The Long Way Homestead (LWH) Field School provides learning and mentorship in the field of regenerative fibre farming, sustainable textile production, natural dye systems and hands-on textile education. The field school will open in the Spring of 2021 at Long Way Homestead, Treaty 1 territory - the traditional lands of Anishinaabe, Dakota, Cree, Oji-Cree, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.
We acknowledge both the historical and present day context of settler colonialism and the impact that it has on indigenous communities across Canada. We acknowledge the impact of agriculture and land theft on indigenous communities, and believe that reconciliation must be at the forefront of any project or movement of regenerative and sustainable textile systems.
Vision
At Long Way Homestead we have tried to create a space that fosters learning, and further exploration of sustainable textile production. LWH Field School is a long-term, tangible fulfillment of that desire. We envision the field school will provide the following:
Year round learning and mentorship with a whole systems approach to textile production
hands on / experiential / mentor based pedagogy
innovative and practical alternatives to exploitative textile systems with a focus on climate justice
commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous people, focusing on resources and land
increased connection between producers and end users
to work as a demonstration farm/mill encouraging public access and education of textile systems
Meet our 2021 Field School instructors
A full list of instructors will be available March 2021
Field school Areas of Study
Accessibility to Field School
Physical Accessibility: We are working to make our facilities more accessible, here is what can be expected at the field school:
The driveway, walkways, dye studio and outdoor workshops spaces are a mix of grass and gravel with some bumpy terrain and accessible by wheelchair.
The outhouse, indoor studio space and wool mill all have one step access and not wheelchair accessible.
Financial Accessibility: We will be offering our courses and workshops on a sliding scale. A sliding scale is a tool used to increase economic justice and create broader accessibility to education and services. More details coming on how our sliding scale will work
Safe Space: A core value of Long Way Homestead is to provide a safe(r) space for our communities. We resist sexism, racism, homophobia, ableism, transphobia, colonization and all other forms of oppression. We are dedicated to addressing overt and subtle oppression in our business and farm and look to our broader communities to keep us accountable in our work.
Covid Precautions: We take the safety of all participants and instructors serious as we navigate the ongoing Covid-19 health situation. We will follow all Provincial health guidelines and reserve the right to cancel any in-person classes if the guidelines change. We keep class sizes small, and ensure there is enough space in our venues to keep participants safe. We will have hand washing available and hand sanitizer. Please wear a mask and do not attend if you have been experiencing any covid symptoms or have known exposure to a confirmed covid case.