Rebuilding the Connection Between Fibers, Textiles, and the UK Landscape
Images: JOYA BERROW
Following Textile Exchange’s first London-based conference in October 2023, we created Fieldnotes: a short film that shines a light on UK-based farmers who are pioneering sustainable material production.
Produced in collaboration with The Right To Roam Films, Fieldnotes unearths the perspectives of three farmers who are restitching the connection between fibers, textiles, and the local living landscape.
Watch the film
With a focus on flax, wool, and hemp, Fieldnotes traces the emerging revival of the UK’s fiber heritage, reflecting on how material production directly impacts soil, biodiversity, water, and rural communities.
MEET THE FARMERS
Supporting local housing projects with regenerative hemp
Driven by a belief that building projects can enrich local communities while restoring biodiversity, Tim Crabtree launched the Raise the Roof project in Dorset, England.
The project is crafting a new model for ecological – and affordable – housing, by developing supply chains of natural, regenerative materials from the local area.
Hemp was traditionally used in this region to make rope and net. Striving to reimagine our relationship with the land and materials, Tim has been working with local farmers to grow regenerative hemp, which will then be used as a sustainable building material.
MEER THE FARMERS
Breathing new life into UK wool culture
At Fernhill Farm in Somerset, England, Jen Hunter and Andy Wear supply regenerative wool to local artisan designers from their flock of 3,000 sheep.
Inspired by traditional herding practices, their sheep have been selectively bred for their ability to restore biodiversity when continually grazing in larger nomadic-style flocks.
Jen and Andy believe that wool has been vital to human survival and evolution. Today, they are breathing new life into British wool culture by creating a center for knowledge exchange and sharing the value of holistic approaches with the next generation of wool handlers.
MEET THE FARMERS
Creating community around flax production
Vicky Putler, founder of The Flax Project, has a vision for community-led linen production in South West England.
On a mission to create a sustainable textile processing hub – from field to fabric – Vicky collaborates with local farmers and creatives to find innovative solutions to environmental breakdown, while providing education and job opportunities for the area.
As part of her passion for reconnecting people to the origin of our fabrics, Vicky grows her flax using organic techniques, spreading the importance of working in harmony with local wildlife.
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