Join us on a local flax to linen adventure as we sow, grow, harvest, process, spin, and weave our own crop of flax for linen!

Have you been fascinated by the process of growing and processing flax into linen? About the history and lore of this versatile textile crop? So have we! Join our very first CSA Work Group for a year-long exploration of our flax to linen project. Our curriculum will be broken down into quarters based on the agricultural calendar. Your CSA fee (Community Supported Agriculture) will contribute to literally sowing the seeds of establishing this project on our farm.

However, the CSA fee will not cover all costs, but is an assurance of community support for our programming. With that we encourage any and all additional donations for this programming.

First Quarter: History & Folklore: During the first quarter of the year we will be delving deep into the history and folklore of flax and linen. We will host various presentations ranging from numerous topics to cover both the history and folklore of flax to linen. In addition to our own presentations we will also host organizations currently working on the revival of the linen industry in the U.S. As we will still be in the depths of winter, this quarter will largely be held online.

Second Quarter: Sowing & Spinning: And so the sowing begins. Together will we learn about the sowing and growing practices of flax. You will also participate in the preparation and sowing of our very first co-operative linen crop. These activities will take place on-site at our farm in Mondovi, Wisconsin. We will physically till and clear a portion of our garden and subsequently sow our flax plots. The two linen flax varieties (Linen Usitatissimum) we will work with will be: Nathalie and Linore. CSA Members will receive a gift of 100 seeds upon request.

Member Reward: CSA members will reap additional benefits of their membership this quarter. Members will have access to a Flax Spinning class held on the farm free of charge ($80 value) as well as receive a packet of flax seeds, upon request.

Third Quarter: The Harvest & Rippling: This is a time of merriment as we harvest the rewards from our previous quarter. Our time will be focused on presentations that illustrate historical and practical harvesting practices setting us up for the actual day of harvest. As a CSA member you will have exclusive access to our harvest day events which will occur onsite on our farm in Mondovi, Wisconsin. We will harvest the flax and walk you through the steps of rippling to set us up for the drying phases.

Fourth Quarter: Final Processing and Weaving: As with anything worth waiting for, this is the time where we will fully delve into breaking, scutching, hackling, and spinning. You will receive in-depth instruction on the entire processing of this fiber. This is the quarter where you will most feel like a magical creature LITERALLY turning straw into gold. Our work this quarter will be focused on turning what we have grown into gold. I already suspect many of us will weave this precious fiber into fabrics of gold.

* As with any agricultural crop, I cannot quantify how much flax you will take home. But what I can promise is that it will be an equal share amongst Flax to Linen CSA members and the farmers.