I had to put this post in, as to me it is a beautiful little story – not to mention expensive, (and some might say creepy). So, as we approach Hallowe’en, here we have a lovely story of silken spiders and weaving.
A wee bit on the expensive side for anyone thinking of getting some of this yarn, but it’s definately a renewable, natural fibre!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113223398

My 4 neighboring farms and I decided this year (2009 clip) to try pooling our fiber.  The goals were fairly simple:

1. By pooling our collective fiber, working together and sharing our own skills and labor to sort, skirt and grade we would expect to end up with a higher quality result in our end products without incurring the cost of having to pay someone else to do that work.
2. Because of the variation in our herds by Age (Fineness) and Color and Type (Suri & Huacaya) we would expect to end up with a wider array of finished products than we would have each been able to achieve from just our own herd.
3. Since our combined “incoming” collected fiber was more than 1000 pounds, we expect to achieve volume discounts from processors (mini-mills) that will provide a lower cost for all of us than we would have had individually.
4. Although we would still need to use non-local mills to process, we expect that having a local “farmers cooperative” flavor would be useful for marketing purposes.
5. By having a larger amount of consistently graded products – yarns, socks, rugs, knitted/crocheted items – than we could produce individually from our own herds, we expect that will help increase sales.  Better to have 20 skeins in a single color/grade batch to sell than 4 skeins from 5 batches as an example.

So far we have met objective #1 – higher quality – very well. After sorting and grading, we will have a higher quality finished product whether that be handknitting yarns or more highly finished products.  But, as is to be expected we also learned a few things which we would do differently next time.

Lesson 1: It was bit complicated to schedule us all for several days to sort and grade that much fiber.  Turns out that sorting and grading is quite slow, dusty, dirty work which means being on your feet with your back bent over a skirting table which is never at a comfortable height… for anyone!!  We learned a good bit from the experience which will probably make this process better and more efficient next time.  Perhaps it would be better if each farm did some upfront work – both on shearing day to avoid contaminating blankets with seconds or shorts/2nd cuts and by pre-sorting by previously agreed upon color groups.

The second lesson we took away relates to accounting for contributions.  For the 1st year we decided to use a simple Divide by 5 method to allocate any expenses or profits from the pooled fiber but it was obvious that next year we will want to use a more complex system of allocating “share” based on amount and possibly even type of fiber contributed to the pool.  For example, I had already sold some of my fiber so my total amount of fiber contributed was significantly less than that of the other 4 farms.  However, what I had sold was my Adult and stronger grade fibers so what I did contribute (Fine & Baby grade) to the pool was of higher perceived value (in my own mind at least!) than other farms who contributed large quantities (multi years worth) of Rug or Mulch grade.  They put in a LOT more fiber into the pool by weight than I did but it will be more challenging to find profitable applications for it.

Objective #2- greater variety – is also being met very well.  Although our sorted result is heavily skewed towards Adult, Rug and Mulch grades we do have a real good distribution of colors in both Suri and Huacaya fiber types in all the grades.

It is in our expectations for Objective #3 – volume discounts – where we are having the most disappointment so far.  The cost to process (and shipping!) is very expensive and for the most part we have not achieved sufficient volumes to qualify for discounted processing.  Even where we have – the cost, even divided by 5, is more than any of us are in a position to spend.  Also, most of the time the mills expect half or even all of the processing cost to be paid in advance so you have that cash tied up for whatever amount of time it takes to get your product back plus whatever amount of time it takes you to sell those products.

Take the case of socks.  We were very excited to think of having socks custom made from our very own fiber.  We have all been selling socks already and felt that “local fiber” socks would sell very well.  And, we had pooled quite a lot of Adult grade fiber so we could get into a volume discount.  But.  To process that amount of fiber would have been an upfront expense of more than $600 per farm and we would end up with 260 pairs of socks to sell.  Selling a few dozen pairs over the course of the fall to spring season is one thing – committing to sell over 20 dozen pairs is a bit intimidating to say the least.  Not to mention that with lead-times for processing, we’d probaby receive our socks right as the weather is warming to summer when sock sales are the slowest.  So our cash would be tied up for probably a whole year – which none of us can really afford to live with.  On the other hand, if we drop down into a lower volume to process – and fewer socks to have to sell – we increase the average cost per pair and end up with a much smaller profit.

So, at this point we are still very much struggling with what to do with our fiber now that it is sorted and graded.  At our last meeting Susie made a great proposal to start with a budget to spend on a per farm basis and then figure out what we can do within that sum.  We may not be able to do everything we want to do all at once.  I think that’s going to be very helpful to us.

As I said – it’s a work in process and I just wanted to share how its working out so far.

The last weekend of September will be here soon – the turning of the leaves, the cooler nights, the lower humidity… crias are due any time and it’s once again time for the Annual Nationall Alpaca Farm Days.  My friends and I will welcome the public at my farm and the farmhouse will be turned into a fiber arts showcase.

Everyone who came last year had such a great time – and what alpaca farmer wouldn’t love the chance to tell as many people as they can reach about the joys of raising alpacas.

Here’s the Press Release

On September 26 and 27 five WNC alpaca farms will join alpaca breeders from across the United States and Canada in the 3^nd Annual “National Alpaca Farm Days” by opening to the public.  The public is invited to come to meet alpacas and learn more about these inquisitive, unique animals.

From 11 am to 3 pm Saturday and Sunday Alpacas of Merritt Farm, EverThanks Farm, Last Penny Farm, Lorien Alpacas and Venezia Dream Farm will welcome guests to join them as they showcase their beautiful friendly alpacas and lovely products made from alpaca fiber.  Knowledgeable and experienced alpaca farmers will be available to answer questions and explain all about alpacas. There will be demonstrations of spinning and other fiber crafts.  all FREE!

Local fiber artisans and alpaca farms will be selling a wide selection of products made from naturally luxurious alpaca fiber including roving for spinners and yarns for knitters as well as a variety of ready to wear clothing and household décor.

The location for the open farm is:

Venezia Dream Farm, 276 Jones Cove Rd, Asheville, NC 28805

To find out more about Open Farm Days at Venezia Dream Farm or for directions to the farm, please visit www.AlpacasWNC.com or call 828-298-9166.

SFL vous propose une large collection de meubles en rotin pour une utilisation  en exterieur ou en interieur.

Rotin sont largement utilisés pour la fabrication de meubles en rotin et peut être utilisé comme banane pour réaliser des meubles, alors pensez à être classique et naturel.

Un set sofa avec coussins comprend; deux fauteuils, un canape 2 places, et une table basse

Materiau rotin kubu, emballage 1 Pc carton ondule

sourcingforliving.com ::: Assistance professionnelle à l’exportation de l’indonesie.

SFL vous propose une large collection de meubles en fibre naturelle pour une utilisation  en exterieur ou en interieur.

Rotin sont largement utilisés pour la fabrication de meubles en rotin pour réaliser des meubles, alors pensez à être classique et naturel.

Paniers Ronds – Set de 4 Paniers en Rotin Kubu,

Naturel couleur, emballage 1 Pc carton ondule

Ce type de meuble pour le jardin est resistant au rayon du soleil ( Uv resistant )

Les meubles en rotin sont prevus pour un usage exterieur, vous pouves donc les laisser toute l’annee dehors.

sourcingforliving.com ::: Assistance professionnelle à l’exportation de l’indonesie.

Sisal rugs are enjoyed by humans and animals both. Cats simply love to scratch on sisal and sink their claws into it and if you have a pet cat you will realize that it also likes to sleep on your sisal outdoor rug for its softness.

Sisal comes from a natural fiber, they are very durable and starting to become more popular with people. They aren’t only used in making rugs but also in texture industry and rope manufacturing. But more importantly, they are used in rug texture industry. Sisal rugs are very attractive and they need to be put in covered outdoor areas like the patio.

This is one of my clients’ favorite Go-To Snacks!  Bananas are not just a good source of B vitamins, they are low in sodium and contain Vitamin C and A as well as high levels of Iron and Potassium.  The natural fiber in bananas also contributes to numerous health benefits.  For instance, bananas contain Trypophan, a type of protein that the body converts to Seratonin, a hormone known for making you feel happy and improving your mood!

Aside from the bananas, these tasty wraps include other nutritional powerhouse ingredients such as the proteins in Greek yogurt and Nut Butter, the energy boosters in Honey and the blood sugar stabilizer of Cinnamon.  Each of these ingredients make my Nut Butter Wraps a healthy and delicious snack anytime of the day!

Ingredients

(Makes 1 Serving)

• 1 Ripe Banana, sliced
• 1/3 cup Nut Butter (Almond, Peanut, Cashew, etc.)
• 1 Whole Wheat Tortilla
• 1 tsp. Orange Juice
• 1 tsp. Lime Zest
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain
• 1 tsp. Agave Nectar (or Honey)
• 1 Tbsp. Wheat Germ
• Sprinkle of Cinnamon

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt and nut butter; mix well.
• Pour lime juice and orange juice over sliced bananas; gently toss.
• Top tortilla with nut butter mixture; spreading evenly over the tortilla surface, leaving a 1/2 inch border.
• Arrange banana slices in a single layer on top of the nut butter.
• Sprinkle evenly with wheat germ and cinnamon.
• Drizzle with honey.
• Roll up and enjoy!

You can also enjoy this snack warmed up in the oven for a few minutes for an extra special treat!

Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win my Big S Farms Give-A-Way.  Send me a comment for your change at 1 of 4 great prizes.  The deadline is Monday, July the 6th.

Good Luck!

In essence there are 3 things to do with your fiber. You can literally process it yourself, you can hire the services of someone else to do some or all of the processing for you, or you can join a cooperative, pool or similar collaborative group of some sort to have your fiber utilized. Well, there is a 4th thing – do nothing – but that’s not worthy of discussion!

Do it yourself

There is a wealth of information on internet for how to wash, comb, card & spin alpaca fiber, including how to blend and how to dye. I have a pamphlet available called “Turning Fiber Into Gold” where I have already collected much of this information for your convenience.

Hire it done

There are many custom mills that can process your fleeces and return it to you in whatever form you desire. Some will also knit or weave finished items for you. Cost and quality may vary greatly from mill to mill. Be sure to ask for and to check references for the mill or other custom processing you choose.

Here is a link to AlpacaNation where several mills are listed. http://alpacanation.com/alpaca-services/alpaca-services-2.asp?servicetype=12&servicename=Fiber%20Mills/Processing

Wild Fibers Magazine has a directory of mills listed in the back of each issue. Also you will usually find several ads for mills in this magazine. http://www.wildfibersmagazine.com/

International Camelid Quarterly magazine http://www.llamas-alpacas.com/ and AOBA’s Alpacas Magazine http://www.alpacasmagazine.com/index.asp also have ads for custom fiber processing.

Team up with others

A cooperative is a special type of corporation in the eyes of the IRS – the members are shareholders who own and operate (co-operators) the business. Profits from Cooperative corporations are taxed differently than regular corporations because the US Government recognizes the importance for small farms to be able to work together and pool their efforts.

Naturally, a cooperative is not the only form of business which can be involved in pooling fiber or collaborating to process fiber for groups of farms.

Here is a listing of farmers cooperatives and other businesses involved with pooling alpaca fiber:

http://www.afcna.com/ AFCNA (Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America Inc) is the biggest alpaca fiber cooperative in North America with over 2000 farms in the US and Canada and the oldest, established in 1998.

http://www.fibrecoop.ca/ The Canadian Camelid Fibre Cooperative (CCFC) is the only nationally based fibre co-op in Canada.

http://www.naafp.us/ NAAFP (North American Alpaca Fiber Producers) is an agriculture cooperative of alpaca fiber producers who have their fiber sorted by a certified fiber sorter, using the Certified Sorted(TM) system.

http://www.neafp.com/ The New England Alpaca Fiber Pool (NEAFP, Pronounced NEEF) is an Alpaca Fiber processing service. Private company, not a co-op.

http://www.alpacablanketproject.com/ The Alpaca Blanket Project is collaboration of American alpaca growers. As far as I know, there is a single owner. Not a cooperative.

http://www.llamafibercoop.com/ The Pacific Northwest Llama Fiber Cooperative (PNWLFC) is a member owned company whose specialty is the fabrication and marketing of high quality llama fiber products.

It’s all about the fleece!!

Whether you choose to do it all with your own hands from soup to nuts or to have minimal personal processing, do SOMETHING with your fleece each year promptly after shearing. Improperly stored fleeces degrade rather quickly or become infested with moths or other pests. Even in the most optimum climate and humidity controlled storage, unwashed fleeces can become dry and brittle in about 3 years time. It’s literally a case of use it or lose it.

Curious about alpacas?

From 11 am to 3 pm Saturday and Sunday, Alpacas of Merritt Farm in the Franklin area and EverThanks Farm, Last Penny Farm, Lorien Alpacas and Venezia Dream Farm in the Asheville area will welcome guests as they showcase their beautiful friendly alpacas and lovely products made from alpaca fiber. Knowledgeable and experienced alpaca farmers will be available to answer questions and explain all about alpacas. There will be demonstrations of spinning and other fiber crafts. all FREE!

Local fiber artisans and alpaca farms will be selling a wide selection of products made from naturally luxurious alpaca fiber including roving for spinners and yarns for knitters as well as a variety of ready to wear clothing and household décor.

The locations for the 2 open farms are:

Venezia Dream Farm, 276 Jones Cove Rd, Asheville, NC 28805

Alpacas of Merritt Farm, 837 Hannah Mountain Rd, Otto, NC 28763

To find out more about Open Farm Days at Venezia Dream Farm, Alpacas of Merritt Farm or to learn more about alpaca farms in Western North Carolina, please visit http://www.alpacaswnc.com/.

These facts have been collected from wikipedia at this address.                                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

Hemp seeds contains all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life^{[citation needed]}. The seeds can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, sprouted, made into “milk” (akin to soy milk), prepared as tea, and used in baking. The fresh leaves can also be eaten in salads

Hemp, because of its height, dense foliage and its high planting density as a crop, is a very effective and long used method of killing tough weeds in farming.^[26] Using hemp this way can help farmers avoid the use of herbicides, to help gain organic certification and to gain the benefits of crop rotation per se.

Biofuels such as biodiesel and alcohol fuel can be made from the oils in hemp seeds and stalks, and the fermentation of the plant as a whole, respectively. The energy from hemp may be high based on acreage or weight, but can be low based on the volume of the light weight harvested hemp.^{[citation needed]} It does, however, produce more energy per acre per year than corn, sugar, flax, or any other crop currently grown for ethanol or biodiesel.[

Henry Ford grew industrial hemp on his estate after 1937,^[27] possibly to prove the cheapness of methanol production at Iron Mountain. He made plastic cars with wheat straw, hemp and sisal. (Popular Mechanics, Dec. 1941, “Pinch Hitters for Defense.”) In 1892, Rudolph Diesel invented the diesel engine, which he intended to fuel “by a variety of fuels, especially vegetable and seed oils.”^{[28][29][30][31]}

Millennia of selective breeding have resulted in varieties that look quite different. Also, breeding since circa 1930 has focused quite specifically on producing strains which would perform very poorly as sources of drug material. Hemp grown for fibre is planted closely, resulting in tall, slender plants with long fibres.

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both cultivated hemp on their farms—the Declaration of Independence was drafted on paper made from hemp fibers. Benjamin Franklin started the first American paper mill, which made paper exclusively from hemp

Hemp was used extensively by the United States during WWII. Uniforms, canvas, and rope were among the main textiles created from the hemp plant at this time. Much of the hemp used was planted in the Midwest and Kentucky. Historically, hemp production made up a significant portion of Kentucky’s economy and many slave plantations located there focused on producing hemp.[3

By the early twentieth century, the advent of the steam engine and the diesel engine ended the reign of the sailing ship. The advent of iron and steel for cable and ships' hulls further eliminated natural fibers in marine use, although hemp had long since fallen out of favour in the sailing industry in preference to Manila hemp. The invention of artificial fibers in the late thirties by DuPont further put strain on the market.

More than 30 nations currently produce industrial hemp including Australia, Austria, Canada, China, England, France, Russia and Spain.^[37]

From the 1950s to the 1980s the Soviet Union was the world’s largest producer (3,000 km² in 1970). The main production areas were in Ukraine,^[38] the Kursk and Orel regions of Russia, and near the Polish border. Since its inception in 1931, the Hemp Breeding Department at the Institute of Bast Crops (Russian: Научно-исследовательский институт лубяных культур) in Hlukhiv (Glukhov), Ukraine, has been one of the world’s largest centers for developing new hemp varieties, focusing on improving fiber quality, per-hectare yields, and low THC content.^[39][40]

Other important producing countries were China, North Korea, Hungary, the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland, France and Italy.

In Japan, hemp was historically used as paper and a fiber crop; it was restricted as a narcotic drug in 1948. The ban on marijuana imposed by the US authorities was alien to Japanese culture, as the drug had never been widely used in Japan before. There is archaeological evidence that cannabis was used for clothing and the seeds were eaten in Japan right back to the Jōmon period (10,000 to 300 BCE). Many Kimono designs portray hemp, or “Asa” (Japanese: 麻), as a beautiful plant.

France (8,000 hectares cultivated) is Europe’s biggest producer. Canada (2,500 ha in 2004),^[41] the United Kingdom, and Germany all resumed commercial production in the 1990s. British production is mostly used as bedding for horses; other uses are under development. The largest outlet for German fibre is composite automotive panels. Companies in Canada, UK, US and Germany among many others process hemp seed into a growing range of food products and cosmetics; many traditional growing countries still continue to produce textile grade fibre.

Hemp is illegal to freely grow in the U.S. and several other countries because the plant is related to marijuana. In such countries, hemp is imported from China and the Philippines.

Hemp contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive ingredient found in hashish and marijuana. While THC is present in all Cannabis plant varieties to some extent, industrial hemp does not contain an amount to produce any intoxicating effect, even in significant quantities. In varieties grown for use as a drug, where males are removed in order to prevent fertilization, THC levels can reach as high as 24% in the unfertilized females which are given ample room to flower. In hemp varieties grown for seed or fibre use, the plants are grown very closely together and a very dense biomass product is obtained, rich in oil from the seeds and fibre from the stalks and low in THC content. EU and Canadian regulations limit THC content to 0.3% in industrial hemp.

SFL vous propose une large collection de meubles en fibre naturelle pour une utilisation  en interieur.

Fauteuil avec coussins 100×81x79 cm, naturel couleur

materiaux banana et rotin

sourcingforliving.com ::: Assistance professionnelle à l’exportation de l’indonesie.

When talking about Certified Organic apparel, there are several common questions that we get from interested customers. Over the next few months, we will address one of these questions in each of our article series and see if we can shed some light on why more and more consumers are choosing organic clothes.

What’s the difference between “natural”, “sustainable” and “organic” clothing?

The overwhelming amount of information floating around in cyberspace and the fact that everyone is jumping on the “green” bandwagon are creating a lot of confusion about what’s what, especially in the textile industry. The following are a few of the most important apparel terms along with brief explanations of what they mean:

Natural Fiber Textiles – The term “natural” is often, mistakenly used to describe organic products. Natural fiber clothing simply means that the clothing is made from fibers that can be found in nature. Natural fibers fall into 3 groups: 1) cellulosic fibers from plants (cotton, hemp, bamboo, etc), 2) protein fibers from animals (wool, fur, silk), and 3) crystalline minerals (asbestos – which is not used to make apparel). The term, however, does NOT refer to how the fibers were grown (with or without the use of pesticides, etc) or how the fibers were converted into fabric (with or without the use of harsh, toxic chemicals).

Sustainable Textiles – This term is tricky because there is not yet one accepted definition. Unlike the organic movement, which was born out of changes in agricultural processes, the sustainability movement was born out of a more general concern for the environment. Sustainable products usually place more emphasis on creating a cradle-to-cradle process (from the harvesting of the raw material to the packaging of the final product to the disposal of the item) that has the least amount of impact on the environment. Thus, sustainable textiles can include recycled and reusable items such as eco-fleece, which is made from recycled plastic bottles.

While many companies refer to their clothing and products as “sustainable,” most have not been certified. Without proper certification and standards, the consumer really has no idea about the safety and impact of the materials and processes – are the materials used in the clothing safe and non-toxic and are the manufacturing processes environmentally-friendly?

Both GreenBlue and the Institute of Market Transformation to Sustainability are non-profit institutions that are trying to establish a clear set of standards for sustainable textiles. MTS has even created the SMART certification to verify a product’s level of sustainability. Both institutions’ standards attempt to address a product’s economic, environmental and social performance throughout its lifecycle.

Certified Organic Textiles – In general, certified organic textiles have been inspected by a regulatory agency to ensure that the agricultural fibers are organically grown (ex. grown without pesticides and toxic chemicals) and that all processing adheres to the environmental requirements (ex. heavy metals, formaldehyde, and other carcinogenic chemicals are prohibited). In addition, many organic standards also include fair trade policies.

There are numerous private agencies and government regulatory bodies that have created a variety of standards for organic textile certification. However, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) in the US, the Soil Association in the UK, the International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN) in Germany, and the Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA) along with input from IFOAM have created the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

GOTS aim is to “define requirements to ensure organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labelling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end consumer. “ (Source http://www.global-standard.org). In short, GOTS ensures that all inputs – from the production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, exportation, importation and distribution of natural fibers – meet basic requirements on toxicity and biodegradability. Under GOTS, the use of chlorine bleach, plastisols, some AZO dyes, formaldehyde, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), and other toxic substances (that may cause cancer, genetic damage, fertility impairment, and/or harm to an unborn child) is prohibited. In addition, GOTS contains requirements for environmentally and socially responsible processing to ensure the impact on the environment is minimized and the fair treatment of workers.

As you can see, common standards and certifications help a company to back-up their claims about so-called “green” products – without these standards, terms like “natural”, “sustainable” and “organic” are nothing but marketing fluff. Whether you are concerned about the environment, social change or the health of yourself and loved ones, shopping for “certified organic” clothing and products helps you to know exactly what you’re getting.

Over the next few months we will cover: Organic Apparel Part II – Why should I buy “organic clothes”? and Organic Apparel Part III – How does organic cotton apparel wear?