Northern California Fibershed Producer Newsletter
Fibershed Business Curriculum
2019 Fibershed Gala 12
Fibershed Wool & Fine Fiber Symposium
Blending Hemp into the Fibershed
2019 Healthy Soils Incentives Grants
2019 Knitalong
Illustrations
marigold (top) and eucalyptus (above)
Helen Krayenhoff
Preeti
Welcome New Producers
We want to welcome and highlight producers who have joined our Northern California Producer community since the publication of the previous issue of this newsletter. As always, you can find information about local fiber, dyes, and skills within our community, alongside direct links to contact or support their enterprises, in our Producer Directory: fibershed.com/producer-directory/
• Arapaho Rose Alpacas – offering “everything you need when it comes to alpacas,” Karen Kelly embraces the natural hues of soft Alpaca fleece to create knit and woven goods as well as yarn and batts of fleece.
• Canfield Hill Farm Shetlands – for over 30 years, Donna Spilman has been raising and caring for Shetland sheep, offering naturally colored fleeces from their treasured flock in west Petaluma.
• Fawnbrooke Farm – specializing in Old English Babydoll Southdown Sheep, American Guinea Hogs, and Angora Goats, Leah Williams and family offer finished goods and fiber arts supplies from their Nevada City farm.
• Italia A Collection – upon completing a degree at FIDM, Italia Hannaway launched a collection incorporating Zero Waste pattern design and locally sourced materials — keep an eye out for a Climate Beneficial™ Wool loungesuit available this fall.
• Outlaw Valley Ranch – striving to improve rangeland through regenerative grazing practices, Alex and Kelsey Karol raise Navajo Churro sheep in the oak grasslands of Templeton, California, offerings raw fleece, sheepskins, hides, and yarn.
• Pepper Lane Farm – rooted in heirloom fruit and vegetable production and located in Petaluma, Renee Robin has expanded cultivation to include indigofera tinctoria, persicaria tinctoria, madder, coreopsis, marigolds, and pomegranates for wholesale dyer supply.
• PT Ranch – with a passion for regenerative ranching, the Taylor family is blending farming traditions with climate-smart landscape management practices in the Sierra foothills, raising livestock and trying out their first indigo crop this year.
• Rumpelstiltskin Yarn Store – offering classes from beginner through advanced techniques, this shop supports Sacramento area fiber artists with knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and needle felting.
• Sarah Fifield – creating garments through design and knitting construction in Marin County
• Slowfiber – available to advise, educate, or repair with you, Jacquey Canterbury explores and supports community garment care.
Top row: Outlaw Valley Ranch, Slowfiber, Arapaho Rose Alpacas; middle row: Pepper Lane Farm, Fawnbrooke Farm, Italia A Collection; bottom row: Rumpelstiltskin Yarn Store, PT Ranch, Canfield Hill Farm Shetlands
Producer Voices
Taking care of your valuable clothing
BY MARLIE DE SWART, BO-RAGE YARNS & DESIGNS
Afew months ago I was present at the “Mending Bar” at CCA. A brain storm of Rebecca to teach students and others the value of clothing and how they can be mended for longer use.
There were 5 stations: beautiful embroidery mending to cover stains, patch mending or visible hand mending, machine mending and hemming, sock darning and invisible knitwear mending and a table full of beautiful scraps to make string bags. In the middle of it all was a heap of discarded clothes to be used for patching and creative other uses.
Many people came by and asked for advice and brought their sweaters and socks full of holes. Most eaten by moths. Someone brought the most beautiful cashmere cardigans and sweaters that were totally moth eaten, big holes and many small holes. It broke my heart. Almost impossible to mend, unless you spend hours/days on it and it will never be the same.
I mended a few items during this event, but mostly talked about what to do to prevent moths from destroying garments. Most people were not aware of how to care for their animal fiber garments. And from what I saw most holes were created by moths, not by wearing a garment through because it was worn that much.
Most (certainly not all) animal fiber garments are knit, which is structurally different from weaving. With knit garments, if one thread is eaten through, the stitch will ripple down the garment and the hole will become bigger fast. Always keep in mind that it is easier to mend a small hole than a large one.
Garment preservation
Moths and carpet beetles like wool, alpaca, mohair, cashmere, in short any animal fiber. It is the larva, after the eggs hatch, that eat the fiber.
To prevent these creatures from laying their eggs in your garments, you should store your garment in a zippered cotton pillow case. After a season of wearing your garments, hand wash, line or flat dry them outside in the wind and partial sun, Then store them in the pillow cases. The moths cannot penetrate the finely woven cotton layer.
Once you have an infestation of moths, (you can see when you have an infestation when you see ONE moth). Take EVERYTHING out of your closet, wash the empty closet with vinegar water and let it dry. Put lavender sachets in your closet (this does not prevent the moths from coming in, but it makes your closet and woolens smell nice).
Check your garments for holes, set the ones that have holes aside for mending. Take all your items and freeze them for at least 24 hours, or up to a week. (I microwaved mine and they came out OK, but freezing is the recommended treatment.) Then store them in zippered pillow cases until you are ready to use them again.
Wool stays alive and vibrant when it is used. So wear your precious, locally made, animal yarn garments often.
In Remembrance of Jean Gowan Near
It is with deep respect for a life well lived that we recognize the passing of Jean Gowan Near, a much loved and treasured pillar of our fiber community. She left our company on Sunday, July 14 at 5:45 in the evening. Jean was born December 31, 1914, in Ukiah and grew up on a sheep and cattle ranch in Potter Valley. She began to keep wool sheep after retiring from teaching in her early sixties, leading in the development of both breeding for fine wool merino sheep and the recognition of colored wool as a commodity in the handspinning community. Jean was instrumental in creating the Natural Colored Wool category at the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show in the 1990s, and it continues to be a well-entered event. Jean will be missed, but her work lives on in the sheep she bred and the community of spinners and crafters she inspired.
by
Collaboration with Lani Estill
BY SANDY FISHER, CHICO FLAX
One of the benefits of the Fibershed Producer program is fellow Producers! It was a delight this year to work with Lani Estill and Ryan Huston to recreate our Climate Beneficial Cloth making a lighter weight fabric. See Lani’s website at www.lanislana.com for preorders of this lovely fabric. Collaboration is a wonderful thing; you never know where it can go!
While working on the Climate Beneficial Fabric, I was so impressed with the strength and soft hand of Lani’s wool that I just had to work with it some more. It wasn’t long after we met with Ryan that I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool to create a handwoven line!” My creative juices started to kick in! I started designing a line of very lightweight scarves and stoles using the new naturally dyed colors offered this fall. You are seeing for the first time the outcome of this collaboration! They will be available at our Fall Gala in September, check them out at Lani’s Booth.
This third volume of the Fibershed Producer Newsletter is designed to be a space to re-acquaint and connect, as well as refresh ourselves on the who and what of our projects and collective efforts.
We look forward to hearing from you about what kinds of information sharing, column ideas, poems, art, doodles, updates on your family and business, and notes from the field that you’d like to offer for the next publication. Newsletters will come out twice yearly to start, and our next edition will be sent in February 2020.
Ongoing Public Notices: Do you have an internship, a residency, an ongoing course or service that you offer? We will again include a Producer Classified Section in our next newsletter.
Classified ads, as well as your thoughts and visions, should be emailed to office@fibershed.com. Feel free to submit both your ideas and your classified ads between now and January 24, 2020.
Photo
Chico Flax
Mendocino Wool and Fiber Update
BY SARAH GILBERT
This year we have been trying a lot of new and exciting things at Mendocino Wool and Fiber. One of the things I’m the most excited about as a textile artist and producer is blending wool with hemp. Early this spring, we were approached by Fibershed to try refining hemp from Bastcore in our wool carder to see how the hemp would react to refinement processes already available in our current supply chain infrastructure. It took some experimenting with moisture content, and speed controls to get the hemp to run on the carder without too much flying away and without running the hemp fibers into dryer lint. Eventually, we figured out how to successfully run the hemp through our carder, making progress with refining the hemp while maintaining fiber integrity. While this was fairly time-consuming, it gave us a great jumping-off point for blending. We decided to blend with some fine Corriedale that was a good texture and staple length match to the refined hemp.
We made three different batches of varying blend percentages up to 50% refined hemp. The batches all carded well and blended sufficiently well that we decided to proceed to the yarn. We were happily surprised with the results.
We made two-ply yarn from each batch, all the same, style yarn, but the differences in each batch were remarkable.
The batch with 10% hemp was less squishy and springy than straight Corriedale yarn tends to be, with more drape than typical of Corriedale yarn, but still a good amount of stretch.
The 25% hemp batch was less stretchy with very little squish-factor but still soft.
The last batch, at 50% hemp and 50% wool, felt a bit more like the paper yarns with a solid structure and no stretch. The drape and the stitch definition were really striking. This didn’t blend as thoroughly in the carding and pindrafting stages as the other two blends and had a few more slubs in the yarn but still spun well and had good strength.
As we develop a separate, predictable infrastructure to handle the hemp crop before getting to the blending stage, I expect that blending will be much more consistent at these higher hemp percentages.
For the first time using local infrastructure, hemp and wool were successfully carded, drafted, and spun into blended yarns. The yarns are both strong and soft to the touch; samples shown include 0-100, 1090, 25-75, and 50-50 blends of hemp and wool. (Photo by Jess Daniels)
Another neat characteristic was how lightweight the yarn was. The same drape effect in other materials is often paired with a weighty feeling. These blends do not feel heavy at all.
Hemp blends offer us an exciting opportunity to develop biodegradable performance yarns and fabrics, as we look for new ways to eliminate synthetics.
Valley Oak Wool Mill Update
BY MARCAIL WILLIAMS
In July, I participated in my second ever large show—Black Sheep Gathering in Albany, OR. It was a great show! I had a lot of fun and made some great new contacts. Meeting people I follow on Instagram was a trip, and meeting followers of mine was equally as fun and awkward, ha. It’s just bizarre talking with someone who is, by all means, a stranger to me yet we have something to talk about when we meet, “How’s your garden? You post the best sunrise pictures. How’s that knitting project coming along?”
New fibers: I’ve received a few new breeds of sheep’s wool this month: Santa Cruz Island, Scottish Black Face, and Beulah Speckle Faced wool. The Santa Cruz wool acted similarly to Babydoll Southdown—very short and springy! I received the wool in roving form which had been processed by Mendocino Wool and Fiber Inc. I experimented with many different adjustments on the machine before finally resulting in a bulky single-ply yarn.
The Scottish Black Face reminds me of karakul—VERY hairy and dual coated. The customer wants to make a braided roving rug, which is a good use of such a hairy wool. I mentioned in the previous newsletter that I usually have to blend in 30% wool with crimp to process hairy wools, but the dual coat in this fiber will be good enough to hold its own.
The Beulah wool reminds me of something standard like Suffolk or Hampshire. A medium grade fiber, yet the sample I have doesn’t have much crimp. It will be a nice white color after washing, and my customer mentioned she plans to dye the wool and sell it in an Etsy shop.
What’s next: I will be vending at Lambtown on October 5-6, 2019, with Wild Oat Hollow! I have some beautiful new yarns available that I can’t wait to reveal. :) Please email: valleyoakwoolmill@gmail.com to let me know if you’d like to drop off fiber at the show for mill processing!
Clockwise from top: skeins of Santa Cruz Island wool, samples of Beulah Speckle Faced and Scottish Black Face wool at Valley Oak Wool Mill
Community + Collaboration
BY SIERRA READING
Whetherit be garment production, land management, throwing a dinner party, or making art, I believe that great things can come from collaboration. While working within the clothing industry, there is a lot of pressure on the designer to make something so perfect and so specific to a vision. But for me, I have noticed how there is always a point of letting go to discover what the machine will do, what another trained individual will do, how a fiber will interact. These are all points of collaboration with other people, objects and materials.
I want my work to emphasize the point in design when you let go, and allow for something to happen through collaboration. Allow for chance and sharing to make something new.
Throughout my work I have collaborated with farmers, animals, friends, and food to create curated moments that allow for individuals to find a point of discovery within a medium, material or place. I’ve held conversations where participants hold candles above a cloth and stay in conversation until their candles burn out. When the conversation is over, the cloth is dyed in indigo, allowing for our conversations, held in wax, to be illuminated. I also enjoy creating meals for others and these too, have become points of collaboration. With every curated meal there is a purposeful spilling, allowing for the participants to spill on the tablecloth and once the meal is done, the tablecloth is displayed as a beautiful painting; created from sharing an experience. From a specific place. In a specific time.
I’ve continued to explore and consider how place can be a point of discovery and collaboration. In June of 2019 my partner and I created an artist residency named Social Studies. Social Studies is located in my hometown, Colusa, in the Northern Central Sacramento Valley of California along the Sacramento River. Colusa has a population of roughly six thousand people, and while many from urban centers in California have never heard of it, it is known for its acres of rice fields, tree-nut orchards, and a view of the Sutter Buttes (which is known as the smallest mountain range in the world). In creating this residency, I had no property or housing; but I did find many Colusa residents who were willing and open to collaborate. Housing for residents is donated by a local educator, and her wood-working husband. And we currently utilize two studios which can hold two to three people each. One is a backyard barn donated by a high school classmate who now works in the local Resource Conservation District, and the other is an extra room at the Colusa County Arts Council building, donated by the Council and located along the main road in town.
The day that residents arrive, they’re greeted at the home by the community partners who offer tours of their donated spaces. Afterwards there’s a big dinner party for everyone to get to know each other. This is the pilot summer to see how the town reacts, how much money might be spent, and see how residents enjoy Colusa. There is a lot of learning taking place. After every session, artists complete a survey that will give us feedback on their stay. There will also be a survey for our community partners, so that their voices can be heard in how to structure and support the project.
My vision for Social Studies is to create a way for both artists and Colusa residents to step outside of their normal social routines and to be able to see another perspective. We’ve all seen how our country has been split, with so much anger and an inability to see another view. I also understand how loud, crowded, and competitive the Bay Area and other urban centers can be, so I’m bringing urban, contemporary artists to a small town to be able to have a quiet space to work, a community to support them and learn from, a new space to explore, and people to meet and share with. I’m not making or losing money; but the hope is for artists to gain experience and positive bonds with a portion of our state that they might otherwise overlook.
The residency has only been active for two weeks but artists have already explored the wetland habitats of the region to inspire imagery for a local mural; photographed rural fourth of July traditions; experimented with native Oak trees for natural pigments; and collaborated with local high schoolers to create imagery of their town for a mural that they will have the opportunity to assist in painting.
I hope that Social Studies can allow for the time and space for artists and residents of Colusa to feel like they can let go and see what can happen when someone sees their world from another perspective. I hope that Social Studies can continue to grow so that collaborations with land and people can continue and flourish. So that time and space can open perspectives of new and old places. I hope that creating this space, for people to gather, to make, to share and collaborate, can allow us to experience the sweetness and kindness of place. This place, and all of our future places.
Producer Classifieds
Hats made with your sheep wool, alpaca fiber, and/or blends
Processed from the raw fleece, cleaned, carded, needle felted, then made into the hat style of your choice from my vast repertoire of hat designs. Choice of hatbands and adornments, all from our local Fibershed.
Contact Carol Frechette at carol@2nfrom.com or 707-934-5163.
The WOOLGATHERING
September 5-8, 2019 — Save the Date!
Four glorious days of classes in beautiful Surprise Valley! Learn about techniques, spinning, working with color, wild foraging, local dye plants, natural dyeing and how to process your own wool at the mills. Join us for “Knit Nights” and the “Spinning Circle”
Sponsored by Warner Mountain Weavers and Lani’s Lana High Desert Fibershed, Cedarville, California www.warnermtnweavers.com or 530 279-2164
Industrial Knitting Services
Design a product line, or translate your designs into manufacturable products. Quantities of 5o pieces or more get you the best pricing, but we have no minimum. Design of hand knitting patterns, I can translate a design of your choice into knitting instructions. Contact connect@ myrrhia.com and visit www.myrrhia.com for a portfolio of projects.
Tapestry Weaving Workshops
All levels welcome!
September 8th – Sonoma, Ca
October 26th – Cotati, Ca
More info at www.keyaiira.com
Seeking Creative Employment?
Tapestry weaving & leather worker, Keyaira Terry is seeking someone to manufacture & process orders, help with various admin & personal assistant tasks. Must be very detail oriented, self-starter, knowledgeable with social media. Photoshop, InDesign, Etsy & Wix preferred. Work in the office on Wed. & Fri. to start + work from home, flexible hours. Days can change overtime w/the right person. Email resumes tokeyaiira@ gmail.com
Japanese Indigo Seed
Botanical name: Persicaria tinctoria
Source: 2018 Sonoma County, California
Cost: $20.00 (approximately 100 or more seeds). Includes basic growing instructions & links about processing leaves into a blue dye.
Producer/Supplier: Craig’s INDIGO / Northern California Fibershed
Producer
Contact: craigsIndigo@gmail.com
Photo by Paige Green
Fiber Circle Studio
Fiber Circle Studio offers an array of fiber related workshops, and equipment in the areas of weaving, spinning, fiber processing, dyeing, knitting, crocheting, and felting. In addition to classes, the studio may be accessed through Day Use or Membership and is available to rent for teaching classes and hosting gatherings.
Fiber Circle Studio
8099 La Plaza Ste H, Cotati, CA 94931
707-242-3400
alisha@fibercirclestudio.com fibercirclestudio.com
Textile Goods at Oakland Farmers’ Markets
If you find yourself in need of aprons or coffee filters, Geana of GDS Cloth Goods will be at 2 markets this Spring. Find her once a month at each market. Visit gdsclothgoods.com/events or email geana@ gdsclothgoods.com for specific dates.
Grand Lake Farmers’ Market: Saturdays 9-2, Lake Park Avenue
Temescal Farmers’ Market: Sundays 9-1, 5300 Claremont Avenue
Summer Solace Tallow
Summer Solace Tallow is actively reviving the nourishing traditions of using local grass-fed and pasture raised animal fat to moisturize effectively and soothe skin irritations.
Our tallow-based products contain unique and harmonious blends of organic, wildcrafted Absolutes and essential oils, local extra-virgin olive oil and local tallow from family farms, which we render and combine in small batches.
www.summersolacetallow.com and @summersolacetallow
Greenhouse+Solar funding opportunities are available
Soliculture has introduced a solar panel designed specifically for crop production and generation of electricity. The panels convert light that is harmful to light that is beneficial to crop development. Renewable energy incentives from the State and Federal governments can pay for both the panels and a greenhouse.
Contact glenn.alers@soliculture.com or visit www.soliculture.com
Do you have sliver or roving you’d like turned into yarn?
Typically, I make a 2-ply DK yarn for my customers. Right now, I don’t make any plyed yarn finer than Sport/DK (depending on the fiber).
Send me an email at valleyoakwoolmill@gmail.com to discuss getting your roving spun!
Meridian Jacobs
Solano County grown yarn available in natural and naturally dyed colors. Weaving and spinning classes scheduled to suit your schedule— just ask!
Robin Lynde • 707-688-3493 robin@meridianjacobs.com • www.meridianjacobs.com
Producer Classifieds (continued)
Super soft Cormo fleeces
Available from Butte Mountain Farm, located in Jackson, CA, in the Sierra Foothills. The sheep wear jackets and range the hills. Cormos have very fine fleeces, micron count is usually between 18 – 25. Next to skin soft roving and yarn is also available. buttemountainfarm.com
Fleeces, lambskins and breeding stock for sale
Barinaga Ranch in Marshall, West Marin County: In addition to our high-percentage East Friesian dairy sheep, we now have purebred Romneys (with recessive color) and colored and white purebred Corriedales, as well as Romney/E. Friesian and Corriedale/E. Friesian crosses. See our website: www.barinagaranch.com or email me: marcia@barinagaranch.com
Call for Submissions
Full Circle Wool is curating an exhibit of locally crafted textiles, fashion, and art for Transhumance Festival 2020 in Petaluma, CA. Your submissions in forms including felt, knit, crochet, woven, sculpture, and beyond are welcome!
Submissions must use at least 80% materials sourced from Northern California grasslands (such as wool, leather, alpaca, flax, mohair, cotton, and/or natural dyes).
There is no submission fee. Work may be available for sale at the festival, with a 20% donation going to a local grasslands fund.
Please visit https://bit.ly/2VVoLDi to apply by October 1, 2019.
For questions or more info, please email Marie at capellagrazing@gmail.com www.fullcirclewool.com @stargrazers
Full service alpaca ranch in Central California
We have a variety of colors in our herd of huacaya and suri, and offer fleeces, roving and yarn, as well as spinning, dyeing and felting classes. We also are able to instruct in fleece skirting.
Make an appointment and watch for our class schedule on Facebook (www.facebook.com/macedosminiacre)
Maureen Macedo 209-648-2384, macedosminiacre@gmail.com
Alpaca Rentals
For Weddings, Special Events, Photo Shoots. Make your occasion special and fun! Call or e-mail for pricing.
Alpaca Products
Alpaca fleece, roving and yarn for your next project. Natural colors: white, light fawn, brown, silver grey, rose grey and black. Visit our farm store for best selection. Appointments required.
Alpaca Manure
Fresh or lightly composted alpaca manure is mild enough to top dress your plants, but nutritious enough to enrich your soil. Bring your truck, we’ll load it for you. By the pickup load (4-5 ¼ yard buckets) or trailer load - $10 per load/yard.
Menagerie Hill Ranch, Vacaville, CA Deb 707.290.7915 deb@menageriehillranch.com
Producer Reviews of the Fibershed Business Curriculum
The Fibershed Business Curriculum has offered more than 15 courses to date, with another nine slated throughout 2019 on topics ranging from agritourism to employment law essentials to compassionate communication. The full menu of online courses is available online exclusively for producers, offering the opportunity to enhance your business knowledge and practice through “a la carte” selections that are the best fit for you at this time.
Course creator and facilitator
Olivia Tincani shares:
“The response thus far by Fibershed producers to our Business Curriculum training courses has been resounding, and I’m honored to be able to provide this service to you all. Our lineup of guest educators hosting webinars in the second half of this year is an impressive collection of deeply respected professional service providers who have so much good business insight to offer this collective.
“It is rare that small business owners have access to such customized, powerful, and sector-specific tools and training for FREE, and we urge you to take advantage of them. Furthermore, we are still offering oneon-one individual coaching in any topic of strategy, business operations, marketing, or financials — another opportunity that almost never comes along for entrepreneurs. Please reach out! We’d love to learn more about you and help you navigate challenging business moments together!”
www.fibershed.com/business-curriculum/
Request a free one-on-one technical assistance session by sending an email to: olivia@oliviatincaniandco.com
Producer members who have tried solo courses or series have shared enthusiastic feedback:
“I expected that the Introduction to Strategic Planning class I attended in Petaluma would teach me some new skills and help ground my new business. What I gained was so much more than that. The core values exercise was transformative not only for my business but for my life in general. Olivia helped me refine my values in such a helpful way that now they are my go-to arbiters of almost every decision and choice I make in general.
“The other business curriculum webinars I’ve attended have built on that sound foundation. Having run two businesses for over 25 years, I was amazed at how many more helpful skills and tools is can use that the curriculum offers. Olivia’s one on one support has meant the world to me…she is a talented communicator and has such deep knowledge and love of her craft. I encourage everyone at whatever stage your business is at to check out this resource.”
– Helen Krayenhoff, Kassenhoff Growers
Define your core values with a guided exercise available here:
https://www.fibershed.com/strategic-planning/#soar
“All the courses have been well presented and filled with relevant specific content helping me develop a business plan. I especially liked one of the first webinars identifying your core values by Olivia Tincani. I was surprised at the answers I had and did not have. Beginning with identifying my values was essential. I appreciate the Business Curriculum is presented by Fibershed to Fibershed producers with very specific contents for agriculture and land-based businesses... I have been able to start structuring a business plan that finally starts to make sense. The exercises have helped me re-evaluate my core motivations for even establishing a business.”
– Craig Wilkinson, Craig’s Indigo
Learn about business models with a specific framework for structuring a fiber economy enterprise:
https://www.fibershed.com/financial-planning/#frame
“I listened to the marketing session about social media. I wanted to start by saying how grateful I am that Fibershed is providing these classes. Today’s class was wonderful, and the teacher was effective in reaching the entire crowd; from the beginners to the more advanced students. She covered the range of social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and beyond; however, I am only familiar with Instagram. The instructor did a thorough job and covered aspects which zeroed in on growing your audience and connecting with community, metrics, consideration of business accounts, ads, and aligning with your core values. I found it really helpful… It was a fantastic refresher.”
– Sandra Guidi, Black Rock Ranch and @coastalchronicles on Instagram
Get started with social media best practices for your business: https://www.fibershed.com/marketing/#social
“Overall, these classes have been fantastic. They were well thought through and well presented, they were comprehensive and yet kept simple so most novices and laypeople could understand them.
“Even though it is hard to select one class that has stood out, for me, (who is not very familiar with social media), the Social Media Marketing and Best Practices Class was the class that I learned from the most. Having said that, I have been in business for over 40 years, and I just recently learned a totally new way of looking at my business through the Breakeven and Enterprise Budgeting class. It has been so helpful to have the spreadsheets already set up so you can plug in your own numbers and you instantly know the answers. This is a very nice and much-appreciated element of the accounting classes.
“The other things that have been very helpful to me were the one on one assistance from Olivia. It is rare that one can discuss one’s intimate business/financial situations with someone else who has an objective, impartial view. Her input clarified a lot of questions and open issues for me… These classes have had a great impact on my business. I have opened up new channels, hired new people to do social media and it has given me a new way of looking at all my business.
“I am so grateful to Fibershed for offering these classes for free and Olivia and the other teachers for doing such a superb job.”
– Marlie de Swart, Bo Rage Yarns and Black Mountain Artisans
Get your free budgeting template and breakeven calculator:
https://www.fibershed.com/financial-planning/#breakeven
Cosmos, dahlia and coreopsis illustrations by Helen Krayenhoff
Working with the Invisible with Dr. Christine Jones
BY MARIE HOFF
Dr. Christine Jones’ work with soil and microbial life brings into focus an invisible world. At her June 18th workshop at Stemple Creek Ranch, she struck me as being a true pioneer. Except instead of discovering new places, she discovers new places within already known places. Hers is not an external search; hers does not look for resources to exploit but rather takes a deeper look into the world we carbon-based life forms already inhabit. She took an assortment of producers from our Fibershed membership and local community on this journey with her in workshops sponsored by Fibershed, one at Stemple Creek Ranch in Tomales and one at Rush Ranch near Vacaville.
We were wowed.
It centered on the concept that a complex community of life and interactions (mostly invisible to the naked human eye) are responsible for feeding the plants and animals we live with. And our human selves, as well. In terms of managing the dynamics of a farm or ranch or grazing operation, it really came down to this key insight:
Diversity is critical to maintaining healthy ecosystems in which to live. Diversity in this workshop included but was not limited to, growing plants, bacteria, fungi, and insects.
She shared the enlightening revelation that compost extract is preferable to the more familiar compost tea, because although compost tea may have lots of microbial life, the process of feeding it selects for only a few specific microbial types, whereas compost extract retains a high diversity of microbial types and lots of them.
Planting a diverse cover crop (she recommended a minimum of 8 plants types and that 27+ was better) can also kickstart soil health, which can be used for both cropland and pasture. Dr. Jones recommended a Haney test for assessing soil health as opposed to a traditional soil test, which can be done through the same lab Fibershed uses to process soil samples taken for soil carbon, Ward Lab. See https://www.wardlab.com/haneyinfo.php
After shocking us with the news that food has been drastically dropping in nutritional content since WWll, Dr. Jones’ explained her insight into the soil microbiome, the invisible network of microorganisms, including fungi and bacteria. Even if minerals are present in the soil, a plant may not be able to make use of those minerals without a complex of soil microbial life – the balance of beneficial bacteria and fungi – to access it. The same goes for people when we eat the fruits of that plant. Without a proper level of gut microbes, we fail to access trace elements and minerals present in the foods we eat. I imagine showing up to a spectacular feast but without a fork or knife or plate (the microbes are the fork, knife, and plate).
Quorum sensing: density-dependent coordinated behavior that regulates gene expression in microbial populations/host animal or plant (We instead of Me communication)
Thus, mineral-rich soil is not healthy soil without functioning bacteria and fungi. Of course, I already knew that, but this workshop focused my attention on how to build healthy soil from the invisible microorganism community to feed the visible host plants and animals. Dr. Jones described it as a three-pronged approach:
1Grow diverse green plants year-round. When not growing crops or pasture, grow a cover crop, either warm season or cool season. It was a revelation to me that it’s possible to find native perennial warmseason seeds. Although I knew these grasses once existed, I didn’t know where to find them, and simply assumed there would be a dormant period of time every year in the pasture when everything dried up, and I supplemented with hay. The idea I could convert my pastures to growing year-round was a game-changer. Research California C4 native perennials to learn more.
Cover Crop mix: Oats, Peas, Millet, Rye, Alfalfa, Dandelion, Plantain, Radish, Beans, Sunflower, Buckwheat, Okra, Flax
2
Apply compost/biostimulants: stimulating plant growth with saliva on the seeds before planting tricks seeds into producing more exudates (sugars for microbes to eat), which attract more microbes, which feed the plant more, and this trick ends up creating an “if you build it they will come” scenario. Inoculating soil and plant leaves with compost extract provide plants with more forks, knives, and plates with which to consume nutrients in the air and soil.
Biostimulants: anything that stimulates natural processes to benefit plant health independently of its mineral content, such as humic acid (found in peat), seaweed extract, compost leachate, bacteria and fungi
3
Coordinate livestock integration to stimulate root production: Grazing so that the top half of the plant is grazed and then pulling animals out so the plant can rest and recover before grazing again is key to stimulating root production. Animals also add microbial life after digesting plant material and depositing it back on the land with probiotic content. A diverse cover crop can serve as excellent forage for animals.
“From an animal production perspective, it’s important to note that most of the energy, protein, and nutrients are in the most recently emerged leaves. Hence animal live weight gains and fertility are higher if only the top half of the plant is grazed.”
Using diverse cover crop mixes and rotational livestock impact, while forgoing synthetic inputs that would kill microbial life indiscriminately, provide a remedy. In a time where global soil carbon is falling while increasing atmospheric carbon is endangering the existence of all life on Earth, we need remedies. Dr. Jones’ workshop was a powerful message on the importance of engaging with our local fibershed and foodshed. We can grow the food and fiber we need to survive today, while at the same time growing the microbial conditions we need for survival in tomorrow’s future.
“Manage for above- and below-ground diversity and the details will take care of themselves.”
– Dr. Christine Jones
2019 Fibershed Gala
The 2019 Fibershed Gala will be hosted at the Gale Ranch in the Chileno Valley in West Marin. This year’s Gala title is, ‘The Practice of Belonging’ and the registration for tickets has begun for Fibershed supporters and producer members. Registration link here: http://bit.ly/2019FibershedGala
The date is Saturday, September 28, 2019, from 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
A regionally grown dinner, wine, and kombucha bar will be offered. The Fibershed Marketplace is currently full, but if you’d like to be on the waitlist to vend, you can email marisol@fibershed.com.
The Gale Ranch is a 150-year-old farmstead (still owned by the same family) just 20 minutes west of Petaluma, CA. This year’s event focuses on the gifts, talents, and skills of every member of the community. We aim to inspire each guest to ‘be the fashion show’ and come dressed in attire that honors your connection with family, place, and or craft. This year we are shifting the focus from a traditional fashion show to a space to connect with one another through hands-on skill-building, music, and education. There will be a student fashion showcase that features several award-winning pieces that regional design school students have been crafting from Climate Beneficial Wool. Fibershed has been working and teaching at Bay Area design schools for several years. We see that supporting the next generation of designers to work with regionally grown natural fibers is an inspiring way to shift traditional thinking about the fashion industry and to inspire more uptake of our region’s fibers as these students enter into the workplace of the textile industry.
We look forward to celebrating the student work and each of you who can join us!
In summary the Gala will provide guests an opportunity to:
• Cultivate skills and a sense of place with hands-on experiences taught by natural dye experts, fiber artists, and community facilitators
• Explore how a historic ranch is shifting its management of the landscape to enhance the drawdown of atmospheric carbon
• Experience the poetic and practical aspects of the weaving of Apache baskets, Navajo blankets, and dream-webbing, expressed in dynamic performances by soloists of Dancing Earth Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations, inviting audience members to experience cultural life ways and connection with sacred land, water, and skyworlds
• Immerse yourself in a visual and sonic experience of local artistry, including a creative textile art exhibition featuring local artists, and traditional folk songs by vocal arts ensemble Kitka
• Shop ar tisanal goods, grown and made within the Northern California Fibershed
• Join in a shared exploration of locally farmed yarns and patterns for hand knitters with the launch of a new community knitalong
• Explore bast fiber (flax, dogbane, and nettle) processing and spinning demonstrated by skilled farmers and artisans
• Enjoy a generous spread of delicious farm-to-table foods and locally sourced beverages
• Pick your own apples and press cider in the heirloom orchard which includes 17 varietals
• Discover clothing that transforms what we wear into a means of building soil and reversing climate change in a showcase of climate beneficial designs by Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Fibershed Wool & Fine Fiber Symposium
This year’s Wool Symposium on November 16th in Point Reyes Station focuses on Partnership. Our Partnership with everything from the microbial world, the plants and animals we work symbiotically with, to our Partnership and responsibility to the health of whole ecosystems. Through partnerships we engage, we participate, we carry responsibility, and we are nurtured. In the era we now live, there are many points of disconnection between humans, plants, and animals. This disconnection promulgates confusion, ignorance, and even division in our human communities. In this year’s Symposium we will look into how we support one another in generating a vision, a practice, and in turn—an in-perpetuity culture that is invested in and wise enough to manage whole systems with heart and intellectual know-how. We will re-invigorate our conversations on grazing, carbon farming and fire as well as introduce information about the rich microbial communities under our feet. We will converse and ask questions about modern ideas of sustainability and deconstruct popular narratives whose time has come to be re-evaluated and upgraded. The signup for vending your Fibershed-certified goods (local fiber, local & natural dyes, and as much local labor as possible) at the Symposium Marketplace is now open! Space is limited, so please sign up here: http://bit.ly/19ProducerSymposiumForm
by Paige Green
Blending Hemp into the Fibershed
BY NICK WENNER
In the United States, there remains a need to blend bast fibers like hemp, flax, nettle, milkweed, and dogbane with either cotton or wool, due in part to the realities of our milling systems (which are tailored to cotton and wool) and in part to the early stage in which the emerging bast fiber industry finds itself.
With this in mind, Fibershed has been working this year with the Mendocino and Valley Oak fiber mills to produce hemp/wool blends locally, with recent successes at the Mendocino mill (see Sarah Gilbert’s report in this newsletter).
The yarn used 22-micron wool from Kaos Sheep Outfit and hemp fiber that was sourced from the Three Rivers Fibershed in Minnesota and processed by Bastcore, a company based in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the first known hemp/wool yarn produced industrially in the Northern California Fibershed, and it was one of the first products made with recently commissioned spinning equipment at the Mendocino mill. The yarn has been sent to Huston Textile Company, where it will be woven as weft as a test run with Climate Beneficial wool warp threads.
While the yarn was quite strong and very soft to the touch, we found that the hemp fiber required too much refinement to be economically viable. Moreover, Bastcore recently announced a change of management, and it is unclear whether they will continue to provide quality textile fibers moving forward. Such shifts seem to be the norm in the early stages of this developing industry!
We have begun working with another company, Circular Systems, to source hemp fiber. They are developing a closed-loop fiber processing system and aim to source all energy and materials for their production from local crop waste. They have provided us with a batch of fiber that is much improved, and we are working to develop further recipes for hemp/wool and hemp/cotton blends that can be shared with the producer community.
Circular Systems aims to build a pilot facility for hemp processing in the US that produces textile grade fiber from hemp straw, which they plan to purchase as a by-product of the CBD and/or hemp seed markets. They are interested in locating their pilot facility in California, and we are working with them to determine possible locations and partnerships. If you would be interested in growing hemp and participating in a possible pilot project with Circular Systems in the coming years, please email nicholas@fibershed.com for more info.
If you would like to buy hemp blended yarns from a Fibershed producer, check out Twirl Yarns, who blends the fiber with local alpaca and wool at a regional mill, and offers the yarns in the Fibershed Marketplace: https://www.fibershedmarketplace.com/merchants/twirl/m/NTU%3D For the first time using local infrastructure, hemp and wool were successfully carded, drafted, and spun into blended yarns. The yarns are both strong and soft to the touch and include 10-90, 25-75, and 50-50 blends of hemp and wool. At left, from top to bottom: Fiber ready to be blended in the carder, roving being pindrafted, yarn being spun (Photos by Nick Wenner)
Photos
2019 Healthy Soils Incentives Grants Awarded to Eight
Fibershed Producers
We are delighted that eight of our Northern California producer members received 2019 Healthy Soils Program (HSP) Incentives grant awards from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) totaling more than $372,000 to help them implement new practices to sequester carbon, build healthier soils, increase aboveground and belowground species diversity, restore healthy waterways and wildlife habitat, improve productivity and improve resilience to extremes of drought and flooding. While providing all of these ecosystem and farm benefits, the practices being undertaken by
these nine producers are projected to have an impact of sequestering the equivalent of 986 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
For producers interested in receiving future funding from the Healthy Soils program to implement similar practices on their farm or ranch, the opportunity is only growing. And it’s not too early to start thinking about planning for new practices. The state budget for the next round of Healthy Soils Grants, expected to open near the end of 2019, will be $28 million—nearly double the amount that was available in the current round. This year, CDFA will be funding additional technical assistance for HSP project planning and grant application preparation through Resource Conservation Districts, UC Cooperative Extension, and other regional technical service providers. We will keep our members posted through Fibershed Producer Program email newsletter about opportunities later this year to apply and to receive technical assistance.
Reach out to Heather Podoll (heather@fibershed.com) with any questions about upcoming Healthy Soils Program grant opportunities.
Congratulations to these 2019 Healthy Soils Program Awardees
Loren Poncia, Stemple Creek Ranch (Marin): Compost application, range planting, hedgerow
(Photos by Paige Green, except Peggy Agnew by Brittany Cole Bush and Marie Hoff by Alycia Lang)
Nathanael Siemens, Fat Uncle Farm (Modoc): Polyculture pasture crop, including no-till cover crop and mulch
John Teixiera, Lone Willow Ranch (Fresno): Hedgerow establishment; and Teixiera and Sons (Merced): Compost application to cropland
Ian Anderson, Anderson Ranch (Solano): Conversion to no-till; pasture improvement
Jim Jensen, Jensen Ranch (Marin): No-till pasture seeding, prescribed grazing
Marie Hoff (Mendocino): Compost on grazed grassland; range planting; silvopasture; pollinator-friendly multispecies hedgerow
Peggy Agnew, Red Creek Farm (Mendocino): Compost application to pasture and grazed rangeland
Sally Fox, Vreseis/Viriditas Farm (Yolo): Compost application to grazed rangelands, range planting, and cover cropping
2019 Knitalong
The Fibershed Knitalong encourages knitters to connect directly to regionally produced yarns, and connect to one another with shared reflections on creating handknit pieces as part of a regional fiber system.
In the fall of 2016, the first Fibershed Knitalong was launched with Radiata shawl pattern by Emily Cunetto. This year, we’re thrilled to be working with three local designers for an array of patterns that can support a range of yarn weights, price points (from single skein to sweater quantity), and knitting experience levels.
As with the 2016 Fibershed Knitalong, we have been coordinating with knitting pattern designers so that each pattern can be knit in multiple yarns – we hope to knitters engaging with the Knitalong and with the vast and incredible yarn options available throughout the community, from single-fleece skeins to blended batches and wholesale orders available through yarn brands.
The patterns include: a pair of mitts for keeping hands and wrists toasty, perfect for knitters to explore a rare breed wool or a pop of vibrant naturally dyed color; an elegant cowl, ideal for investing in a few skeins of yarn that is soft enough to wear next to skin; and a cropped, boxy sweater, great for layering throughout the seasons and for larger batches of relatively uniform yarn.
The 2019 Knitalong will be planned and launched to strategically support yarn purchases at the Fibershed producer marketplace opportunities at the 2019 Fibershed Gala and Symposium, as well as through the Northern California Fibershed Cooperative and at producer member businesses:
▶ September 28: the Knitalong will launch with in-person announcements and engagement at the Fibershed Gala, including:
• Display table with pattern samples
• Print promotional materials
• Event signage, announcements, and staff guidance to promote uptake
▶ October 1 - November 15: the Knitalong will be launched and promoted through digital channels and educational presentations, including:
• Fibershed email newsletters and social media
• Inviting and encouraging community members to shop the Fibershed Marketplace website for knitalong supplies
• Inviting and encouraging community members to shop with local yarn retailers specifically for regionally grown yarns
• Presentations to small groups of fiber artists and communities ** if you are part of a knitting-related community group or space and want to co-host one, let us know!
▶ November 16: the Knitalong will be featured at the Fibershed Symposium:
• Display table with pattern samples
• Print promotional materials
• Event integration with signage and program features/ announcements
▶ November 17 - end of the year: continued digital promotion. (close date TBD)
How to promote your yarn for sale alongside the Knitalong:
1. Participate as a vendor in the Producer Marketplace at the Fibershed Gala (waitlist available) or Symposium
2. List your yarn on FibershedMarketplace.com
3. Let us know where your yarn is sold: share your retailer list with Fibershed so that we can create an accurate list of in-store options; email Jess at office@fibershed.com with information on where knitters can find your yarn.
Want to make a Knitalong kit with your yarns? Please look for the flyer included in this newsletter for more information about how much yarn is needed for each pattern and when promotional materials will be available.
Market Your Knitalong Yarn on the Fibershed Marketplace
Now is a great time to get your merchant listing set up on the Fibershed Marketplace so that Knitalong knitters can browse and buy your yarn or kits for the Knitalong beginning September 28.
Fibershed will be directing community members to FibershedMarketplace.com to source yarns and kits to participate in the Knitalong. Fibershed will work with the Northern California Fibershed Cooperative to provide all sellers with the descriptive language of the Knitalong to include in product listings, to make it easy for merchants to “plugin” to this project.
Join the Northern California Fibershed Cooperative to be part of the mutually thriving community of artisans, producers, processors, distributors, the general public, investors and more.
As a member, you have a stake in fostering the collaborative efforts that strengthen the regenerative systems involved in producing regional fibers and goods:
• To drive and support expansion into new markets for farmers and independent artisans
• To make it easier for people to find and buy regionally grown, domestically produced goods that benefit our land, economies, and climate
• To support our efforts to provide training, workshops, agritourism, retreats, and other events that support the right livelihood for farmers, ranchers, and artisans
• To support the ongoing operation of the online Fibershed Marketplace at fibershedmarketplace.com
JOIN HERE: https://norcalfibershedcoop.com/join/member-application/
Once you join, you’ll receive information on how to set up your Merchant account on FibershedMarketplace.com, and how to photograph and list your yarn and/or kits.
Photo by Paige Green
Illustrations by Jess Daniels
Affiliate Voices
Rust Belt Fibershed Fields Flax
Jess Boeke and Sarah Pottle first entered the Fibershed community by attending the 2017 Wool & Fine Fiber Symposium here in Northern California. Returning home to Cleveland, Ohio, the sisters and natural dyers joined the Fibershed Affiliate Network as co-organizers of the Rust Belt Fibershed. In 2018, the Rust Belt Fibershed launched the Cleveland Flax project to grow 1/5 acre of flax with the goal “to connect all aspects of the soil to soil system through this project, showcasing local talent, investigating the interest of organizations, and determining the viability of flax for linen here.”
Jess and Sarah shared:
“Emily Pek, the farmer for the project, took soil samples on each of the two fields to monitor the carbon sequestration and hopeful increase in soil organic matter, prepared the field by solarizing. On November 4, we had our first community field day to apply the compost. We ordered the compost from two local sources: Kurtz Brothers and Rust Belt Riders—a Cleveland organization who collects compost from local residences and businesses.
“In preparation for planting, we were advised by Angela from Pacific Northwest Fibershed to purchase seeds from a company in Holland. However, those seeds were not in our budget with added international shipping costs, and so we did more research and purchased seeds of the Nathalie variety from Landis Valley Museum. We were originally hoping to purchase two varieties to plant in two different fields, but Landis Valley only had one “untreated” variety available. We are happy to report that three weeks after planting, the flax is growing!”
As the flax grows tall in the summer sunlight, we checked in to hear how it’s going:
You’ve been hosting community field days and sharing this project at local events—what has the response been like so far?
“Whenever we present the invitation to community field days— at conferences, events, and even in our newsletters, we have an overwhelming amount of positive, verbal support and confirmation of commitment to those events. That being said, we’ve had two field days now, and for both of those field days, the weather was less than desirable. Despite this challenge, we’ve had about a dozen people show up each time, and the second time the turnout was completely different from the first time, and so it appears that we are reaching different members of the community. For the flax planting field day #2, we had a solid discussion about the origin and cost of our clothing. Many people were engaged in the content and expressed that they had never really contemplated these topics before. That was incredibly rewarding.”
It seems like the project has been weaving together a few Fibershed Affiliates, can you share how you’ve collaborated with flax growers from other fibersheds?
“Angela from PNW fibershed has been a fantastic mentor. She and our flax farmer, Emily Pek, have been communicating via email and phone calls for months now regarding soil prep, seed sourcing, and appropriate planting techniques. She is always willing to answer any questions we may have about the process—we’ve felt a great deal of support from her throughout this project.”
Learn more and watch a video clip about this project at https://rustbeltfibershed.com/the-cleveland-flax-project
Piedmont Fibershed Finds Common Ground with Farmers and Artists Exploring Hemp
In the Piedmont region of North Carolina, several Fibershed intersections have emerged in recent years. Courtney Lockemer is the primary Fibershed Affiliate organizer in the region, and as she began an outreach and interview project to learn more about producers and artisans in the region, “an unexpected and exciting fibershed project came up this winter and spring: an exhibit of art made by local artists from locally-grown hemp fiber.” She shared with us: “Two co-curators and I wrote a proposal for a local art gallery, recruited six local artists, and designed and installed a show featuring over a dozen works of art. The show ran for three weeks in April and May, during which my co-curators and I hosted three community events: an artist talk/opening reception, a farmers/artisans information session about working with hemp in North Carolina, and Piedmont Fibershed’s first community meetup.”
We checked in with Courtney to learn more about how this hemp fiber art project came to be:
How did the One Acre Exchange exhibition come together? “I was connected with Tyler shortly after I took over as organizer of Piedmont Fibershed. Tyler and Katie Berman (our third co-organizer of the exhibit) had been experimenting with locally-grown hemp, and they thought an exhibit involving local artists would help spread awareness of the hemp as a material with creative possibilities. The three of us then worked together to identify possible venues, apply for an exhibit, and recruit artists to make work for the show.”
Can you describe what kinds of material and artistic explorations were on view in the show? “We provided artists with barely processed hemp (only retted and decorticated) because we’re still trying to figure out how and where we can get hemp processed on a small scale. The artists were incredibly creative with their use of what could have been a challenging material. Several artists used weaving techniques to explore the texture and natural beauty of unprocessed hemp. In these pieces, the hemp appears as plant material and fiber at the same time; it’s an unusual and beautiful contrast to the spun yarns one usually weaves with. One artist processed the hemp into handmade paper, which she then used to make a quilt-like wall installation. Another artist used the hemp to create a bioplastic (A process I, unfortunately, don’t know much about) for a sculptural piece.”
What questions and key take-aways came from the farmer and artisan info session during the exhibition? “My key takeaway was that artisans are very excited about working with locally-grown hemp, not just because it’s a versatile and sustainable fiber, but because they feel deeply connected to North Carolina’s history as a textile producing state. Many of us would love for our region to become again known as a place where quality textiles and grown and manufactured. The key question that came up was, “How do we process it and make it into something artists and other consumers want?” And then we got to questions about what should happen first: identify a viable end product, or develop processing infrastructure? Find customers, or find more farmers to grow more hemp for fiber?”
How has the exhibition informed the field trials and/or crop-focused hemp development activities? “Though one thing we discussed at the farmer and artisan session I hope we can implement is a hemp CSA for our artisans: essentially, any interested artisan pays a flat fee in exchange for a portion of the hemp crop. We still need to work out details, but I like this as a way to both support farmers and get local fiber in the hands of individual artisans.”
Learn more at https://piedmontfibershed.org/
Photo by Thomas C. Sawyer
PO Box 221, San Geronimo, CA 94963
office@fibershed.com • www.fibershed.org
Fibershed Staff
Rebecca Burgess is the Executive Director of Fibershed. Her work focuses on developing the vision and funding required for operational planning and execution. She oversees the implementation of the organization’s programs and projects, and executes and manages special projects for Fibershed specific to the development of strategic partnerships with sister organizations within the fields of agriculture and design.
If you have questions about the Wool Symposium, Climate Beneficial Fiber Systems, Hemp Research, Indigo feasibility, Carbon Farming or Fibershed’s national and international presentation and workshop schedule she can be reached at harvestingcolor@gmail.com.
Jess Daniels is the Director of Communications and Affiliate Programming, where she creates written and visual collateral connecting wearers to the biological and social source of their clothing, and facilitates an international grassroots network of communities building soil-to-soil fiber systems. She has a decade of experience working to strengthen local food and fiber systems, from urban farming and education to sustainable agriculture advocacy campaigns and litigation. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Visual Art from Brown University. She facilitates membership engagement and resource development for the Fibershed Affiliate Network, organizes project data and deliverables, and coordinates Fibershed’s communications, press coverage, and digital media presence.
If you have questions about Fibershed’s newsletter or social media content and strategy, research projects and database organization, or want to connect to our global Fibershed Affiliate peer communities, she can be reached at office@fibershed.com
Lynette Niebrugge Lynette Niebrugge is the Lead Carbon Farm Plan Developer for Fibershed and Carbon Farm Planning Manager at the Carbon Cycle Institute. She is an experienced scientist and research professional with a Master’s degree focused on Soil Sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She has a demonstrated history of working in the environmental services industry and is skilled in Natural Resource Management, Environmental Awareness, and Water Resource Management.
Contact Lynette at lynette@fibershed.com
Heather Podoll is the Policy Coordinator for Fibershed. Her work covers advocacy and public funding support for our programs and producers, as well as managing the Fibershed Wool Book and a variety of outreach initiatives.
If you have questions about California’s Healthy Soils Program or other grant opportunities for producers; public policy collaboration work; the Wool Book or other outreach projects, contact Heather at heather@fibershed.com
Marisol Valles is the General Operations Manager for Fibershed. She oversees human resources and monitors processes, organizational policies, and budgeting. She also coordinates Fibershed events, databases, and the Producer Program member communication.
If you have general inquiries, please contact Marisol at marisol@fibershed.com
Erin Walkenshaw is fortunate to have worked with a number of non-profit and for-profit entities and farms whose common thread is their work towards the emergence of health in and across systems. Her work with Fibershed is focused on designing and implementing a pilot program to collaborate with land managers to develop and implement carbon farm plans and create a peer-to-peer support network of fellow carbon farmers.
Contact Erin at ewalkens@gmail.com
Nicholas Wenner works as Lead Process Engineer for Fibershed. He has worked on several projects with Fibershed since 2016 and joined the team in this new role in February of 2019. He brings diverse hands-on experiences of building and making as well as technical training in mechanical engineering to his work. Nicholas led research on indigo dyeing and produced reports for the True Blue Project as well as developed designs in the continuing vision for a California wool mill. This year, he is focused on fiber system research for bast fibers, working with local mills to blend bast fibers with wool and other fibers to produce local yarns and textiles. He is also managing the Citizen Science soil sampling project, supporting feasibility studies for regional manufacturing, and offering technical support to those interested in applying True Blue research on the ground.
If you are interested in soil sampling or have questions about wool, bast fiber, or indigo processing, contact Nick at nicholas@fibershed.com
Japanese indigo illustration by Helen Krayenhoff