We placed a notice in our local digital community newsletter, The Town Crier, asking if any local landowners would be interested in growing flax. We had several interested land owners get in touch with us.
We planted four fields of flax in the Broad Brook Valley of Vermont. Dave Frary broke ground and seeded the fields. (South Royalton and East Barnard).
Robin and Andrea monitored the growing flax and kept invasive weeds at bay.
Robin and Andrea kept an eye on the plants and readiness for harvest and set a date for the Linen Fair.
We held our first annual East Barnard Linen Fair and over 100 people attended over the two day event.
Visitors harvested flax, learned how to process the dried plant for spinning and watched and tried spinning on several types of spinning wheels.
Harvesting continued for three weeks after the Fair. The flax plants were pulled with their roots intact, laid in bunches, positioned with space between so they could be exposed to dew and then turned over a period of weeks to dry. This process is called “dew retting”. The dew, which contains concentrated levels of potassium, in combination with bacteria in the soil, begins to break down the woody cellulose so that the fiber can be separated out.
Dew retting complete, the flax was positioned into stooks to dry further.
We planted green manure crops after the flax harvest.
We also held the first community spinning class in October. Andrea Myklebust came with several spinning wheels. The community was invited to come along and try spinning flax on a spinning wheel. Andrea demonstrated loading a distaff as well as spinning both on a wheel and a drop spindle.
Sheila designed and wove prototype teatowels for kitchen testing.
As our green manure crops re-sprouted in last year’s flax fields, we identified new fields to plant with flax for this year’s harvest.
Dave Frary’s son-in-law Mark Whitney and his 14 year old grandson Matthew bring two ox teams (Bear and Bud and Skip and Buck) to East Barnard to break ground in the village on Sabra Field’s property. They use a sulky plow and a hand plow.
Many neighbours come to watch the activities on a beautiful spring day in the village. This will be the field where demonstration harvesting will happen at the Linen Fair.
While Europe is experiencing a hot, dry year and a poor flax harvest, we watch our flax as it grows in a wet and mild summer here in Vermont.
When epic flooding occurred throughout the state, our fields remained unscathed, though our valley was impacted by some flooded homes and washed out roads.
Various friends of the project come to the fields to remove bindweed and other problematic plants from the flax fields.
First harvesting begins mid-month, a few weeks ahead of our 2022 harvesting.
We anticipate final harvesting and our second annual East Barnard Linen Fair on September 9 and 10.
