Coming from a lifestyle that primarily revolves around the city of Philadelphia, my only rural experiences were Lancaster, PA, and the sometimes scenic drive down the shore. I had no expectations of the 2 weeks I would be spending WWOOFING (work in exchange for room and board) at SageRidge Mill & Critters, in Clearmont, Wyoming and it turned out to be better than anything I could have asked for! For the first time, I experienced hands-on what it takes to process wool and alpaca fiber.
Farm leader, Linda Kernstock, is connected to a shearer who has gotten fiber removal down to an art. It only takes them 7 minutes of shearing per animal (and Linda has over 250 alpacas)! After their fleece has been removed, it is washed, dried, picked, carded, spun, plied, skeined, and steamed into a beautiful yarn. Linda is a truly amazing, passionate, independent woman who takes real-time to process her yarns BY HERSELF! Processing fiber is messy. It takes patience. It takes practice. It takes love. And I'm so thankful that Linda allowed me to be a part of her mill for a brief amount of time. Working with her allowed me to have a greater appreciation for all the steps it takes just to make a wool sweater. Linda's love for her work and her animals is truly contagious and something to aspire towards.
Not only was I lucky enough to help with washing, carding, and skeining alpaca fiber, I also was able to participate in her annual Fiber Arts Retreat, held on her 400+ acres of land. That weekend, I met about a dozen fantastic women who all drove for hours just to see Linda and learn new fiber crafts. Workshops I took included indigo dyeing, arm knitting, and wet felting. The women were kind enough to teach me additional skills outside of the classes, around the campfire, like tapestry weaving, rope making, and needle felting.
I found my experience at SageRidge Mill & Critters to be extremely uplifting and empowering. Powering through the world of sustainable fashion, it is easy to feel discouraged when I am not in contact with others who are equally passionate about quality-made garments. People like Linda are the backbone of the ethical fashion movement in America. Unfortunately, they are also often the forgotten part. Farmers and their ways of living should be taken into equal consideration when design decisions are made. Every garment worker, no matter where on the production line, is equally as capable and deserving of respect as the last. Living in a city, we sometimes forget about farmers like Linda who work hard day after day to make sure that their animals are treated fairly and that their fiber is processed with care.
Not only is it challenging to shear and care for an army of alpacas, but being a single woman in a male-dominated agricultural industry does not come without backlash. She shared with me how some farmers look down on her for not having a man around to do the more laborious tasks and she's been labeled "llama lady" by those who think her passion for alpaca fiber is silly. (They're the silly ones who don't know the difference between a llama and an alpaca, PSH!) Despite all this, Linda remains a powerful beam of light! The fashion world truly needs more people like her who aren't afraid to break boundaries and get a little dirty.
My time on her magnificent farm made me realize that we mustn't underestimate or judge each other for our ambitions and passions. We must appreciate every unique skill that we have to offer this world because no one has the exact same set of skills as you! Whether you're a felt-loving farmer in Wyoming or a Prada-wearing designer in New York; you are valueable.
~A.H.W.
