Fibershed

Causes: Environment

Mission: Fibershed's mission is to provide experiential education that both generates awareness, and teaches the necessary skills within our community to build and sustain a thriving bioregional textile culture that functions hand-in-hand with principles of ecological balance, local economies, and regional organic agriculture.

Programs: Fibershed's program accomplishments for 2014 include: 1) public presentations and tours on carbon farming as a means of improving soil productivity and soil carbon sequestration, which reached a live audience of roughly 50 people, and an internet audience of an unknown number of people. 2) hemp seed trials in colorado and kentucky to test several fiber varietals for high biomass yields and relatively low water use, which is informing continued research in 2015, and will provide important data for developing an emerging hemp fiber industry in the us. 3) research on how to integrate the indigo dye plant into a biodynamic system with color-grown cotton, which is informing a local cooperative of growers. 4) education for a large textile manufacturer on local supply chains, which lead to the production of a local garment, purchased by approximately 1000 people. 5) increased access to homegrown fibers and goods, allowing the public to spend time directly with artisans and farmers at local markets and fairs, reaching several thousand people. 6) presentations on breeding practices for quality fiber, plus predator- and pollinator-friendly practices for improved ecosystem and farm health, at the third annual fibershed wool & fine fiber symposium, attended by 150 people and streaming live on the internet to an unknown number of people. 7) workshops on fiber and natural dyes offered to the public, attended by approximately 100 students. 8) the fibershed producer program focus in 2014 was education and outreach to our community of 80 producers on the benefits of carbon farming, including: how we can increase water holding capacity in our soils, increase forage production, and produce carbon sequestering fiber.