Announcing the Upper Canada Fibreshed

With great joy I would like to announce the creation of the Upper Canada Fibreshed! This is a new initiative to raise awareness and make connections between fibre growers, dye farmers, processors, and artisans.

Upper Canada Fibreshed

What is a Fibreshed from Fibershed:

“A Fibershed is a geographical landscape that defines and gives boundaries to a natural textile resource base. Awareness of this bioregional designation engenders appreciation, connectivity, and sensitivity for the life-giving resources within our homelands.”

Why A Fibreshed? from Fibershed:
Even with years of corporate social responsibility programs operated by the world’s largest clothing and textile manufacturers, the recent stats show that toxic fresh water effluent rose from 1.9 billion tons to 2.5 billion tons between 2006 and 2012 in Chinese fresh water tributaries, rivers, and streams. China manufactures 52% of the worlds textiles. Even with a new onslaught of ‘green’ and ‘eco’ friendly design being offered via large brands, the necessary improvements that would truly alleviate the massive scale of the problem remain to be seen within the supply chains of these companies.MORE…

Where is the Upper Canada Fibreshed?
The Upper Canada Fibreshed (UCFS) encompasses a region within 250 miles of Toronto (or so). Knowing that the support systems in Northern Ontario are slim, any northern farmers, processors, and growers are also welcom to get in touch. We would love to help with developing your local fibreshed!

The Upper Canada Fibreshed is an official affiliate of Fibershed US out of California. This is the book that started it all:

The book that began the Fibershed Movement by Rebecca Burgess.

The book that began the Fibershed Movement by Rebecca Burgess.

Are you a fibre farmer? Do you grow dye plants? Are you a fibre processor? We want to speak to you! For more information please contact jennifer at jjo [at] allsortsacre.ca!

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Autumn Workshops and Events

Culture Days Fourth Friday Felt-In

10 Carden will be hosting Guelph’s first Felt-in!
Friday September 28th, from 7pm – 9pm.
All ages and abilities.

Come and try you hand at the art of wet felting! Come and make your own felt covered rock using wool from local sheep. Use one of our rocks or bring your own special rock!

Take your rock home or leave it to add to the 10 Carden Rock Pile; a permaculture art piece that combines, nature, art, and agriculture.

More Info

Upcoming felting workshops

Needle Felting 1: Applique
Needle felting is one of the fastest growing crafts today. Create a beautiful design on a felted purse. This workshop will take you from idea stage through development, to finished product.

Needle Felting 2: Sculpture
Using wool, a needle and your imagination you will create a beautiful wool sculpture.

More Info

Wet Felting 1: Intro:
One of the oldest and enduring ways to make fabric. Felt is durable, warm, and amazingly simple to make. Wool, soap, water, and friction can create a number of beautiful and amazing items from scarves to hats, to shoes.

Wet Felting 2: Story Scarf:
Scarves are a wonderful way to express your inner artist and storyteller. A more advanced felting workshop. This workshop will focus on creating a nuno-felted scarf.

More Info

Introduction to Practical Permaculture

This two day course covers permaculture foundations. $75/ day or $125 for two days.

Saturday October 13
An interactive workshop that focuses on the permaculture design process. You will leave with a much greater understanding of HOW to create a permaculture system in your own home.

Sunday October 14
The focus is on the doing. Learn practical skills to take home to your own piece of land. You will be able to work on a a complete project throughout the day.

More Info

 

 

 

Permaculture Farm Tours and Knowledge Exchange

September 15, October 13 – 10am – 1pm
$25/ person. Children under 14 free.

Come and get a guided tour of All Sorts Acre. Tim and Jennifer will explain what they have done, why they have done it, and how it has worked. Learn from their mistakes, and see what can be done on an acre. Some of the areas that will be discussed include:

  • small scale livestock
  • alternative grazing systems on a small scale
  • coppice systems
  • silvapasture
  • forest gardens and how they have been planted
  • designing the landscape effectively
  • economic feasibility
  • choosing an agricultural focus
  • processing and selling
  • urban agriculture in the future
  • aquaponics

Bring any questions you have. An extensive library of resources will be available to look through.

-September 15 Farm Tour: $25


 

Rural Romp

Saturday September 29
$5 suggested donation

All Sorts Acre will once again be on the Wellington Rural Romp. Take a self-guided tour through our one acre micro-farm. Visit the animals, see what the garden produced, and what other products can come from a a small land base.

 

 

 

Getting Ready for Market

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Love Local button designed by Jennifer

I have had an rocky relationship with the farmer’s market. I did not really like it the first time I went to vend. It was hard for me. I said I would NEVER go to another farmer’s market. We’ll, I guess I am now eating my words. Today is market day.

The Erin market has been a long time coming. The town of Erin is a lovely little place just outside of Toronto. The people are friendly and the landscape is beautiful. A surprising number of small farms are in the area. This time going to market is a little different.  Artisans have been included in the market! A small group of dedicated volunteers have brought this wonderful venture to pass.

So, I am packing up my wares and travelling to market. I have my table, displays, pricing, flyers, and most important of all, the drum carder. Yes, I am going to represent homegrown products, but not food. I am bringing my wool and my herbs. From 3pm until 7pm every Friday throughout the summer I will occupy a small part of the Erin Fair Grounds.

I am really looking forward to it this time. Come and visit me, and my drum carder and see how felt is made!

Lambs out and about

Luckily we have had a great lambing season. Tim had his first opportunity to assist in lambing, I had a run in with our ram, but all in all it has been good. The entire flock is out and about on grass for the first week. Our eldest lamb, Friday, is just about weaned, but still enjoys an occasional suckle form his Mum, Hermoine. Friday seems to be getting the shove from Mum Izzy, as when he tries to suckle he is pushed away most of the time. Our youngest boy, Dick, is still faithfully going up to Mum Ewenice for a drink. Ewenice is such an attentive Mum, as she always lets him.

We have an abundance of wool that will be processed over the summer. It is amazing how much wool comes off of one animal. What is even more amazing is that the wool grows so fast. In only a couple of months the adults have visible wool growth.

The one down side of lambing is that we can’t keep them all. Friday is already sold and will be going to his new home in the next couple of weeks. Wednesday has a new home as well. Dick is the odd man out so to speak. Really we don’t want to keep him except for breeding, but we don’t have enough room for two rams. We may sell him on as well. Dick is a unique little guy. His shetland/babydoll southdown/horned dorset breeding brings some very interesting genetics into a flock.

Here are pictures of our lambs.

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Wednesday the lamb. Izzy is his Mum.

 

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Dick making a funny face.

 

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Friday doing his best cute pose.