I was super exicted when I heard that I can travel in the name of The Linen Project to TapRoot Farms in Nova Scotia, Canada. Patricia Bishop and Josh Oulten run the farm which is in transition to be fully organic. They have started to grow and process flax too in the TapRootFibre Lab. It was late February 2020 when I went. So yes, for me as a European, outside temperatures in Canada were very cold. However, I was welcomed incredibly warmly at Patricia and Josh’s family home and could nurture on the most delicious fruits, veggies and eggs from the farm. I didn’t try the meat, but my veggie-heart was so happy to see pigs, goats and chickens roaming around.

The day after my arrival I was already standing in the Taproot Fibre Lab. The small-scale mill is the result of Patricia’s dream to not only farm food locally, but to also source clothes. Josh and her have invested so much time in learning and practicing how to get to that dream. Josh has visited places in Europe and across the world to gather information about linen and flax processing. Patricia has a library of fantastic flax and linen books. They purchased small-scale processing and spinning equipment from Belfast mini mills. The Taproot Lab can process wool fleece and flax tow into yarn. Patricia is collaborating with Nova Scotian farmers to source the raw materials locally.

Needlessly to say, I stepped into the mill and was amazed! What a cool and inpiring place! Patricia and Calvin ( who works at the mill ), shared with me the process of how they make yarn. I was even able to experiment a little with yarn making myself. I also got to see the prototype machines that Taproot has developed – specifically for processing long line linen. Their machines are practically unique in the world. It was all so exciting and new! Next post with the results is going to follow soon …