Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy

by Rebecca Burgess, Courtney White (Primary Contributor)

A new "farm-to-closet" vision for the clothes we wear--by a leader in the movement for local textile economies There is a major disconnect between what we wear and our knowledge of its impact on land, air, water, labor, and human health. Even those who value access to safe, local, nutritious food have largely overlooked the production of fiber, dyes, and the chemistry that forms the backbone of modern textile production. While humans are 100 percent reliant on their second skin, it’s common to think little about the biological and human cultural context from which our clothing derives. Almost a decade ago, weaver and natural dyer Rebecca Burgess developed a project focused on wearing clothing made from fiber grown, woven, and sewn within her bioregion of North Central California. As she began to network with ranchers, farmers, and artisans, she discovered that even in her home community there was ample raw material being grown to support a new regional textile economy with deep roots in climate change prevention and soil restoration. A vision for the future came into focus, combining right livelihoods and a textile system based on economic justice and soil carbon enhancing practices. Burgess saw that we could create viable supply chains of clothing that could become the new standard in a world looking to solve the climate crisis. In Fibershed readers will learn how natural plant dyes and fibers such as wool, cotton, hemp, and flax can be grown and processed as part of a scalable, restorative agricultural system. They will also learn about milling and other technical systems needed to make regional textile production possible. Fibershed is a resource for fiber farmers, ranchers, contract grazers, weavers, knitters, slow-fashion entrepreneurs, soil activists, and conscious consumers who want to join or create their own fibershed and topple outdated and toxic systems of exploitation..

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, Environment, History, Sustainability, Audiobook, Agriculture

288 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2019

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, because I believe in the movement. I got about 30% of the way through. However, I had a hard time with this book. Pretty much it is someone who lives in California, a very rich agricultural area, and thought "wouldn't it be great if we could source all our clothing needs from our local area. Everyone should do this!" With absolutely no regard for the fact that other areas may not be as agriculturally rich. She also talks about natural dyes like they are a miracle substitute for chemical dyes without talking about any of the downsides. Such as heavy metals used as fixatives or non-sustainable sources used as natural dyes.

Lastly the author drove me crazy with the name dropping. Every other paragraph was "when I was in India..." Or "while I was studying with a Native American tribe..." Ugh!

I feel like a better approach is to be mindful about clothing practices. Can you make due with what you have? Can you mend it? Can you use it as a patch for something else? Can someone else use it? When you go to buy something new be conscious of the quality of what you are buying and the benefits of supporting local Makers. Please don't throw out your perfectly good wardrobe and replace it with a locally made one. It doesn't solve anything.

[Becky L Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already knew that finding 100% cotton clothing was challenging. I've never attempted to find natural clothing completely sourced from farm to factory to consumer within the United States, let alone within my immediate geographic area. I only marginally paid attention to conventional cotton as a GMO crop. The author makes a compelling case to not only look toward eating locally, but clothing yourself locally. She also takes the reader through why clothing manufacturing left the United States, and whether or not it can ever come back. A good read for those interested in the clothing industry or sustainable living.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Galvanizing. If you care the least bit about environmental and human health and sustainability, read this book and join the conversation. Your garments' lifecycle matters.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot in here that is super super interesting and valuable but also I was really annoyed at the author a lot, mostly for lumping science and pseudoscience in together in a big argument from authority heap. Critical thinking needs to apply. Also purity goals have inherent problems that are sometimes evident here.

[B. Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I avoided reading this despite it popping up in my recs time and time again. The cover reminded me of all the crafty blogger books I've come across. I finally gave in, thinking it would be at least a surface level discussion about sustainable fabric.

Instead what I got was an incredibly well-researched book that discusses different aspects of the textile industry and the human & environmental cost of our current systems. To put it quite bluntly, it was an eye opener. I knew the textile industry used sweatshop labor and I wanted to avoid that, but I didn't realize the toxicity of the chemicals (and what they did to workers) or that these chemicals end up in the consumer's closet as well. Both worker and consumer are negatively impacted, and it's horrifying that more people don't know about it.

Speaking of crafty blogger quilting books, I remembered reading that some of them made their own fabric lines after the success of their blogs. They sent off designs to mills in China and received their samples after. After reading this I know that they are profiting off of environmental destruction and labor rights violations. This is why learning about textiles is more than just learning how to cut fabric and sew. This is why we teach material exploration. As textile artists, we must take it upon ourselves to learn more about where our materials come from. It's part of working in this medium. I've learned quite a lot, and I will bring greater mindfulness to what I'm making and working with.

Not all of this was doom and gloom. There was research to show that we can invest in more sustainable, locally grown fabrics, and it is possible to move in that direction. I'm going to keep learning more.

[c · Rating 1 out of 5]

I mean sure, buy fewer items of clothing; make them last as long as possible; don't support fast fashion brands (if possible — I doubt most of us can manage even that, for myriad reasons). But I was not sold on the whole idea for reasons others have mentioned — extreme privilege, pseudo-science, and gatekeeping being the main sticking points for me.

But the main reason I do not recommend this book is that it gave me the creeps multiple times. I almost didn't make it past the first chapter — when discussing endocrine disrupters, the weird focus on genital variation and gendered behavior seemed very gender normative. Using her platform to unequivocally disparage synthetic biology (a category that includes mRNA vaccines) seemed very anti-science, and throughout this section, all I could do was wonder if she were an anti-vaxxer.

It's fine if she and her friends are super into making their own clothes from the fibers on up, but I'm not sold that this is a thing for the general population.

[Sarah Schrecengost · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few good moments in this book.
However, I wish she had spent more time telling you how to start a dye garden or how to make your own textiles with plants or animal wool/fur. Sadly she spent a ton of time talking about the environment and how the clothing industry is hurting it.

[Rachel Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Generally, this book was quite good, well researched, and well written. However, take chapter four with a grain of salt - some of the cited science is a bit cherry-picked to support the author's idea without considering countering evidence/argument. On top of this, there are some issues in this book with pseudoscience and privilege, which is a bummer, because if these were checked it would be just as strong of an argument, but more credible and relatable.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fibersheds are just as important as watersheds or buying local when discussing food. Mindful choice of where you buy, what you buy, how it was made. Too much to summarize here. You just need to read it yourself.

[Kaylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not read every single page, but I found this book at the library, and it definitely caught my attention. It is highly educational. I appreciate that it educates about where our clothing comes from and sustainable options of clothing. I will probably get this book from the library again--maybe even buy it as a coffee table reference book!

[Cayenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing book everyone should read

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting. She makes a very strong case for us paying the same sort of attention we do to food, to the clothing we put on our bodies. She puts herself through a one year challenge to only wear clothing produced, as much as possible, within her own "fibershed" which is akin to a watershed or bio-region.

I wish she had paid more attention to this one year challenge and used that narrative to pull the book together, like Kingsolver does for eating local in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Instead she only mentions it a few times in passing. The book is coherent, but I think that editorial change would have made this brilliant.

She gives the reader some real content and you will leave with lots to think about. The industrialization, globalization, and petro-chemical stranglehold on our clothing is something that should concern us all. She offers some solutions relying on her own work in a cooperative that is working to build local clothing/textile communities.

Pretty darn good read.

[Christine]

As a bit of my background relating to this book, my thesis to receive my bachelors degree in sociology surrounded the relationship between early menarche and hormones being fed to the animals that we, as Americans, derive our meat from.  Essentially I looked at the research tying children getting their first period as early as 5 years old and the hormones being pumped into the cows and chickens from which we get milk, eggs, and meat.  Hormones, and antibiotics really, that are not flushed out in any way before being fed to ourselves and our children.  Though I do not have that paper, there was certainly a correlation.  In the past decade or so I have all but forgotten that paper that managed to land me my bachelors degree, which I only needed so that I could get a my Masters in Library Studies.  To be frank, it is not financially viable for me to live an organic life.  This does not mean that these concerns should not be addressed, even if sweeping changes are not realistic.  My reading of FiberShed is not replacing the knowledge I gained from my thesis, but building on it in ways that I had not considered.  This is going to be a quick review designed to encourage you to read this book and others like it.  This review in no way replaces the joy, and extensive knowledge gained, by reading this book.

Synthetic fibers are derived from petroleum products, or have gone through chemical laden processes to be created and turned into clothing.  When these processes are occurring many safety precautions have to be taken to ensure the health of the workers, then the run-off has to be carefully disposed of so as to not contaminate the local drinking water.  The fact that all too often both of these steps are not taken seriously causes great ecological problems.  We are wearing these products on our skin, the largest, permeable organ on our body.  How many of these chemicals are we absorbing?  This book tackles these problems on both a local and global scale from a crafting point of view.  We as crafters can take charge of the yarns we buy, the fiber we spin, and the clothing we create.  This book goes from fiber, dyes, and encompasses all of the processes in between.  Exploring every aspect of fabric creation from where the cotton is grown, and from what kind of seed, to the sheep, processing the materials, dyeing the materials (naturally, of course), weaving/knitting these materials, even recycling them.  There is an amazing wealth of information, including how the methods of agriculture detailed will be profitable for not only the environment but the farmers and consumers also.  All of this information is interspersed with personal tales from herself as well as her friends and companions along this journey.

For a fascinating, if terrifying, look at our fast fashion culture check out this book.  Inside we are also taken through a journey of some steps that we might take to regain our chemical independence, as well as the steps that some conglomerates are taking to help our ecology, economy, and general sustainability.�� Since this book comes at this from a crafting perspective there is some lamenting, but there are many more solutions.  Fantastic Read.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly a very interesting book and a nice starting point in looking for solutions to our current clothing system which is damaging both environmentally and to the workers who make the system run.

One major concern I had came near the beginning of the book, where the author talks about switching to natural dyes and how she discarded her PPE while working with it because it was "safer". While I am really excited about natural dyes and plan to start experimenting with them myself, pretending that they are environmentally good or even neutral is missing a lot of nuances. Especially considering that you still must use heavy metals to mordant the textiles if you want any hope of the color not washing out after a few wears. Discarding all PPE during the mordanting process is never a good idea and not wearing a mask when working with powdered dyes --even natural dyes like cochineal -- is dangerous. Her messaging in this regard does make me a little suspicious of the rest of her claims in the book, if I hadn't read other books and peer-reviewed research claiming the same or similar things.

TLDR; if you are thinking about getting into natural dyes as a result of reading this book, just know they are not a perfect replacement and simply because the dyes are "natural" does NOT mean you can forgo PPE entirely!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, well-researched, and inspirational.

As we become more aware of the environmental, social, and health damages of the toxic industrial agricultural system that 90% of our food is grown, we have ignored the same polluted conditions and legacy of the industrial system that creates clothes. Synthetic chemicals and dyes are likely even more damaging than the food system legacy. Poverty-stricken workers are forced to work under conditions that are simply not humane or acceptable.

This book is a must-read for anyone who considers themselves environmentalists. If you demand clean and organically grown food produced in a sustainable and equitable system, then you must also demand the same from the industry that produces your textiles.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot packed into this book. It's uneven, but ultimately inspirational.

Burgess challenged herself to a "wardrobe challenge year" in which she tried to wear clothing grown and created in her fibershed for one year. This is easier said than done, even in the agriculturally and artistically rich Bay area.

She begins by describing how our clothing system went wrong (NAFTA is a big villain) and writing about a seemingly endless number of dangerous elements of our textiles. Some of these have to do with the actual ingredients in those textiles (non-biosphere-based fibers, dyes, detergents, etc.) and some with the production and labor practices which do more to deplete the earth than to nourish it. Honestly, this section is a big downer. I mean, I knew things were bad, but this makes you wonder how any of us are walking around breathing. The book sometimes gets bogged down in science and I often wondered if she was trying to appeal to too many audiences at once. Or maybe this is the result of a co-write? I'm not sure. But the strongest sections are chapters 6 and 7 which focus on "implementing the vision" with plant or animal fibers.

One of my favorite sections is when she writes about the importance of mills (long-time readers know I love a mill tour!). Burgess writes:

Imagine living in a community where no one had a kitchen, and the closest refrigerator, stove, oven, and cooking pots and pans were all located overseas. There might be one person who still knew the art of cooking and had a few tools to make rustic meals, but it was never enough to feed everyone. Almost everyone would order their food, and it would arrive from overseas in boxes with no ingredients list. In the case of fiber, mill systems are the "kitchens" within the system, and the one person who still knows how to "cook" can be compared to a hand-spinner, weaver, or expert knitter. We'd never accept a food system with this level of infrastructure dysfunction, and yet we are all too willing to accept this level of archaic and unskilled design with our fiber system. We are currently desperately in need of more "kitchens," which means we need milling systems in every fibershed. (183)

Amen! Our farmers need mills to which they can send fiber; these mills are a critical bridge between fiber producers and fiber users (both on hobby and industrial scales).

Lastly, I liked the way the book ended with a clear description of how sheep are good at three things: food, fiber, and land management. The farmer that understands how their breed can contribute in all three areas will produce sustainable revenue. As long as we focus on improving the animals and the land, everything else follows. It is when we focus first (or solely) on profit than the system breaks (195).

Overall, an enjoyable read, if uneven and sometimes a bit evangelical.

[Kelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping for something more from this book.

The project itself is fascinating, and these kinds of projects are critical for developing new modes of production that are more sustainable for people and the planet. In the half that I read, carbon farm plans and taking the soil's water-holding capacity into consideration (not just surface water availability) were two concepts that were somewhat new to me, and the clear examples given made it easy for me to envision implementing similar practices myself on my family's farm.

But.

BUT.

The scientific justifications for many assertions in this book are deeply problematic. I could spend hours writing up a rebuttal of all the misinformation with peer-reviewed sources, but people literally pay me to do that kind of work and I'm too tired to do it for free. A lot of claims about the harms of modern textile and agricultural production seem like they're correct, but quoting a Greenpeace report (instead of, say, a peer-reviewed toxicology study) does not actually back up a claim in a convincing way. Black-and-white statements about synthetic chemicals and "synthetic biology" (the scare quotes are heavily implied in the book) came across as fear mongering, privileged and unrealistic. Saying these chemicals and technologies should never be used because they're dangerous, and that "natural" options are inherently better, ignores the incredibly real improvements in the lives of millions thanks to these advancements. Sure, we should absolutely be minimizing the use of petrochemicals and stop dumping waste products in waterways, but if we were to entirely eliminate their use in the production of dyes and textiles, many people would experience a reduced quality of life, not to mention loss of life (imagine if petrochemical-derived textiles and materials weren't available for hospitals, for example, or petrochemical-derived dyes/stains and reagents weren't available for use in pathology or research labs).

When it comes to the environmental and human impacts of the textile industry, one solution – eliminating synthetic chemicals and bioengineered organisms in favor of a hyper-local and vertically integrated fiber production economy, as the author is suggesting – is not going to magically fix everything, and has more than a whiff of ecofascism to it. A patchwork of solutions based on local capacities (e.g., growing seasons suitable for fiber crops, ecosystems that can withstand sheep grazing, labor availability, physical infrastructure) and wishes (not everyone will want to make the trade offs the author has, and that's allowed!) is far more realistic and humane.

[MaryJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Rebecca Burgess and learned of Fibershed in Stephanie Wilkes' book Raw Materials. The two books are quite complementary. In some ways Wilkes' book, following her personal story is more engaging, and her focus on sheep and wool gives her book a tighter through line. I gave Burgess's book four stars because I learned so much about the whole spectrum of the fiber making process, and the various raw materials from which fibers are made. I did not know quite how harmful the synthetic dyes are. Nor about all the materials from which fibers can be made. I am quite familiar with slow foods--and the debates about how accessible the goals are. While I did know about the harmful effects of "fast fashion", until I read this book, I did not know about the "slow fibers " movement. I had been coming to re evaluate wool as a fiber of choice, and that is certainly confirmed by this book which offers many reasons why we should move away from synthetic fibers, including the many fleece products which are a part of my winter wardrobe. I also learned more about how bad cotton is for the environment. It was exciting to think about locally grown flax. But there are lots of steps, to get from flax to a garment. Although I do know that the manufacture of clothing has largely moved from the US, it is still startling to learn how few possibilities there are for milling fiber here in the US. I enjoyed the stories about making fiber out of nettles and hemp! I always appreciate someone who lets me know that there are alternative ways of doing things, so the visits to the scattered fibersheds in North America was fun for me to read about. I wish Burgess had spent a bit more time on labor issues. Greening the environment has got to be tied to human rights issues. Dye process which are bad for the environment are also bad for human workers and communities. We know that consumer movements have some power. Even if we are not all going to be creating garments out of nettles from out back yard, it is time to turn away from fast fashion, and thoughtless consumption. This book provides a boost for that effort. We don't have to follow in Burgess's footsteps of deciding to wear clothing made solely of local materials. We can start by rethinking what we are consuming and how much. We can return to mending. We can ask whether the fabrics we buy can by composted. We can avoid fabrics that contaminate the water with plastics, every time we do a load of wash.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Fibershed and found it so inspiring. There is so much useful research in this book. It really shines a light on how unsustainable our current clothing industry is, and how recently this change has happened, whilst also encouraging the reader to think differently. It also offers examples of people who are making a difference in their own local communities.

I made the switch to natural fibers a few years ago and started making more of my own clothes with linen and cotton fabrics. I began learning to knit and to spin yarn and sourced some local, raw alpaca fleeces that I have been gradually transforming into wearable items. I have a few things that I have died with natural materials thus far - some pink linen dyed with avocado (I will likely make a dress with it) and some gray linen died with rosemary and tea that I am sewing into an apron now. This book made me want to expand on this practice and focus on having fewer items in my wardrobe, but an overall wardrobe comprised of heirloom-quality, well made pieces that support my local fiber shed as much as possible (without harming the ecology) and that tell a story of connection. It has been a dream of mine for years to grow enough flax one year to process, weave, and turn into a dress. Reading Fibershed has encouraged me in this and shown me that it is possible and there are people doing it! I should say, though, that we don't all have to go to this extreme to make a positive change, and the author does make that clear.

Some people will find the idea of sourcing a wardrobe from their own local fibershed difficult, either because of where they live or because most clothing these days is made overseas. I would encourage such readers to think of their fibershed, then, as being a larger area than the one the author was able to focus on in her experiment. She was living in an agricultural region in an agricultural, multicultural state with a lot of craftspeople and farmers. If you do not, think about expanding that radius for your own experiment. Even if you limited yourself only to items made and produced in your own country, you would still be sourcing from a fibershed much more local than one overseas!

I found myself reading portions of this book aloud to my husband, who has since said that he wants to read the book himself next, and I already sent a copy to a relative who has recently become interested in transitioning their wardrobe to natural fibers. Highly recommend!

[Katrina Sark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction

p.4 – Because we have been disconnected from the impacts our clothes have on land, air, water, labour, and our own human health for such a long time, we’ve been lulled into a passive, non-questioning state of being as consumers. When we begin reconnecting these dots, however, we create opportunities to build new relationships that are rooted in sharing skills, physical labour, and creativity, all of which carry meaning, purpose, and a way to belong to one another and to the land. While there has been important in recent decades to ensure access to safe, local, nutritious food as a culture, we have largely overlooked the production of fibers and dyes that make up our clothing.

p.6 – Improving the existing centralized systems of textile production, currently based largely overseas in countries with minimal attention to human rights and weak environmental standards, is one avenue for social and environmental change that offers ways of hope. But it has not been without countless disappointments. And new technologies also have a role to play in reducing negative impacts of the garment industry. But both of these tools for reform on their own do nothing to transform the existing power dynamics and economic models that provoked the environmental and labour rights catastrophes we are currently digging ourselves out of globally. And yet, these are the two strategies that dominate the agendas of sustainability teams as the world’s largest textile companies, that are written about and debated within the trade group journals, and that receive awards at global textile conferences, reaping investor capital. As a result, the conversation that inserts economic and climate justice into the DNA of the system-change thought is still waiting for its day in the sun.
I call this place-based textile system a fibershed. Similar to a local watershed or a foodshed, a fibershed is focused on the source of the raw material, the transparency with which it is converted into clothing, and the connectivity among all parts, from soil to skin and back to soil.

p.9 – Fibershed systems borrow considerable inspiration and framework design from the Slow Food movement, which can be traced back to 1986 when the movement’s founder, Italian farmer Carlo Petrini, organized a protest against the opening of a McDonald’s chain restaurant neat the Spanish Steps in Rome. Petrini’s galvanizing quote ushered in global affirmation of the need to attend to our food system: “A firm defense of quiet material pleasure is the only way to oppose the universal folly of Fast Life.” The Slow Food movement quickly gained a following, attracting rural and urban residents alike. It joined an energetic effort by people around the world to address how our food is farmed, who is farming it, how it is processed, and who has access to it. Today theses questions guide the mission statements of thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on reforming our food systems, and yet we do not see an equally formidable NGO presence that has developed a strategy to support a separate but no less significant product from our working landscapes: our clothing.

p.14 – A brief look into textile history lays a foundation for understanding why technological advances that are adopted without precaution are not worth the risks. […] DDT was widely used on cotton until it was banned by the federal government in 1972. Designed to kill insects, the compound created a host of unintended consequences including, but not limited to, human autoimmune diseases.

Chapter 1 – The Cost of Our Clothes

p.17 – The creation of textiles, including cotton farming, consumes nearly twenty-five trillion gallons of water annually, and 20 percent of freshwater pollution around the planet is attributed to the dyeing and treatment of garments. The industry utilizes thousands of synthetic compounds, often in various combinations to soften, process, and dye our clothing, and many of which are linked to a range of human diseases, including chronic illnesses and cancer.

p.37 – One of the leaders of the slow fashion movement is Kate Fletcher, a professor of sustainability, design, and fashion at the University of Arts in London, England.

p.39 – A pioneer of the “craft of use” concept, she advocates for an innovative approach towards wearing our clothes that is based on mending, reusing, and repurposing in imaginative and fashionable new ways. Use in her sense means so much more than simply buying a piece of clothing, wearing it, and then disposing of it when you’re done. While there is much expertise that goes into the crafting of a garment, rarely is equal skill brought to bear on its use, particularly the necessity of extending the garment’s life. Fletcher calls this approach post-growth, because it means thinking about your garment in the context of sustainability, added value, consciousness raising, and learning new skills, such as mending with needle and thread. Kate Fletcher, Craft of Use: Post-Growth Fashion. London: Routledge, 2016.

Chapter 2 – The Fibershed Movement

p.50-51 – While sitting in an airport in early 2009 in my way back from the Navajo reservation where I had been studying natural dye practice with several women and their family members, I watched the news and saw more American troops being deployed into Afghanistan. Feeling angry by the unending resource wars, I thought hard about what I could do as an educator and textile developer beyond signing petitions and speaking with my elected representatives. I looked down at the plastic chair I occupied and saw my gray corduroy pants, and I realized that both the chair and my clothing were made from the same raw material: oil. I looked at the carpet beneath my feet – it was also made of oil. The jet fuel that would power my ride home – oil. In fact, nearly everything surrounding me involved products that originated from fossil fuels extracted from war-torn lands. All this fossil carbon was then refined and burned to create these materials, in the process pumping significant concentrations of carbon dioxide into tour atmosphere, creating a layer of heat-trapping gas and amplifying climate chaos.

Appendix A – Ingredients to Watch
p.228-236:
Phthalates – used to make plastic softer
PFCs – synthetic (human-made) chemicals to repel water and oil used for stain and grease-proofing garments, carpets, leather products, raincoats, jackets, mountaineering garments
Nonylphenol Ethoxylates – synthetic chemicals used as stabilizers and emulsifiers in plastics used in detergents
BPA – synthetic compound in protection of plastics also used in textile production
Synthetic Dyes – derived from fossil carbon
Glyphosate – herbicide
DMF – compound utilized in acrylic fibres
Flame Retardants – chemicals used in upholstery fabrics, household furniture, and electronics
Antimony Trioxide – compound used as a catalyst in the production of polyester fiber

[Rachel Clark]

I happen to be deeply interested in the various topics discussed in this book that are usually somewhat siloed: technical discussion of fiber arts like knitting, sewing, weaving, spinning/agriculture, farming, and gardening/ as well as criticism of last-stage capitalism. Without a pedantic curiosity in the breeding patterns and differing coats of many types of sheep, strategies for carbon sequestration on small scale textile farms, etc. the second half of the book would be tedious. I find all the info valuable and necessary but just not for all people. This book also includes a lot of information that has relevance to all like the ethical, health, and environmental concerns of industrial synthetic clothing production. People should know about micro plastics in their clothes and that they might be more harmful to one’s health than the cosmetics and processed food they already threw out. People also should know about the dazzlingly charming alternative to fast fashion: small, local clothing production. Imagine Pima cotton grown in your state spun together with the coat of locally raised and shorn sheep, dyed by regeneratively farmed indigo, knit by a hand operated machine, sewn into a shirt by an individual. Yes, expensive. Yes, labor intensive. Yes, absolutely the future of clothing. There is a note of self-righteousness and hypocrisy in anyone who criticizes the dominating system. At the same time, if half of this stuff is true, it is suspicious that more people don’t talk about it.

[Sara Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this review for THESA (The Home Economics Specialist Association, British Columbia) so it has a education lens.
As the founding member of the Vancouver Island Fibershed, I have witnessed Fibershed start from a seed and grow into a global movement that has brought together fiber farmers, millers, designers and producers bridging the long and complex textile supply chain around the world. Rebecca Burgess, Fibershed's founder has now published a book that goes in depth into her exploration and discovery into what a sustainable textile industry can look like in our modern world. Her book, Fibershed, is a call to action for students and teachers alike. It challenges us to look at the roots of the apparel industry and consider not only those who work in sub-par working conditions but to also consider the farmers who grow our fibers and to question textile agricultural practices in the same way we question our food farming practices and processing. It is well informed, researched and ahead of its time in regards to agricultural and biotech practices related to the textile industry. I would highly recommend this book, to both home economics teachers teaching textiles and fashion enthusiasts to become more educated consumers and global citizens. There is a lot of information that floats around social media regarding the garment industry's negative impacts on the environment and on human rights - this book goes into depth regarding the why's and how's and shares ways we can work together to reverse these adverse effects. It speaks to the opportunity we can have to take care of the planet without having to give up our love of fashion, it brings hope that we can once again cherish our wardrobes rather than consuming and disposing of clothes as if they are fast food. The content of this book allows for interdisciplinary learning across the curriculum including science and environmental stewardship, social and climate justice and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. It connects deeply to the land and our collective human history of processing animal proteins and plants to create cloth and clothing that is valued rather than a disposable commodity. Not only does it challenge us to be environmental stewards but it speaks directly to our relationship with and dependence on the land itself. Just as polyester, other synthetic clothing and dyes are harmful to the environment, they are also harmful to our body's organs and systems. Very little research has been done in these regards and this book is an enlightening and realistic look at the harm we are doing not only to the land, but ourselves. If you consider teaching design for the life cycle in your classroom, this book is an excellent resource to inform your teaching and personal textile design practice.

[gabrielle]

I checked this out pre-pandemic SIP and set it aside after a few pages.

Then the library closed. And one of my first thoughts was "well cool, I don't have to struggle with this to finish it before the due date."

It's due mid-July now, and there are about a dozen folks waiting on it, so I've picked it back up. The topic is very important to me and I want to learn more, but 1/4 of the way in I'm thinking it might be easier (certainly less annoying) if I just went and did my own research.

Gripes about the printing:
- I can't read it in the sun or under any of my usual reading lamps due to glare, the pages are that shiny.
- It has those same pop-out blurbs I've found in other books lately; they don't make the book skimmable and don't add anything other than space. I'd prefer not to have them, and use less paper.

Gripes about the writing:
- Footnotes and references would be great. You can't just claim something is true and not provide a source for the info.
- The author wavers back and forth between first person active and third person passive voice. Sometimes in the same sentence. This drives me utterly mad.
- The flow's kinda choppy.

This is important work, I'm glad this information is at least being published, but it needed a more ruthless editor.

(I'll update this if I manage to finish it.)

[groovygab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book’s message is so so important. I remember initially adding it to my reading list after @folkling posted about it awhile ago because I wanted to know more about the valuable imperative of changing the way we interact with clothing. I learned about plastic-based textiles and how they release microfiber plastics into our environment and can carry endocrin-disrupting chemicals. I learned about the indigenous farming techniques that can be utilized to make natural fibers efficient again to make. I learned about quantitative data on the wastefulness of fast fashion culture. As someone who feels deeply that our daily consumption habits help shape the world, I implore people to learn more about this!

“In 1990, half of all garments worn by Americans were made in the United States. Today that figure stands at only 2%. According to a green peace analysis published in 2015, the average person today is buying 60% more garments than he or she did in 2000, and keeping them for half as long.” Ch 3

[Lauren Winter · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF - got about 40% of the way through. Very dry reading, and jumps around from subject to subject in a way that is distracting. Reads like an unorganized research paper. The writer also speaks from a place of privilege which can at times be difficult to relate with (she lives in California with a large local network of makers and farmers who provided her wardrobe). If only we could all claim our wardrobe from our local environment, but for the vast majority of us, that's simply not a possibility - we need other solutions in the meantime, like perhaps making do with mending, vintage or preloved clothing, and when buying new, looking for local, quality clothing made from natural fibers - and if finding local or regional makers isn't an option, at least finding makers at a national level. But the book does include very important and eye-opening information about the life cycle of our clothing, what the textile industry is doing to our world, and why it matters.

[Jim Welke · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more interesting books I've read this year, the author's cover fiber from cotton to wool and from hemp to rabbit. They also discuss reducing chemicals by raising crops and animals conducive to the growing region. One other example used in the book was having sheep control weeds between rows of grapevines instead of mowing, saving fuel and reducing pollution while the animal droppings fertilize the soil. A lot of what Rebecca and Courtney discuss is how growing plants and animals for fiber for cloth, pretty much what our ancestors just a couple of generations ago.

[Daria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. I learned so much about the production of clothes, different textiles, and dyes. I was very impressed with meticulous and extensive research that Rebecca Burgess and her Fibershed team have conducted. The passion of the author really comes through. Even though this book sometimes sounds like a report on a project, it provides such depth of the information and conveys so much love for the textiles, farmers, plants and animals, that I didn't mind its obsession with detail. Very inspiring book!

[Anne Hoag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I read this book I'd never heard of a fibershed. I guess that's because this author kind of invented it! Now I'm so into the concept! I go down all these little (angora) rabbit holes looking for other fibersheds. I learned I live in the Cheseapeake fibershed, so I'll join that one, apparently based in Maryland. And I got so curious, I found another nearby fibershed, north of me in Ontario. I called the co-founder of the Upper Canada fibreshed (Canadian spelling: respect!) in North Bay, Ontario. I really want to help both those fibersheds grow.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technical, much of this book reads as if it is a college thesis. Very important information, and points. I found it difficult to absorb as there is is an overwhelming amount of information. Unfortunately, I still don't know where to actually find locally sourced fiber made clothing. But the search will continue, and I am hopeful that one day my wardrobe will be all natural. I hope to see more people supporting the Fibershed mission. Alas, that leads to the dire straits that our planet, it's natural resources, and the state of the conglomerate greed in US commercialism.

[Bea Bezmalinovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in slow fashion. Based on the author's experience during a year when she wore clothing grown, milled, dyed and made within 150 miles of her home. The book is part "how-to" and part "why" these fibersheds are important. It is another reminder of the ways in which our actions as (over)consumers of clothes, especially those made from unsustainable fabrics like polyester, are bad for us, for our environment, and potentially, for our local economy.