’.

f) To encourage local employment and education of the old traditions of crop husbandry and harvest techniques that has produced high quality thatching straw over the centuries.

g) To lobby hard for Long Straw/CWR thatching of new build properties, and bring awareness of the sustainable, carbon negative, super insulation, low carbon embodied, visual and tourist benefits of straw and link in with forward thinking proactive thatching organisations.

h) To explore new markets for the grain of the unusual varieties of wheat/cereals grown for thatching.

i) To develop alternative new machinery and handling equipment that will eventually be needed to replace the old antiquated harvest machinery without compromising the key harvest principles, and which can be proven to be beneficial or at least benign in affecting the quality and handling characteristics of thatching straw.

j) To increase thatching straw production and turn around the growing of thatching straw into a solid profitable business taking into account and based on the 9 previous aims.