Embedded Files
Earth Day with Sustain Jefferson
April 26th, 9:00AM - 1:00Pm, Jefferson WI
I'm looking forward to celebrating our amazing earth with you! I'll have flax on hand in various stages of processing to explore and discuss. This is a very hands-on and family friendly event with a lot going on AND at 11:00 Keynote Speaker Rippeology Weather Forecaster Scott Rippe!
Bast Fiber Working Group with PA Fibershed
April 28th, 2:00Pm, online
What an honor to be invited to share the story of Wisconsin Linen Revival with other bast fiber fans. Leslie will be speaking at the PA Fibershed Bast Fiber Bi-Monthly Meeting which is presented on Zoom and open to anyone who is a member of their regional Fibershed affiliate, find yours here
Perennial Flax Field Day presented by AURI
June 3rd, 9:00 - 12:00
Come and learn more about Linum perenne lewisii known as perennial flax, and shares many of the same great and useful characteristics as annual flax. I'll be speaking about the developing fiber market trends and opportunities.
More details coming soon.
Past Events
Past Events
Pratical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference talk "Cropping Cloth: The Potential of Flax for Linen"
January 10-11 2025, Des Moines Iowa
Among the many great offerings from Practical Farmers of Iowa is their Annual Conference. This years schedule is chock-a-block full of good stuff including a particularly compelling sounding keynote address by Eric Lee-Mader "Farmers of Forty Centuries: Reconciling Agriculture and Economy."
I'm looking forward to offering a session Friday "Cropping Cloth: The Potential of Flax for Linen
The full session description is: Flax is an ancient plant that’s versatile and can be grown in the Midwest. Midwest Linen Revival is working to establish flax for fiber as an agricultural crop in the region. This session will cover barriers to growing and processing flax, results of in-field experiments exploring planting and harvesting it and information about a seed breeding program to develop a Midwest-specific, climate-resilient seed.
I hope to see many of you there to take in this wealth of knowledge and inspiration!
Panel discussion "The Re-emergence of the North American Fiber Flax Industry: An Opportunity to Re-think" at the Textile Society of America's 2024 Symposium
November 14th 2024
I'm looking forward to a conversation with other leaders in North America on this adventure to (re)establish flax in North America.
The Textile Society of America's Symposium is taking place this year online. Attendees need to be TSA members and if you have the funds the enormous lineup of speakers over the six day event alone is likely worth it.
Our panel discussion is Session 8C Thursday November 14th 10:15CT. Chaired by Arin Gintowt of CanFlax, speakers are Wisconsin's own Leslie Schroeder, Fiona Barret co-vice chair of the North American Linen Association, Angela Wartes-Kahl of Fibrevolution, and Kristina Foley a textile artist and board member of the North American Linen Association.
https://textilesocietyofamerica.org/2024-symposium-agenda
Healthy Materials Lab presents Regeneration of Flax: Linseed, Linen, Shive, & Oil at the Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries on 5th Avenue in NYC.
September 30th - November 12th, 2024
This is an exciting and important exhibition on flax put together by the Parsons Healthy Materials Lab. Focused on displaying the diverse product potentials of flax in the homespace, see more information they shared below.
Highlights from Wisconsin at the exhibition:
a sample of Midwest grown flax provided by Wisconsin Linen Revival is on display in the exhibition!
Wisconsin based weaving artist Danielle Burke has a piece "Resiliency: Linum usitatissimum” in the exhibition. More on Dani's work here.
The October 7th Regeneration of Flax Expert Panel in-person talk is FULL but you can listen in online by registering here
Regeneration of Flax Expert Panel talk
"Flax has been used for centuries for ropemaking, as a food source, and for textiles. Most impressively, the entire plant can be utilized, leading to zero-waste, healthier materials for textiles, finishes, paints, insulation and flooring.
Through photography, material samples, written text, diagrams, and artwork, the Regeneration of Flax Exhibition will display the flax plant throughout its life cycle, in various applications, and ultimately at its end of life as compost. "
Location: Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries, 66 Fifth Avenue at 13th Street, New York, NY 10011
Organized by: Parsons Healthy Materials Lab and New York Textile Month
Curation: Jessica Thies, Alison Mears, Jonsara Ruth
Sponsors: Duracryl, Forbo and Tuscarora Mills
Links: https://healthymaterialslab.org/events/regeneration-of-flax-exhibition
Hand processing flax demo at Allen Centennial Garden Harvest Folk Festival
September 28th, 2024
Join us in experiencing the magical transformation of processing flax for fiber with traditional wooden hand tools: the break, scutch, and hackel.
We'll be stationed at the beautiful Allen Centennial Gardens from 12:00-4:00 in the mix of the many fun and educational offerings at their 2024 Harvest Folk Festival.
More information on their website.
Flax to linen workshop at the Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence
August 24th 2024
This workshop offers a hands-on connection with the fiber known as linen which comes from the stem of the flax plant. Join in the unbroken stream of people who have been using this fiber for textiles for tens of thousands of years. You will learn about flax to linen from start to finish from seed sourcing and cultivation through harvest and get to experience hand processing to seperate the fiber.
August 24th 3:00 Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence, Cooksville, WI
This workshop is part of a larger event offering a wide variety of interesting workshops and lectures on permaculture related issues and activities. Leslie will also be taking part of the evening's panel discussion on the what and why of "Localism."
Further information and registration for the Permaculture Convergence
Linen’s Journey Workshop & Community Flax Processing
August 31, 2024
The workshop, co-planned between WLR and the Madison Textile Arts Center, promises to be an insightful and hands-on experience. More details and registration information can be found here.
Discover the fascinating journey of linen in this comprehensive workshop. Participants will explore the entire process of transforming flax seeds into beautiful linen textiles. The workshop will cover planting, harvesting, and processing flax, as well as spinning and weaving techniques. This is an excellent opportunity for both beginners and seasoned fiber artists to deepen their understanding and skills in linen production.
There is an add-on (or stand-alone) community processing opportunity for those who have grown flax to bring their harvest and use our equipment. This is a fantastic way to utilize resources and engage with fellow enthusiasts. However, please note that this is not a guided workshop, and participants are expected to have some background in flax processing to work independently. Register using the same link as the larger workshop here.
August 24th 3:00 Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence, Cooksville, WI
This workshop is part of a larger event offering a wide variety of interesting workshops and lectures on permaculture related issues and activities. Leslie will also be taking part of the evening's panel discussion on the what and why of "Localism."
Further information and registration for the Permaculture Convergence
Workshop on cultivation and hand processing flax
July 11th 2024
Step into a deeper relationship with this ancient plant through one of our upcoming hands-on workshops. Join Leslie to learn about flax to linen from start to finish from seed sourcing and cultivation through harvest and hand processing. You will leave with a richer connection to the origins of textiles and a basic understanding of how to grow your own flax fiber.
July 11th 5:00 Gardens Network Summit, Madison WI
This workshop is part of a larger event offering a variety of fun and informative activities and workshops for the garden scale grower
Agenda for Gardens Network Summit
Registration for Gardens Network Summit
Are you interested in seeing flax in the field?
June 30th & July 7th, 2024
We have flax growing at several locations across the state again this year and are excited to be able to offer opportunities for you to come out to visit two of our flax growing sites:
June 30th 1:00-3:00 Flax Field Day Fitchburg, WI in conjunction with UW-Extension Emerging Crops Accelerator Program
July 7th 10:30-12:00 Farm Tour Stoughton, WI in conjunction with 350 Wisconsin’s annual Farm Tour
June 30th Flax Field Day, Fitchburg
Wisconsin Linen Revival founder Leslie Schroeder will tour visitors through the flax plantings and detail our various in-field experiments in planting and harvest, WLR volunteer Emily Eck will share about our USDA seed trial project, and UW-Extension Emerging Crops Specialist Steffen Mirsky will talk about the Emerging Crops program as well as honeyberries and currents planted at this location which, in addition to flax, are also crops in the program.
In addition, highlighting the connections around local food and local fiber, there will be sheep cheese samples on flax crackers to enjoy from Sheep Dairy Association of Wisconsin (sheep make wool!) and representatives from Fibershed Heartland will be on hand to speak about the Fibershed movement.
Register here for our June 30th Flax Field Day event
July 7th Farm Tour, Stoughton
Farmer Terry Parisi will lead us on a walking tour of her farm highlighting the grass fed beef and their pasture sequestering carbon, her vegetables grown in no-till production, visit the goats and give a milking demo, as well as speak to other elements of diversity and permaculture on her farm.
Wisconsin Linen Revival founder Leslie Schroeder along with other WLR volunteers will share information about cultivation and harvest of flax, and offer updates on this season's exciting and diverse in-field trials.
More information here on the July 7th Farm Tour
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