For Jessica, the journey started when she moved to Sebastopol and acquired six sheep (three Wensleydales and three Romneys). Jessica adored the animals’ beauty and tranquility, yet each spring, she found herself utterly perplexed with an abundance of wool she did not know what to do with. She would disperse it on her land for compost and mulch, but since knitting or weaving was outside her wheelhouse, Jessica desired to find a better way to process her small-batch wool. She wanted to find a solution not only for herself, but for many small farms in her community. Jessica’s inspiration led her to finding Fibershed, which eventually brought her to discover Luna.
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Taking the Long View at Mustang Acres
At Mustang Acres, the needs of people, animals and landscape come together in a beautiful dance of mutual care and support.
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Choreographing Change with Marie Hoff of Full Circle Wool
From the introduction of chickens this past summer to revitalizing an old water tank, Marie is determined that each decision be carefully considered and aimed towards supporting healthy land management.
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7 Northeastern Fibersheds Showcase the Future of Our Regional Textile Systems
Seven of the 58 fibersheds recently joined forces at the New York Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York, to showcase a glimpse into the future.
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Threading Resilience: Stories from our Fibershed Affiliate Communities
In the first edition of our Threading Resilience zine, we share 19 stories from our Fibershed Affiliates. We are rounding up three of their incredible stories in this article—from the Rust Belt Fibershed, Fibershed DACH, and Fibershed Ireland—to highlight the different geographies, journeys, and wisdom that can be shared from this network.
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First-Generation Agrarians Living the Not-So-Simple Life at Outlaw Valley Ranch
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.
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Fibershed and Partners Receive $30 Million to Expand Climate Beneficial Wool, Cotton Production
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.
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A Story of a Working Sweater: In Collaboration with Sheep, Shepherds, and Artists
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.
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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.
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Foggy 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.
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