B.C. co-founders Lynda Drury and Amy Crook were inspired to launch the VIF as a way of blending their passion for fibre with their concern for social justice, climate change and local agriculture. Images: Sarah Kerr.
A B.C initiative is working to build a self-sufficient fibre economy that supports agricultural and environmental resilience.
The Vancouver Island Fibreshed (VIF) project, formed in Courtenay early last year, aims to
support and connect fibre farmers, processors and consumers in the geographic region (or “fibreshed”) encompassing a 150-mile radius that includes Vancouver Island and the surrounding islands.
The VIF is based on the California Fibershed model (note: the spelling varies), initiated in 2010. The California Fibershed website lists more than 45 affiliate fibersheds around the world, which develop “regional and regenerative fiber systems” to counter the negative environmental and socio-economic impacts of global textile production processes.
B.C. co-founders Lynda Drury and Amy Crook were inspired to launch the VIF as a way of blending their passion for fibre with their concern for social justice, climate change and local agriculture. They secured support from the Comox Valley Women’s Institute, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Government of British Columbia through the Agri-Food Futures Fund and the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. The support helped launch the VIF’s first initiatives, including building a fibre producer directory and researching the range of animal fibre producers in the region.
Drury says the research has helped spotlight the importance of farmers, which she calls the “foundation” of a fibreshed.
“It’s a huge area that needs to be addressed: educating the consumer about the value of local sustainability and the value of farmers, and how important keeping farmers economically sound is now and for future food security,” she says.
The VIF’s producer-focused work includes advocating for the creation of local fibre mills, facilitating workshops to help farmers improve the quality of their product, and educating consumers to build a local market for the lower-quality animal fibre currently shipped out-of-province.
Raven Ranson of Crowing Hen Farm, located on southern Vancouver Island and part of the VIF producer directory, believes the power of the VIF lies in its ability to connect the many actors in a fibre economy.
“The fibershed provides a wonderful opportunity to connect people with resources and infrastructure,” Ranson says. “This is where the [VIF] can do the most good: connecting growers with makers and consumers.”
This year, the VIF plans to expand its research into plant-based fibers. It will also facilitate more workshops for producers, and grow its outreach activities to connect makers, such as textile artists, with a wider range of local products.
— Lily Jackson