Written by Jess Daniels with photography by Paige Green Earlier this month, we set sail on the San Francisco Bay with a small group of textile industry experts and ocean health advocates to discuss how fibers and fashion are impacting two of our planet’s largest carbon pools: soil and sea. The trip was organized by […]
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Fibershed Solutions to Microplastic Problems: Why textiles need to be at the core of California’s action on microplastics
By Jess Daniels This is a big year for a vast yet microscopically small problem: microplastics. California is set to begin a series of regulatory and policy efforts aimed at understanding, measuring, and strategizing to mitigate the plastic smog that blankets our waterways, soils, and even air. With more than 7 Trillion microplastic particles pouring annually […]
Read MoreCarbon Farming and Co-Benefits at PT Ranch
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 MoreThe Hemp Casita of Rezolana — Rising up from the Ground
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 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 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 MoreBenefitting Climate & Communities: How Clothing Cooperatives Could Grow Equitable Regional Economies
Cooperative structures like the Carolina Textile District provide an inspirational example of the type of regional networks that could grow and flourish throughout the country. By Nicholas Wenner and Adrian Rodrigues What does it look like to coordinate a manufacturing vision that will regionalize the production of textiles in the Western US and contribute to […]
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