WANDER magazine Fall/Winter 2021 | Page 19

grazing pastures range lands
sheep alpacas goats hemp cotton carbon farming regenerate soil
Natural
cycle
• Make rs fiber yarn dyes textile mills composted scraps recycled nutrients weavers creators designers sewers

grazing pastures range lands

sheep alpacas goats hemp cotton carbon farming regenerate soil

Stewards
Com post
FIBERS •
Processors
Natural

FIBER

cycle
• gar m e nts

• Make rs fiber yarn dyes textile mills composted scraps recycled nutrients weavers creators designers sewers

After being disillusioned by the state of the fashion industry in 2009 , fiber artist Rebecca Burgess decided to use her skills to create an entire wardrobe using only garments sourced from the surrounding area she was living in . Her experiment eventually turned into a revolutionary approach to transform the way we think about fashion .

In Northern California ,
Burgess created Fibershed , a non-profit organization working to revitalize regional textile systems while fighting climate change through its “ Soil to Soil ” approach . In this system , the dots between all aspects of clothing manufacturing are connected . Plants and animals provide fiber and dyes , which are then woven into fabric , then sent to a designer . Excess fibers are composted and applied to pasture and farmland , thus providing more nutrients for the plants and animals .
Since its inception , Fibershed has expanded its operations around the world through its affiliate program . Now , its environmental and economic transformations can be seen here in Loudoun County .
About three years ago , Marian Bruno , Gretchen Frederick , and
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