The following pieces are written by five Fibershed producer members offering their perspectives on the creation of a community-constructed sweater using Santa Cruz Island sheep wool.
Read More
Menu
Category: Wool
Unpacking ‘Sustainable’ Fashion
“Sustainability, as defined and measured in fashion, is currently an elitist, even imperialistic concept,” says Veronica Kassatly, analyst and consultant for data-based sustainability claims. In this four-part series, Kassatly examines how Western brands, consumers, and activists define the conversation around sustainability, based on their own interests and cultural values. She brings light to unfounded assertions about the long-lasting fiber traditions of wool, silk, and alpaca production in an effort to map out better solutions for moving toward “sustainable” fashion that is truly sustainable and socially just.
Read MoreFoggy Bottoms Boys Are Changing the Farming Formula
Cody and Thomas, otherwise known as the Foggy Bottoms Boys, are seventh-generation farmers in Ferndale, California. There, where the fog hangs low in the Eel River Valley, they run a multi-species farm, including a certified humane, organic dairy for milk, cheese, and beef, sheep for fiber and meat, and pastured poultry. Going viral from their TikTok videos with 90,000 followers and 10 million views, Cody and Thomas are raising awareness about local fiber while simultaneously increasing representation and visibility for the LGBT community in the agricultural world.
Read MoreThe Extraordinary Alchemy of Sheep & Winegrowing at Littorai Wines
In Ted Lemon’s words, biodynamic farming “holds the foundation of a world enlivened by spirit — that all material is manifestation of a spiritual reality. In biodynamic farming, we work with the energies and powers of the spiritual world as it manifests in the material world. We work with celestial rhythms and specific preparations to strengthen the plants and animals.”
Read MoreHarm in The Guise of Doing Good
Written by Veronica Kassatly In my last post for Fibershed, we talked about fashion’s purported commitment to the UN SDGs; about how those are underpinned by the Brundtland report’s definition of sustainability; and about how and why ‘sustainable’ fashion is not actually sustainable at all. The role that different fibers play in offering those who […]
Read MoreIntuitive Weaving at Henderson Studios
Written and Photographed by Koa Kalish Jennie Henderson is a prolific textile artist on the wild northern coast of California. Nestled in the small town of Point Arena, is Jennie’s home studio that she and her husband designed specifically for her weaving: with good light and room for all her many looms and tools. “I […]
Read MoreHopland Research and Extension Center’s Hedgerow
Written and Photographed by Karen Rifkin Before entering the fenced-in area of hedgerow plantings, a flock of friendly rams trot up, eagerly, to see if it’s feeding time. Realizing their exertion is for naught, they just as quickly disperse back into the field at the Hopland Research and Extension Center, a 5,358-acre working ranch and […]
Read MoreApproaching Life (and Wool) One Step at a Time at 5 Creek Farm
Written by Sasha Wirth and photographed by Noelle Gaberman As a little girl, Coleen Maloney was sure she’d found the perfect birthday present for her mother: a small brood of chicks. “My mother was born after the first day of Spring, and I was sure it was going to be the best gift ever,” she […]
Read MoreHandcrafted at Ace ‘N The Hole Ranch
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 MoreWith Sincere Sheep, Change Begins One Skein at a Time
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