Carbon-Positive Sheep and Fibershed

We came across this article in Fast Company today and were surprised to read about the role Fibershed played in introducing a California ranch to North Face. The global clothing manufacturer was interested in producing apparel a different way – and this partnership enables the ranch to "sequester large amounts of carbon as they raise sheep. In a year, Bare Ranch’s methods will sequester around 4,000 metric tons of CO2, offsetting the emissions from roughly 850 cars." 

“I like to think of the carbon farming and the climate beneficial work that we’re doing now as a change of thought,” says Lani Estill, rancher at Bare Ranch. “So instead of doing things normally–obviously, we’re raising sheep the same way that it’s been done for hundreds of years–we also think about the soil and the land when we’re making decisions.”

Fibershed, an organization that also focuses on regional textile production (growing and processing fibers near where they can be manufactured into clothing and eventually sold), reached out to the ranch as it researched California producers. Then the organization, with funding from California-based The North Face, helped the ranch develop a “carbon farming” plan.