Fiber artisans and producers from across the Finger Lakes will gather for a day of discussions, demonstrations and networking at "Navigating the Fiber Supply Chain: The Animals, The Process, The Products,” the region’s first conference of this kind. The event is organized by LocalFiber and will be held on Saturday, July 27^th from 9:00am to 5:00pm at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds, 2150 Trumansburg Road (Rt. 96) in Trumansburg, NY.

Keynote speaker Lynn Edens, owner of Little Creek Farm Alpacas and Imperial Yarns in N. Salem, New York, will speak on the fiber-to-finished-good supply chain. Following lunch, attendees may choose from concurrent discussions including a Q&A with Evans, a panel on animal breeds and their fibers, and sessions on fiber uses or wool pools.Afternoon demonstrations will cover skirting fleece for sheep, goat or alpaca; dyeing with protein dyes; what-and-why of classing; weaving; natural dyes; and nuno-felting. 

A full schedule with topics, presenters and registration details is available online at: https://localfiber.org/conference/

LocalFiber, established in 2017, is an Ithaca startup devoted to helping small flock fiber farmers make connections with consumers to create sustainable revenue streams for fiber produced by their herds.While the 14-county Finger Lakes region is home to more than 180 fiber producing farms, these small local producers face many challenges getting their products to market and turning a profit.LocalFiber engages and supports the fiber farming community through quarterly meetings, pop-up shops, and educational events, supported in part by a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) grant.

For more about their work, visit https://localfiber.org/ or contact founder Dana Havas at (646)-203-4674 or localfiber.ny@gmail.com