Fiber systems are best designed to minimize detrimental impacts on the biosphere, and to enhance ecosystem function where possible. Fibershed has chosen to research the use of industrial hemp as a fiber crop because it fits both of these criteria. Background Fibershed worked during the summer and fall of 2013 to prepare for a 2014 research crop in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. […]
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Barinaga Ranch — Inspired by Ancestral Traditions
Overlooking Tomales Bay, in the hills above the small town of Marshall, lies Barinaga Ranch. This special place in the Marin countryside grew out of a vision inspired by Basque ancestors and plenty of hard work by Fibershed producer member Marcia Barinaga and her husband Corey Goodman, a neuroscientist and biotech entrepreneur. The Barinaga family […]
Read MoreMonica Paz Soldan: Tiny Textiles’ Big Philosophy
Story by Jess Daniels / photos by Alycia Lang and Jess Daniels One of Fibershed’s first official artisan producers, Monica Paz Soldan of Tiny Textiles in San Francisco, is a self-proclaimed “comfort junkie.” Stepping into her Portola home on a drizzly San Francisco day wraps you in this sense: the walkways and floors are lined with […]
Read MoreBlack Mountain Farm — Where Old World Meets New World
Story by Caroline Spurgin, photos by Alycia Lang The process of arriving at Marnie Jackson’s farm is an experience in itself. As Lucas Valley Road vanishes into a distant point point behind us and Nicasio Valley Road rolls out ahead, the Nicasio valley appears to bloom before our eyes. Velveteen hills roll out on all […]
Read MoreDownhome Fibers: A River of Creativity, Care & Quality
Story by Rebecca Burgess, photos by Alycia Lang Clear decision making accompanied by determination and hard work has landed Kim Bethel into a life extraordinarily well suited to her. While in her presence you can observe and viscerally feel the satisfaction and contentedness that emanates from someone living a life rooted in place and grounded […]
Read MoreHarvests from Hemp Heroes
Text and photos by Erin Axelrod. Historical photos courtesy of Kentucky Hemp Museum. An earlier blog post by Ongeleigh Gipson, Kentucky Veterans Cultivate a Hemp Resurgence, discussed the promises of hemp cultivation to employ US veterans, grow a generation of new farmers, and revitalize a cellulose-based alternative to our current resource-intensive fiber industries. During the […]
Read MoreNoelle Gaberman — A life of alpaca artistry
On the edge of the Laguna Watershed in Sonoma County, at the end of a narrow gravel road, lies a small homestead developed by two families with a commitment to producing food and fiber in an atmosphere that weaves together aestheticism, function and fun. Noelle Gaberman is a mother of two and a caretaker of […]
Read MoreBrookfarm Alpacas — “It’s about the fiber!”
For anyone who has felt the incredible softness of alpaca fiber, it’s easy to understand why an avid knitter like Debbie Emery was instantly attracted to these peaceful camelids. She describes alpacas as “so gentle, and almost zen-like.” And points out that they are also very eco-friendly due to their soft, hoof-less feet. “But it’s the […]
Read MoreKentucky Veterans Cultivate a Hemp Resurgence
Story by Ongeleigh Underwood of Fibershed Southeast, photos by Megan Hollenbeck. Activists, farmers, and lawmakers gather at a rural farm in Rockcastle county in Eastern Kentucky, some of whom have been working towards the right to plant industrial hemp for decades. All sub-species of the Cannabis plant were made illegal in 1938, and progress to […]
Read MoreThe Capella Grazing Project
Written by Caroline Spurgin, Producer Program Intern. Photos by Alycia Lang. Capella Grazing Project was conceived and realized by the stunning Ms. Marie Hoff, one of Fibershed’s youngest producers. Marie is confident and grounded as I interview her on a fresh and warm Wednesday afternoon in March. Her cheeks are rosy after having had the […]
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