Blue fields of flax once flourished in the Willamette Valley and seemed to promise a productive linen industry, the only one in the United States. The story of Oregon’s flax and linen from its promotion in pioneer days to its demise following World War II is shared through slides and a display of photos, old newspaper clippings, spools of linen yam, 1950’s textiles woven of Oregon linen, and Oregon grown flax. A 1948 film on Oregon’s flax industry will be shown.
The exciting story of the revival and future of Oregon flax will be shared by Shannon Welsh and Angela Wartes-Kahl the founders of Fibrevolution. Once again, beautiful fields of flax are being grown in Oregon by their organization. Farmers Shannon and Angela are working to revive and redefine Oregon’s fiber flax industry – bringing local, organic flax back to the forefront of American fiber production. They’re launching Oregon’s first fiber flax mill in over 50 years, and conducting trials to scale their model across the country.
Leader: Nancy Hoskins with Shannon Welsh and Angela Wartes-Kahl
Duration:Â 3 Hours
Level:Â All levels
Student supplies to bring:Â Paper, pencil
Materials Fee:Â $0