JULY: LINEN HARVEST
THE PROCESS
In mid-July, the fields of coastal Western Europe are densely packed with meter-high woody flax stalks, each housing the fine bast fiber used for linen. July’s weather is fickle- shifting from rain to sun every few days. Although this weather pattern and the region’s loamy soil create the perfect conditions for the fine fiber, farmers must have a deep connection and responsiveness to natural cycles to grow it successfully.
Every day counts for the flax plant due to its short growing period of only three months. One extra week of growing means a longer fiber, which sells for a higher price. But during a month when unexpected heavy rains can drench the coastal valleys, the longer farmers wait, the more the tall delicate stalks become susceptible to breaking.Â
Figure 1: Flax Harvest 1) A month before its time to pull the flax, a bright blue flower blooms one morning then fades by afternoon 2) A special machine pulls the flax 3) The stalks lay in to rett the field while the weather shifts from rain to sun 4) A baler collects the fermented fiber
All July the flax farmers do a delicate dance to choose the perfect window of sunny weather to pull their crops. After a few days of sun, the farmers use specialized machines to pull the dry stalks from the ground, leaving intact the long line of fiber running from its roots to the seed pod. Then they lay them flat on the field to start a weeks-long fermentation process called dew retting.Â
Natural pectins bind the fine flax fibers to the other parts of the stalk. As flax lay in the field after pulling, bacteria and fungi break down the pectins, releasing the fiber from the woody stem. This fermentation process also cures the fiber, strengthening it and adjusting the color. Dew retting is an ancient process yet to be eclipsed by modern systems. Although there have been efforts to mimic the fermentation process in factories, natural retting is still the only way to get consistent, long fiber.
Again the farmers must strike a balance. There is a perfect window between three to seven weeks after pulling for the farmer to roll the retted fiber into bales. Bale too soon and the fiber will be contaminated with the other parts of the stalk still stuck to it. Wait too long and the fermentation will start breaking down the fibers (figure 2).Â
Figure 2: Cross section of a flax plant’s stem 1) before retting when the woody outer layer of the stem (F) is bonded to the fibers (X) 2) optimal retting when the woody outer layer of the stem (F) degrades and loosens from the fiber (X) 3) Over-retted when the fermentation process starts to breakdown the fiber (X). Â
Each year, the feel and color of the ripe stalks are different based on the amount of rain, sun, and dew. The farmers must use their intuition to decide when to harvest. Most flax farms in Western Europe have been growing it for generations, so retting is more of an inherited art than a science. Caen, France to Amsterdam, Netherlands is home to thousands of small flax farms. The resulting harvest represents each of their unique relationship with their land, weather patterns, and techniques.Â
Once it leaves the farms, the harvested flax goes on a global journey, often chasing the cheapest processing options. 80% of flax grown in Western Europe is combined and shipped to large factories in China. In the often hands-on process of converting flax into linen, the cheap labor offsets the high raw material cost. So does intensive chemical and mechanical processing that homogenizes the color and feel of the fiber and allows mass processing at scale.
FAST FLAX FACTS
Flax was once the most used fiber in the Western world. Now it makes up less than 1% of textile fibers consumed. For example, in 1200, Europe had about 300,000 hectares of farmland dedicated to flax for linen, now it has about 75,000 hectares.Â
France produces 85% of flax for fiber. It has one of the only climates that allow dew retting, the government subsidizes the production of fiber, and farms have been growing flax for hundreds of years.
One alternative to dew retting is water retting. Historically done in bogs, lakes, and rivers and now done in tanks, the fiber is submerged in water for a few weeks to ferment. Water retting in freshwater taints waterways and causes eutrophication (figure 3). In tanks, it is super water and labor-intensive. But this technique results in a more consistent quality of fiber than dew retting.Â
Figure 3: Ireland, once a major producer of flax, exclusively water retted in fresh waterways. By the 20th century, water retting caused so much pollution and deoxygenated the waterways that native fish populations died out.
China, the largest producer outside of Europe, grows flax for fiber in its Northernmost providence, Heilongjiang. Farmers often use European varietals that require synthetic inputs and result in a relatively low yield. Chinese farmers use only manual labor to farm flax, which is water retted in tanks.Â
A vast majority of linen goes to a handful of mills in Northern China. Harbin Linen Group Ltd. is the world's largest spinning, weaving, and dyeing facility. It has over 25,000 employees and produces 12 million meters of linen a year.Â
50% of flax grown for fiber comes from only three different seed varieties. Each was bred to increase yield and resistance to disease and lodging (when the mature plant falls over before harvest) and is ideal for Western Europe’s soils.Â
SUMMARY
A majority of flax for fiber grows on small farms. The harvested fiber has a unique color, finesse, and quality that reflects each farmer’s inherited techniques and relationship with nature. The fiber then goes to giant processors that use water, labor, energy, and chemical intensive processes to homogenize the fibers’ color, finesse, and quality. Finally, they use even more water, labor, energy, and chemical intensive processes to transform it into copious colors, finesses, and qualities of linen fabrics.
NOTES
https://blog.libecohomestores.com/the-linen-craft/sowing-seeds-linen/
https://cfda.com/resources/materials/detail/flax-linen
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926669099000448
https://www.terredelin.com/
https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/flax-fibers/reporter/fra