Alex and Kelsey Karol are the first-generation agrarians of Outlaw Valley Ranch, a business that has hit its stride even as it restarts from scratch in a new locale. As of last year, Outlaw Valley Ranch occupies 345 hilly acres in Santa Maria, California, between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.
Fibershed is excited to announce that, along with incredible partners, it has been awarded four Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grants through the USDA’s historic investment in expanding climate-smart agriculture.
In this article we hear from leads at two fashion design schools in Northern California that have been collaborating with Fibershed.
Danu Organic is a one-woman owned clothing company created by Sarah Danu. The word danu is the name of the earth goddess of Ireland, and Sarah’s company hails both from her heritage as well as to the land from which she walks and sources her clothes.
“Grass is my crop,” Roy Smith says, smiling. “Grass is California’s one ‘default crop’: it grows without intervention and feeds all life forms. We need ways to convert that default crop into a feed source for everyone else.”
The Higg Material Sustainability Index (Higg MSI), the fashion industry’s most utilized sustainability rating system, has suspended its consumer-facing reports. We’re here to tell you that this is actually good news for the world’s natural fiber systems.
Everything from the materials used to the manufacturing process is sustainable at Gynna Made. Each piece of clothing is made-to-order, essentially creating zero waste. Scraps are used for stuffing, mending or are composted. All designs go through a rigorous six-month wear-and-test period.
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Fiber producers, artisans, designers, and makers are developing regional fiber systems all around the world. Help us support their work! We’re asking for donations to the Threading Resilience fundraiser until September 15. Every dollar donated will be matched by Fibershed up to $50,000.