The benefits of raising alpaca go beyond their provision of fiber. Alpacas are naturally gentle creatures, generating a minimal environmental footprint that enables alpaca farmers to integrate the herd into ecological restoration plans. Along the way, alpaca farmers also find meaningful connections with the animals, the land, and a close-knit community of avid alpaca lovers. […]
Read More
Written by Marie Hoff and photographed by Paige Green Ace Vandenack is a crafter. Together with his wife, Pam, the couple has crafted a farm, a fiber business, and a life for themselves in the verdant green hills of far Northern California, in conifer-treed Humboldt County. They have built everything from the ground up, including […]
Read More
Written by Sasha Wirth and photographed by Noelle Gaberman While it is common for a sheep to be called mild, helpless, gentle, or wooly-minded, Lincoln wasn’t like the rest of the flock. Lincoln was “a sincere sheep,” wrote his owner. And it was this humble and candid description that stayed with Brooke Sinnes for a […]
Read More
Written & photographed by Koa Kalish If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting Tamara Wilder of Paleotechnics, you will know her by the gentle, kind, strong, and wise temperament that emits through her speech, hands, and entire being. When speaking with her, you might feel like you are speaking with a tree, a […]
Read More
Written and photographed by Koa Kalish On the winding road that leads to the wild coastal shore of Sonoma County, CA, you will reach the quaint, sleepy town of Bodega. Nestled between the world-famous Northern Light Surf Shop and Colleen’s Coffee Shop lies the toy studio. A small cedar-shingled shack with a red-painted door and […]
Read More
Written by Koa Kalish and photographed by Paige Green At PT Ranch, 525 acres sit at the base of the Sierra mountains, where melted snowcap hydrates the land. Historically, with the abundance of moisture in the soil, grass has grown plentifully. But with the increasing droughts, the Taylor family, including Molly, her sister Madeline, her […]
Read More
Written and photographed by Koa Kalish Alpacas Offer Nurturing Community Three days ago, Lisa Beatty woke up to see all of her female alpacas huddled together in a tight circle, facing inward. She knew that they must be circling around a newborn cria (or baby). “All of the moms love the babies,” she explains. “They […]
Read More
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 More
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 More
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
Fast Fashion is harmful to workers, communities, and the environment. Resolve to make better clothing choices with this informative, fun, FREE challenge. For 7 days, we’ll send you helpful information and action items to set you on a path toward more thoughtful clothing choices.