Summary: <p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-23656" src="http://www.fibershed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ep.-1-Stephany-Wilkes-cover-image-v.2.jpg" alt="" width="2401" height="1600"></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Welcome to Soil to Soil, a podcast connecting the dots in the lifecycle of clothing and material culture, brought to you by Fibershed. Each episode offers a look at how, and why, our community is working to cultivate fiber and dye systems that build soil and protect the health of our biosphere. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today’s conversation is a crash course in the many people who make it possible for us to wear a wool sweater, knit with a new ball of yarn, or sleep on a wool pillow at night. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img class="alignleft wp-image-23547 size-medium" src="http://www.fibershed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/016-StephanyWilkes04102018paigegreen-600px-square-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300"><a href="https://stephanywilkes.com/">Stephany Wilkes</a> joins us to explore the question: who grew our clothes? Stephany is truly a renaissance human who wears so many hats, it’s hard to know where to start to describe her talents and all that she does: Stephany is a certified sheep shearer and wool classer, a writer, a teacher, a former tech industry project manager, and a contributor to many innovative efforts in our regional fiber system here in Northern California. We spoke just as Stephany was launching her new book, <a href="https://stephanywilkes.com/book">Raw Material: Working Wool in the West</a>, about the people and processes that get us dressed but don’t appear on the garment label; about the influence of urban consumers on agricultural communities, and the bright spots that keep her hopeful in this work. </span></p> <p>Learn more about Stephany’s work through her website, <a href="https://stephanywilkes.com/">stephanywilkes.com</a>, which includes information on her <a href="https://stephanywilkes.com/book">book</a> and <a href="https://stephanywilkes.com/events">upcoming events</a> including speaking engagements and readings. Stephany is chair of the Board of the <a href="https://norcalfibershedcoop.com/">Northern California Fibershed Cooperative</a>, a member-owned collective that operates the <a href="https://www.fibershedmarketplace.com/">Fibershed Marketplace</a>: visit to shop and support producers directly. And follow along on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladysheepshearer/">@ladysheepshearer</a>.</p> <p><img class="wp-image-23548 size-medium alignright" src="http://www.fibershed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Raw-Material-by-Stephany-Wilkes-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300"></p>
