Written & Photographed by Koa Kalish As far as the eye can see, soft and verdant grasslands roll out like a thick green carpet dotted with healthy, ancient oaks. A trodden path of tall grass leads the way past a few small creeks to the open pasture where the animals graze. In the foothills of […]
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A Legacy of Production at Valley Oak Wool & Fiber Mill
Written by Sarah Lillegard & Photographed by Paige Green At Valley Oak Wool Mill, the day starts early with hopes of beating the summer heat. Despite the morning hour, the mill’s owner and sole employee, Marcail McWilliams, is brightly moving between the buildings checking machines and running through a mental list of what there is […]
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Joshua Farm: Growing Diversity, Growing Family Farming
Written by Marie Hoff & Photographed by Alycia Lang A.L. Chaffin didn’t believe in banks. Born before the Great Depression, he stored his money in shoeboxes under the seat of his truck. After the stock market crashed in 1929, he used this personalized banking system to buy land in Butte County, California. In cash. Agriculture […]
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Transhumance: a Revival of Grassland Culture
Written by Ariel Greenwood & Photographed by Noelle Gaberman trans·hu·mance noun the action or practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle, typically to lowlands in winter and highlands in summer. Grassland, prairie, savanna—in some regions these landscapes are so ubiquitous that they are paradoxically invisible. They are everywhere, […]
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Rooted in Community: Chico Flax
Written by Sarah Lillegard & Photographed by Paige Green Tucked in by the entrance of the artisan barn at this year’s California Nut Festival is a booth that seems perfectly at home with its setting. The light from the open door is catching bundles of dry flax and the barn floor is slowly acquiring little […]
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An Ear to the Ground at Flying Mule Farm
Written & Photographed by Sarah Lillegard Arriving at Flying Mule Farm on the cusp of lambing season and on the heels of a snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the fields are damp with recent rain. Ewes and lambs call to each other and in the morning light. It’s easy to get sentimental about spaces […]
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Building Off an Industrial Hemp Variety Trial with One Acre Exchange
Hemp holds tremendous potential as a crop that can contribute to restoring our working landscapes, revitalizing our regional economies, and rethinking the impact of the way we clothe ourselves. Our worldwide fiber consumption has tipped the scale toward a reliance on fossil-fuel derived synthetics, yet bast fibers and blended fabrics emerge as a soil-based solution […]
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Naturally Colored Fiber Fun at Blue Barn Farm
Written & Photographed by Koa Kalish On a steep and sunny, five-acre hillside in El Dorado County, Catherine Lawson tends to her flock. They are some of the most luxurious wool-producing ungulates around, Merino sheep and Cashmere goats, and here, they live in many colors. Photo of lambs on left by Catherine Lawson. The Merino […]
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Frankenmuth Woolen Mill: Preserving American-made Craft for Over 100 Years
Written by Sasha Wirth; Photographed by James Saleska (mill and bedding images) & Paige Green (ranch images) In a humble Midwestern town in 1894, a mill opened its doors for business. Sourcing wool from neighboring farms, it manufactured essential goods ranging from mitts and socks to blankets and quilts. Its presence in the town provided […]
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Old-World Wool at The Paddocks
Written & Photographed by Koa Kalish Follow the road to the end and you’ll meet a wide stretch of caramel-colored sand and the wild ocean. The air is cool and the colors classic to Northern California’s coastline. This is Point Arena, one of the smallest incorporated cities in the state and one of the furthest […]
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