![the rust belt the rust belt](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/itt-images/_1200x630_crop_center-center_82_none/rustbelt.jpeg)
We operate within a huge variety of microclimates in our area: The microclimates of the valleys and coastlines and plains and woods. The top-soil run-off, manure, herbicides, and more from fiber farms that use traditional farming practices runs into these watersheds. This means: all of the micro-plastics and dyes that comes off of our clothes in the washing machines accumulate in these bodies of water. We operate in both the Great Lakes and the Mississippi watersheds. We are operating on occupied indigenous territories of the Erie, Osage, Hopewell, Myaamia, Shawandasse, Kikaapoi, Odawa, Sauk, Anishinabewaki, Attiwondaeronk, Haundenosaunee, Wenrohronon, Susquehannock, Massawomeck, Calicuas, Moneton, Yuchi, Adena, Cherokee- East, Kiikaapoi, Peoria, and Meskwahiki-asa-hina people. The Rust Belt Fibershed often uses United States political boundaries to describe where we operate for the general public, but there are other ways to describe our place: Through this project, we hope to increase education of stewardship of our land and resources, foster friendship and creativity, and facilitate conversations that address the challenges of a localized fiber supply chain. The Rust Belt Rising Almanac is an anthology of snapshots and stories from writers and artists in Americas Rust Belt, featuring planting guides, profiles. We aspire to connect everyone in all parts of our local fiber system: farmers, fiber processors–from large mills to home spinners, weavers, dyers and fiber artists–to designers, shop owners, fiber enthusiasts, and all consumers of textiles. Although the rust belt refers mostly to the mid-west of the US, it can refer to any area which experienced a decline in heavy manufacturing industry around the. It is our goal to build a community that collaboratively supports locally grown textiles in a way that decrease consumption of fast fashion and works to restore soil health. Rust Belt Fibershed consists of 250 mile radius outside of Cleveland, Ohio including parts of Michigan, southern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and Western New York. We also educate consumers about the life-giving need and creative possibilities for a circular textile system. Once upon a time, the region between the Midwest and mid-Atlantic states, roughly from Wisconsin to New Jersey, enjoyed booming economic growth because of an abundance of coal, iron ore, and other important natural resources. I didn’t know when I started if this book could even happen, if I could find enough recipes to make a book, if I could find enough. What is the Rust Belt Michael Pollick States in the Mid-West and the East make up the Rust Belt. We are creating a collaborative network of regenerative fiber farmers, processors, and designers from the Rust Belt Region to explore the possibilities of working with the resources in our fibershed, in particular sheeps wool, alpaca, flax, and plant dyes, whose work demonstrates a commitment to creating a ‘soil to soil’ fashion and textile system. And that was the spark that led to Pangrace’s new collection of recipes, resources and stories, Rust Belt Vegan Kitchen, available December 1 from Belt Publishing.