ORFC Session: Rediscovering the flax fibre industry in Scotland

The Fibre Flax Field Lab was the focus of a panel discussion at Oxford Real Farming Conference, chaired by IF Manager Rebecca Swinn and featured field lab coordinator Colleen McCulloch, trial farmer Lisa Houston and project partner Rosie Bristow of Fantasy Fibre Mill.

The panellists talked about their experience of the trial so far, and their motivation for joining the IF project which is part of a wider effort to establish a regenerative bast fibre (plant based) textile economy in Scotland.

80% of the world’s flax crop is bred for and grown in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, so there is little contemporary research available on growing modern varieties in UK soil types and climates. The trial compared the performance of 3 new flax varieties in a range of conditions, measured by crop yield and height (which informs fibre length).

One variety did better than the others, but the results from 2023 were variable. Therefore the trial will be scaled up in 2024 in response to the growing awareness that flax has the potential to provide a UK grown, biodegradable textile which is beneficial for nature-friendly farming.  Find out more on the field lab web page.