Michigan Ag Connection - Michigan Grown and Processed Yarn Enters Market

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Michigan Grown and Processed Yarn Enters Market
Michigan Ag Connection - 07/05/2017

The Michigan Fiber Cooperative (MFC) has 1,000 skeins of luxuriously soft alpaca and merino wool yarn for sale to Michigan Knitters. The MFC, established in 2011, has worked with Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Services Agency's Value Added Grant Program to transform raw wool into beautiful yarn for the market.

"We are so excited to see this project finally come to fruition, we collected 500 pounds of fiber from seven farmers," said Tamara Miller, president of the Michigan Fiber Cooperative, a Michigan organization established to support and foster the growth of fiber farming in Michigan. "It took a year for us to feed the animals that grow the fiber, six months to collect it, and up to 12 months to process it into yarn."

MFC worked collaboratively with Nancy McRay, Fiber Arts instructor at Interlochen University and advisor of the MFC Board of Directors to create a logo and label for the yarn. McRay, under n. anne designs, created and donated an exclusive hat and mitts pattern that takes one skein of Fresh Water Fiber yarn and comes with the purchase.

The fiber was collected in February 2016, processed last fall, labeled and inventoried this past winter, Miller said. Knitters can order directly from the cooperative on their website at www.michiganfibercooperative.com.

"We'd like to also encourage Michigan knitters to ask for Fresh Water Fiber yarn in their local yarn shop," Miller said. "When you buy our yarn, you will find the list of farmers who contributed fiber to the project on the inside label.

"MFC Fresh Water Fiber yarn buyers can know they are supporting a local economy including shearers, veterinarians, the fiber mill, crop farmers, grain elevators, and even hardware stores," Miller said.

Fresh Water Fiber Yarn is a soft creamy white and takes dye well. The skeins are 200 yards, 3-ply and 4 ounces. Skeins retail at $35 and all funds stay in Michigan and support the farmers, the mills and their future project. The next collection will be this autumn and MFC will collect fiber from colored alpaca and fine-wool from merino, Ramboullette, California Variegated Mutant, Cormo, and Romaldale sheep. Contact the Michigan Fiber Cooperative for fiber requirements at val@julianvail.com.

USDA's Value Added Agriculture grant is a matching program. Co-Bank out of Minnesota provided a loan to the Michigan Fiber Cooperative to jump-start the project.

To learn more about joining the Michigan Fiber Cooperative contact Bridget Kavanagh at happygoatluckyewe@yahoo.com.

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