Local Fiber Movement Is Re-Stitching the Social Fabric

You’ve probably heard of a watershed or a foodshed, but have you heard of a fibershed? On today’s show, host Douglas Haynes unpacks the growing movement of farmers and fiber artists rebuilding Wisconsin’s wool and flax textile systems. He’s joined by Leslie Schroeder of the Midwest Linen Revival, Jane Hansen, a sheep farmer and Board Member of the Three Rivers FIbershed, and WORT’s Talk Producer, Sara Gabler, whose article about fibersheds is featured in this month’s Isthmus magazine.

Fibersheds focus on what can be readily grown within a particular bioregion. In the Upper Midwest, that’s not cotton or indigo, but wool and flax. These grassroots organizations nurture place-based relationships–between sheep, the soil, water systems, and the farmers and laborers who grow and process the raw materials into the quality yarns that fiber artists love. 

Going local is a choice that supports the environment and local farmers at a time when small family farms need as much backing and better crop opportunities as they can get. Hansen and Schroeder recommend mending the clothes that you already own and avoiding buying synthetic fabrics that shed microplastics. Schroeder says to start small, make one garment from locally sourced materials and it will become something you always cherish.

Hansen describes the work that goes into raising healthy sheep, including her pasture management practices and the process of prepping fleece to go to the fiber mill. She gets support from her fibershed and uses her farm to educate the public about the importance of locally grown textiles. 

Though there are several cottage mills in the state, Wisconsin lacks the infrastructure that would make it possible for sheep farmers to produce wool at a commercial scale. We don’t have any infrastructure for producing linen, the fiber that is derived from the flax plant. There’s a healthy demand for locally grown linen, says Schroeder, but you’d have to grow and prepare it yourself at the moment. Schroeder hopes to change that with her grant-funded work to source high-quality domestic seeds, purchase and import harvesting equipment, and site a multi-million dollar mill. 

You can learn more about wool and fibersheds by reading one of Schroeder’s recommended books (Vanishing Fleece, Women’s Work, or Fibershed) and find your local organization here.

Jane Hansen raises Coopworth sheep in Ogema, WI. She is a board member of the Three Rivers Fibershed, Northern Pines fibershed and Embrace (a domestic and sexual violence advocacy service provider in a 4 county region of Northern WI). She is also an active member of Wisconsin Farmers Union and host of a monthly Fiber Fun on the Farm event at her own farm.

Leslie Schroeder is the co-founder of Midwest Linen Revival, an organization dedicated to laying the groundwork for establishing flax for fiber as an agricultural crop in our region. She is co-curator of the Field to Frock festival, co-creator of two teenaged daughters, and sleeps outside whenever she can.

Featured image of the stages of flax production. Courtesy of Sara Gabler/WORT.

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