Written by Stephany Wilkes. Photography by Paige Green. Available now I recently sat down for a conversation with brilliant natural dyer, artist, creator – and now author – Heidi Iverson of Honeyfolk. We talked about The Natural Dye Handbook, plants and land observations, climate trauma, balancing publishing needs with natural seasons, and lots more. SW: […]
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Sheep, Soil, and Stewardship: The Mahoney Family’s Living Legacy
Written by Stephany Wilkes. Photography by Paige Green. Ryan Mahoney’s family arrived in Rio Vista, California in the 1870s, not long after the Great Flood of 1862 dumped ten feet of water in 43 days. That event moved Rio Vista to its present-day location, where a vertical-lift truss bridge now carries California State Route 12 […]
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From First Fleece to Future Fiber Systems: Training the Next Generation of Shearers
Written by Stephany Wilkes. Photography by Paige Green. In April 2025, two dozen students attended one of two sheep shearing schools offered through the University of California Extension and supported by Fibershed. Weeklong classes were held at Pluth’s Homestead Ranch in Lake County and at the Hopland Research & Extension Center (HREC) in Mendocino County, […]
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The Myth of Textile Recycling: Q&A
Q&A by Daniel Saavedra This summer, Fibershed teamed up with Dr. Emily Oertling from California State University, Sacramento’s Fashion Merchandising and Management program to offer a dynamic 6-week internship intensive. Focused on textile policy and advocacy, this program empowered emerging leaders to dive deep into the critical issues shaping the future of sustainable fashion. Read […]
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The True Value of Restorative Fiber—Why Climate Beneficial™ is an Investment in the Future
Written by Rachel Witte. Photography by Paige Green. Sustainability certifications have become the default mechanism for demonstrating environmental progress in the fashion and fiber industries. Labels like organic, regenerative, and climate-smart emerged in response to growing consumer pressure for transparency as globalized supply chains made it harder to trace sourcing and hold brands accountable. They […]
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What is in my children’s clothes?
Written by: Connie Gaudio & Emily Oertling Edited by: Fibershed Photography by: TM Photo Co. As a mother, I want what’s best for my family. Even before my son arrived, I had his first outfit picked out. When my son was born, the first textile his body touched was the hospital blanket. I remember the […]
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Reimagining Value in Fashion’s Supply Chain
Could basket weaving hold the key to radically re-engineering fashion? From California cotton fields to 3D woven jeans Written by Lucianne Tonti When she was growing up in Auburn, Maine in the 1990s and 2000s, Beth Esponnette was surrounded by mountains. Her mom was a basket weaver, the remnants of old brick textile mills and […]
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Textiles Are Tech
In today’s renewed focus on American manufacturing, political leaders across the aisle are calling for domestic investment in technology—urging the revitalization of production capacity at home to secure our economic future. But strangely, this conversation often leaves textiles out of the frame, treating them as outdated or irrelevant to the innovation economy. This could not […]
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Soft, Renewable, and Climate Beneficial™: Why U.S. Wool Deserves a Comeback
By Rachel Witte For decades, American wool has been overlooked in the world of performance textiles— reliable, renewable, and respected by those who know it, yet largely sidelined in an era of fast fashion and synthetic dominance. But that story is starting to shift. Thanks to a new generation of producers, processors, and designers committed […]
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Climate Beneficial™ Cotton: A Regenerative Approach to Soil Health & Supply Chain Resilience
Written by Rachel Witte Cotton has been classically bred by human communities in agricultural valleys for millennia. Originally a perennial species, it has been hybridized and transformed into an annual crop over time to enhance the volume of the annual harvest. This is one small example of the human drive to increase the plant’s annual yield. […]
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