BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 17, 2024
A small Maine volunteer group has big plans to rebuild a regional industry in a way they believe will also benefit the environment, particularly soil, and human health. To make it happen, the Maine Fibershed plans this year to found chapters in each county, work with local groups and research new uses for wool, adapting a national model as they go. Farmers, for these purposes, include people who raise fiber animals, plant fiber producers and those who grow plants for dye. In Maine, where fiber is mostly a small-scale industry, some farmers ship raw products as far away as the Midwest and even Utah for the expensive processing they need to make it to market.