From Forage to Fiber: A Workshop Dedicated to the Life Cycle of Wool
Photo by Paige Green
Presented by GSW and Slow ‘n Local
May 10, 2025 9am-4pm; at Oak Heritage Ranch in Upper Ojai, CA
Join us for an immersive experience as we journey through the life cycle of wool with a working fiber flock of registered Navajo Churro sheep in Ojai, CA! From Forage to Fiber is a full-day workshop dedicated to this incredible fiber and its importance to artists, graziers and climate health. This workshop dives into wool’s journey from sheep to skein, including grazing, shearing, processing, spinning and dyeing with natural materials. Participants will have plenty of time to dive in and get their hands dirty! Participants are invited to engage in skirting, scouring, carding and natural dyeing. Everyone will leave with a sample of hand-dyed wool or yarn from the event and participants are welcome to bring one item from home to dye on site.
Whether you're hoping to deepen your appreciation for natural fibers and sustainable textile practices or add fiber to an existing livestock operation, this workshop will unravel the ins and outs of wool production in an engaging and informative way. Textile enthusiasts, eco-conscious consumers, and anyone who is simply curious about where our clothing comes from are all welcome!
NOTE: 15 slots are open at an additional cost to join in on further wool processing during shearing on Sunday, May 11 from 9am-1pm. This add-on event is designed to provide participants with extra hands-on practice in assisting shearer, Noe Vega, with skirting and scouring.
What You Will Learn
Intro to prescribed grazing and wool as a climate-beneficial fiber - learn about the importance of ruminant animals in mitigating climate change
Short history of global pastoralism and localized fiber production - dive into our ancient relationship with small ruminants and pastoral ways of life
Considerations for current livestock graziers - understand some reasons to incorporate wool production & value-added products into an existing livestock operation
Demonstrations in sheep shearing - watch live demonstrations of the shearing process with local shearer, Noe Vega of Little Tujunga Shearing and Slow ‘n Local
Hands-on learning in skirting, scouring, carding, spinning and natural dyeing - learn how raw fleece is cleaned, carded, and spun into yarn, with hands-on activities and expert insights from Christina Wheeler of Slow ‘n Local
Other sustainable and innovative ways to use wool that emphasize its natural biodegradability and insulating properties
Photo by Paige Green
Who Is This For?
Fiber enthusiasts (weavers, knitters, textile artists, etc) who are interested in learning more about where their wool comes from and about how wool production and their creative practices can benefit the environment
Graziers and land stewards interested in incorporating fiber as a value-added product into their business models
Anyone looking to network with other southern California fiber community members
Workshop Details
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Saturday, May 10, 2025 9AM-4PM
Option to add on May 11, 2025 9am-1pm for an additional cost of $40. This half day is geared towards providing extra hands-on practice in skirting and scouring while the fiber flock is shorn. Perfect for folks who would like to engage more deeply with Saturday’s learning material.
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Oak Heritage Ranch, Upper Ojai, CA (exact address provided upon registration)
Be prepared for weather (likely sunny and warm) by bringing hats, sunscreen and other sun protection. Most of the day’s instruction will be outside and partially in the sun. Bring a water bottle, a notebook for note-taking if desired, and please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes.
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While we provide drinking water and light snacks, lunch is not provided. Please come prepared with your own lunch (and cooler) and other beverages if needed. There will be a one-hour lunch break from 12-1pm so you can pop down into Ojai or Santa Paula for food.
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In an effort to make this event more accessible, we are offering 3 payment tiers. Please consult the Green Bottle model below to select the tier that best corresponds to your current financial situation. Note that we are able to offer 5 tickets each at Tier 2 and 3 so please do your best to leave those options open for people in need of more financial assistance. If you would like to sponsor another participant, please make a donation to Grazing School of the West when you register.
Tier 1 - $195
Tier 2 - $156 (20% off)
Tier 3 - $117 (40% off)
Photo by Paige Green
Our Instructors
Benefit from the knowledge of seasoned grazing and fiber professionals ready to answer all of your questions. Learn from practitioners who bring a sense of playfulness, hope and joy to their work, along with decades of experience dedicated to cultivating and stewarding the next generation of land stewards and creatives.
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Christina is a co-founder of Slow ‘n Local and has been hosting and facilitating fiber and natural building-related events and workshops for several years. With a 20-year background in the fashion industry, Christina found herself wanting to connect very deeply to the resources she worked with for so many years. That led her to the source - in this case, sheep. She delights in teaching and connecting people back to our shared roots through fiber, a resource we use everyday, but rarely think about.
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Co-founder of Slow ‘n Local, Noe is a first generation Mexican-American shepherd & shearer. With a passion for all things sheep, Noe is either shearing in the spring and fall or helping tend a herd of 400 sheep and goats on various grazing landscapes throughout southern California. Along with his partner, Christina, Noe advocates for connecting communities to their local natural resources.
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Cole Bush is an educator and consultant, and the founder and owner of Shepherdess Land and Livestock, a prescribed grazing business based in Ojai, California. She is also the steward of a fiber flock of 40 registered Navajo Churro sheep, who have been in her care since 2021. With over a decade of experience in the sheep industry, Cole has developed and managed the treatment of thousands of acres on private and public lands using prescribed grazing with commercial-scale herds of sheep and goats as an ecosystem service for ecological enhancement and fire hazard reduction. As one of Grazing School of the West’s host trainers, she has been turning her attention more towards agricultural education as a tool to inspire the next generation of land stewards.
This workshop is co-hosted with Slow ‘n Local, a fiber and natural building network based in southern California. Slow ‘n Local has been hosting hands-on workshops and collaborative learning experiences for several years, forging community among people who are passionate about restoring our ancient relationship with craft in order to build more resilient communities, ecosystems and futures. Sharing knowledge, developing relationships, and creating lasting change in slow but meaningful ways are crucial to the Slow ‘n Local approach.
