The cooperative is still a huge deal in our society because coming together to buy, sell, trade and learn are integral to our survival as farmers, artists, small business owners and innovators! We are part Texas Mill Collective and part All Fibers Collective because, as you know, wool can mean many things. Todays flock raiser may have more than one breed and more than one species of fiber producer. It wasn't an overnight vision of ours to bring those worlds together. It was born from the first Fiber Arts Retreat in Bandera back in 2015. The concept was fed with festivals, fiber arts and the dream a of fiber mill for the people.
Tables are open to all Farms and Ranches free of charge because this is your chance to share your prize possessions, your fleece! We are inviting in artisans and other mills to partake on neutral grounds for a day of "gathering".
Next Wool Gathering will be May 18, 2024 • 10-3 pm
Not every fiber producer raises wool, mohair or angora for retail. The idea is simple. We help by creating a place to trade, co-op or sell fiber. Often this helps our farmers and ranchers learn how to spin, weave, knit, or simply put more money in the bank for hay and livestock care.
Great Britain has centuries on us when it comes to "traceable wool" which simply put means that our buyers know the wool came from Farm A located in Somewhere, Texas. It's not just about the free fiber a mill gets, but the story that goes with that fiber. Our goal is to create a story for the fiber and then show others how we do this! After all, we are all here to help each other.
Well, I think you get that now. We are here to support each other. There are three active Fiber Mills in Texas now BUT we could use more.
Texas is now back on the map as the largest wool producer because there's a movement to create a natural, sustainable lifestyle here.
Farms and Ranches have a lot of resources for learning, but I think the it's the obligation of the Mills and the Festivals to also teach. You will see the expansion of Texas Wool Week, Yellow Rose Festivals and Texas Fleece and Fiber Festival in the next years as we collaborate.
We have a massive fiber arts community. You can meet many of these teachers through festivals and their local yarn shops and studios. If you are looking for a particular teacher, please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer for leads on where to learn! This is part of the Texas Mill Collective 😁