Regional Textile Economies

Regional Textile Economies are the foundation of a holistic and healthy fiber system, connecting farmers, ranchers, artisans, and manufacturers within their bioregions to create place-based textiles. By investing in localized supply chains, we strengthen economic opportunities, reduce reliance on extractive global systems, and support climate-beneficial fiber production. Fibershed works to rebuild regional infrastructure, foster collaboration, and support entrepreneurs who are shaping a healthier textile future—one that prioritizes land stewardship, equitable labor, and high-quality, locally grown materials.

Shepherding the Future through Vocational Training (Sheep School)

Shepherding the Future is Fibershed’s vocational training initiative that provides career pathways in land stewardship and shepherding, equipping individuals with transferable skills for sheep farming and fiber production. Through collaborations with the Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC), University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), Grazing School of the West, and Camp Kaos, we support emerging and young sheep shearers and shepherds with hands-on training, in-person presentations, and tuition scholarships. To promote accessibility and inclusion, Fibershed offers equity pricing and scholarships based on financial need and social equity, fostering a skilled workforce that advances climate-beneficial agriculture and strengthens the regional fiber economy.

Regional Fiber Manufacturing Initiative

How can we meet our basic needs while reducing our consumption footprint? Climate Beneficial™ goods offer a solution—but we need a thriving regional manufacturing system to make it happen.

Fibershed developed the Regional Fiber Manufacturing Initiative (RFMI) to regionalize textile production and contribute to climate solutions. This initiative supports entrepreneurs with expert guidance, maps the ecosystem for a fully functional value chain, and channels investment into critical infrastructure to build a more sustainable future.

Affiliate Network

What does a soil-to-soil fiber ecosystem look like in your community? Fibershed Affiliates form the backbone of the Fibershed Movement, driving activism, education, and the development of regional fiber systems within their bioregions.

The Fibershed Affiliate Program supports this global grassroots network, fostering economic and relational growth by building connections within and across regions. We provide resources to connect independent affiliates worldwide and offer educational opportunities to strengthen and expand their impact—growing this movement from the ground up.

Producer Network

Who grows your clothes? The Northern California Fibershed Producer Program is a membership-based network of farmers, ranchers, designers, sewers, weavers, knitters, felters, spinners, mill owners, and natural dyers living and working within 51 counties in the North and Central regions of California. Our Producer Network is brimming with technical expertise in agricultural and textile practices. We offer services like educational sessions on business development and land stewardship embedded within social connectivity like meet-ups and a bi-annual printed membership newsletter.