Written and photographed by Koa Kalish, except where noted Out along flat, sprawling farmlands that run up against the sharp incline and dramatic sweep of the fiercely peaked Sangre de Cristo mountains, a story rises up from the ground. Kissed by blue sky and vibrant clouds that come to life, there humbly stands a ten-by-ten […]
Read MoreAuthor: Fibershed
From Soil to Skein with Mendocino Wool and Fiber Inc.
Written by Stephanie Wilkes and Rebecca Burgess, Photographed by Paige Green If anything can be said to be normal for Mendocino Wool and Fiber Inc., it is that normal doesn’t exist. After years of permitting delays, construction, fundraising, and equipment that flat-out didn’t work, the business is stable and growing in Ukiah, California. Since 2018, […]
Read MoreHarvesting Hemp: Reflecting on Opportunities with the One Acre Exchange
One Acre Exchange supports the development of an agricultural economy centering the sustainability of farmers, workers, and the planet. In North Carolina and beyond, we support farmers and artisans in the growth and development of industrial hemp because of its tremendous potential to revitalize local economies and regenerate the environment. Read past dispatches to learn about […]
Read MoreCotton in Community: Field to Fashion with Acadian Brown Cotton
Written by Lauren Odom and with photography as noted This rich intertwined story of an heirloom seed, an age-old tradition, and a bright future all began when Sharon Gordon Donnan, an experienced filmmaker and textile conservator, spotted an old blanket while browsing at an antique sale in Washington, Louisiana. It was no ordinary blanket because […]
Read MoreTula: A Return to India’s Regenerative Cotton Roots
As part of our series on cotton in community, we are honored to share this article produced by Harpreet Singh, exploring the connections between cotton, colonialism, cloth production, and community-based economies. As Harpreet writes, tula is a Sanskrit word that means cotton and also means balance or equilibrium. The vision and approach of this work […]
Read MoreGrowing 50 Acres of Hemp in North Carolina: Field Notes from the One Acre Exchange
One Acre Exchange supports the development of an agricultural economy centering the sustainability of farmers, workers, and the planet. In North Carolina and beyond, we support farmers and artisans in the growth and development of industrial hemp because of its tremendous potential to revitalize local economies and regenerate the environment. Read past dispatches to learn […]
Read MoreQuestioning the Role of Biosynthetics in Regenerative Fashion
Written by Rebecca Burgess and Jess Daniels Fibershed is honored to be featured in an important and newly published report: The Nature of Fashion: Moving towards a regenerative system by our colleagues and collaborators at the Biomimicry Institute. The paper is a refreshing analysis of the textile industry via the lens of natural cycles, and […]
Read MoreCotton in Community: Reconnecting to Traditional Indian Farming Practices in the Prakriti Fibershed
Written by Esha Chhabra with supplemental reporting by Jess Daniels. Photography by Ashish Chandra, and Nishanth Chopra as noted Nishanth Chopra grew up in a city that’s seeing record cancer rates. But it’s not a coincidence, he says. “I don’t think I would have been as passionate about organic farming and ethical supply chains if […]
Read More3 Maps Show How We Can Unlock Local Clothing Industries
How Fibershed’s RFMI Ecosystem Mapping is setting the stage for designing and implementing key expansions in textile manufacturing in the Western United States Written by Nicholas Wenner Each year, the United States produces enough wool to create millions of sweaters and enough cotton to cut and sew billions of t-shirts — so, why is it […]
Read MoreCrafting a Family Business with Milk & Honey 1860
Written & photographed by Sarah Lillegard Off the highway and along a dirt road in Butte Valley, California there is a large white house with a wraparound porch sitting at the front of forty acres. This house was built in 1860 and is now home to the Larson family and their farm business named for […]
Read More