"Building a United Nations of flax: perspectives on creating small scale flax growing and processing industries”
January 28, 2021 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am Free Webinar Click here to register: Registration Link This webinar hosted by Chico Flax of California includes a panel of experts from the United States, Canada, and Europe who are working to build viable regional flax-to-linen industries. Speakers include small farmers who are undertaking flax production in collaboration with local universities, yarn manufacturers, and designers. The webinar will address overcoming growing /production challenges, changing from hand processing to mechanical small scale mini mills to provide locally sourced fibers, seed production to meet the demands of a growing flax industry, and innovative partnerships working toward reestablishing a regionally based linen industry. Webinar Host: Sandy Fisher, Chico Flax, Chico, California Speakers:
Sarah Pottle and Jess Boeke, Rust Belt Fibershed and Cleveland Flax Project
Jeffrey Silberman, Fashion Institute of Technology (retired), Maple Shade Farm and New England Flax and Linen Study Group
Michelle Parrish, Western Massachusetts Fibershed and the New England Flax and Linen Study Group
Rosie Bristow, Essex, England.
Durl Van Alstyne, Chico Flax LLC, California
Patricia Bishop, Tap Root Fibre Lab, Nova Scotia, Canada
Pascale Gatzen, The Linen Project, Netherlands
Shannon Welsh and Angela Wartes-Kahl, Fibrevolution LLC and Pacific Northwest Fibershed, Oregon
The SAFSF Special Project on Sustainable Fibers and Textiles recently launched The Fibers Roadmap: Integrated Capital Opportunities to Support Revitalization of U.S.-Grown Fiber, Textiles, and Leather. This report lays out a seven-year vision for values-based investment and funding needed to support regenerative fiber agriculture and revitalize U.S.-based textile processing and manufacturing. This research project drew on more than 60 interviews with fiber farmers and ranchers; processing businesses along the supply chain (mills, tanneries, etc.); brands and other supply chain experts; and funders and investors. Findings from these interviews have been synthesized and distilled into a seven-year financial Roadmap identifying five key Gaps and Levers where integrated philanthropic and investment capital would have the greatest impact in rebuilding the “missing middle” of the supply chain.
This will be a fully public webinar open to all farmers, ranchers, supply chain businesses, brands, researchers, agency staff, and other interviewees and stakeholders for the Roadmap. We’ll cover an overview of Roadmap content, feature 3 of the case studies from the report, and leave time for an update on our emerging next steps and for your questions.
Featured Case Studies:
Winona LaDuke, Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute / Winona's Hemp and Erin Axelrod, LIFT Economy - The vision of AAI / Winona's Hemp is to nurture a tribal hemp economy in North America.
Lara Burton and Marta Kephart, Apparent Ventures - Apparent Ventures is a bio-materials company whose mission is to transform invasive plant biomass into bio-benign alternatives to traditional and synthetic textiles.
Shannon Welsh and Angela Wartes-Kahl, Fibrevolution - Fibrevolution will launch the first fiber flax mill in over 50 years in Oregon.
Join us at the Monroe Library during the town’s Vino, Vintage and Victory festival on April 27th. We are bringing our retted flax, hand tools and fiber samples for an afternoon of traditional flax fiber processing. All hands welcome! 1-5pm
Public Presentation in Monroe, OR
The top photo is of Mabel and Jessie Blackwell wigwaming fiber flax at the Benton County Flax Growers Cooperative in Monroe, OR, 1944. Today Ms. Blackwell is 94 years old and she came out with her daughter to meet us at our flax fiber processing day in Monroe a couple of weeks ago. These sisters worked the flax fields and helped in processing mills. Their Dad was a nights watchmen at one of the facilities. What an honor to have her join us in the revitalization of linen in the Pacific Northwest!
2018 EVENTS
2018 Annual Flax Harvest
We would like to invite you to the annual flax (linen) harvest with Fibrevolution, revitalizing fiber production in the PNW!
When: Thursday, August 9th, 5-9pm Saturday, August 11th, 10-4pm
Best to bring a water bottle, snack if needed, sun hat, weather appropriate clothing and garden gloves. Also bring friends! Work involves hand harvesting flax with your community of fellow fiber fans. This year, the flax will be laid in windrows for field retting.
We look forward to seeing you in the field! -Angela and Shannon Fibrevolution
2017 EVENTS
2017 Annual Flax Harvest
Sunday, August 27, 2017 Harvest begins at 10:00 AM
Fibrevolution is gathering and seeking volunteers for our annual community flax harvest. Please join us on Sunday August 27th at 10 AM to harvest our organic flax at the Lewis Brown Farm. The OSU Department of Horticulture operates this 115 acre farm, which is just east of Corvallis. Plantings and field laboratories at this location are used in field plot research work. With this crop we will be conducting field retting research, fiber quality analysis, and fiber flax seed grow out, with the mission of producing linen yarn and cloth. If you are interested in volunteering to harvest, please emailskaiwelsh@gmail.com for details.
Flax to Linen: Willamette Valley Fiber & Spinning
Saturday, June 17 - Sunday, June 18, 2017 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Come experience the beauty of fiber flax fields in bloom. This spring, Fibrevolution will be growing fiber flax in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, and leading this 2 day workshop. On day-one, students will have the opportunity to visit a Willamette Valley farm and tour a flax field. Shannon Welsh and Angela Wartes-Kahl will guide a hands-on exploration of the farm, with a demonstration on how to hand-process flax straw into a flax strick. On day-two, master weaver and spinner Diane McKinnon will teach us how to make and dress a flax distaff, as well as how to spin fiber flax into linen yarn. For more information and to register please visit Wildcraft Studio School
