Knitting a community of sustainable and healthy farm ecosystems with natural fibers.
OUR MISSION is to create innovative uses for wool and other animal and plant fibers that add value to products and benefit small-scale farmers and ranchers.
OUR VISION is for farms to use available natural resources, be profitable, and reduce their carbon footprint.
Are you ready to join us and create a genuine transformation on how we use our fiber resources and care for the planet?
News
It gives us tremendous pride to be recognized for the work we do here at Great Lakes Natural Fibers. Explore some of our latest media features below. Do they inspire you to get involved? Don’t hesitate to reach out!
Wool Market in Ohio and the USA
Mid West Wool Cooperative Closing
(republished from Farm and Dairy)
(re-published form Succesful Farming)
(re-published from Shepherd's Dream
From Idea to Reality: The creation of Great Lakes Natural Fibers
Like many other great ideas, this one came together at the public library. I was discussing alternative substrates for seed mats with a scientist, sheep farmers were lamenting the closing of the largest and only wool buyer in our area, and some folk had traveled out of the country and purchased a box of wool pellets. There were many common threads in this network with people who knew people. We were all interested in the opportunities that the problem of too much wool created. A couple of phone calls resulted in us all meeting at the Wayne County Public Library and brainstorming ideas. A representative of the Pathways to Prosperity (USDA) funded project was at this first meeting and she encouraged us to continue developing this idea. Our core group formed Great Lakes Natural Fibers, Inc. An initial grant of $ 4,000 from Pathways to Prosperity grant helped us legally establish our non-profit. We received funding from USDA’s Organic Marketing and Development grant to purchase equipment, a wool shredder and pelletizer, and a large needle felting machine. We are in the process of purchasing equipment. This is the humble beginning of our project. The potential to grow and innovate is huge. While making wool pellets may not seem exciting, this project will do much good and change how we think about growing plants. Converting what is now wasted wool into a resource is one more step in creating a circular economy, keeping resources local, and supporting our farmers. A soil-to-soil cycle forms when sheep and other animals raised in pastures grow fibers that return the nourishment to the soil. This is exciting!
Alternative uses of Wool
(republished from The Shepherd )
