And so, the 2026 linen flax season ends with two plots put to bed
Gale Woods Farm Crop
To conclude the seed-rippling details, we ended up with about six pounds of Avian variety linen flax seeds after winnowing! Since we sowed about 2 pounds, that is a nice increase in seed yield for future use.
The Gale Woods flax stalks retted in seven days at an ambient greenhouse temperature of about 80 degrees.
We pulled the stalks out of the tanks, laid them on greenhouse racks, and rinsed them while they lay on the racks. The drying time was longer than last year, probably because the humidity was quite high in the greenhouse since its plastic cover had recently been replaced, but not the rollers that allowed the cover to vent. I was concerned about mildew forming on the stalks, so fans were turned on to circulate the air, and the stalks were turned every day. After a week, the stalks were finally dry!
A couple of interest groups came by to experience the next steps: mechanically breaking and processing the stalks into fiber. One group was a video team from Greener Pastures, Three Rivers Fibershed, and the Living Lineage: Linen in Scandinavian Folk Art and Modern Innovation artist project, who filmed me demonstrating the mechanical processing. The second group was part of a Three Rivers Park employee development day, where they spent a day learning about the farm’s activities.
About 20 staff learned how to process the stalks into fiber, and we ended up with a good amount of fiber to use in upcoming park programs! Many hands make the work light!
Next, we'll use the stalks in demonstrations I will be performing at the park district’s fall festival on the farm on Oct 3 and 4, and at a flax processing workshop I will be leading at Gale Woods Farm on Oct 24th. Consider signing up for that workshop soon! Space is limited!
My Crop from Riverbend Farm
My personal Avian variety linen flax crop has also concluded!
I ended up threshing the seed capsules by stepping on them, which both crushed the capsules and released the seeds. I mainly chose this method because I had nerve pain in one shoulder, and pulling the stalks through a rake or tine hackle just wasn't going to be comfortable for me. It was a fairly efficient way to release the seeds, although I think it left more debris behind that I will need to winnow out. I still need to complete the winnowing process, so the total yield in pounds remains unknown.
I started retting my personal plot flax stalks on August 28th.
Because I have smaller cattle tanks, I used a series of four retting vats to complete retting on all stalks. The tanks fit in my driveway—the only space on my property with more direct sunlight. The total retting time was five days, although I thought I pulled these stalks a day too early. However, after drying them, they seemed OK. It is always hard to tell the exact timing on the ret! I suspect that since the weather was warm during this period and my tanks are smaller and made of a black poly material, they retted faster than the tanks at Gale Woods. Or perhaps being out in the open environment, with rainfall and more organic matter falling into the tank, gave the ret bacteria more oomph to break down the stalks? Another factor for the faster ret may be the fact I used garden pots that weren't completely clean as weights to hold down the stalks in the tanks. I have recently read that introducing some organic matter to the retting tanks helps the anaerobic bacteria multiply. Maybe...?
After retting, I rinsed the stalks and used a mash-up of clothes drying racks and a ladder as drying surfaces. The ladder worked very well since it allowed more air circulation around the stalks.
I have since packed up the stalks and stored them indoors and will be taking a few bags for my audience to enjoy at my keynote talk and flax processing demonstration at the upcoming annual Midwest Weavers Federation conference (October 2nd in Alexandria, Minnesota).
To Conclude This Year of Growing
What a crazy busy linen flax growing year this has been! I must admit, I am physically ready for a rest. The quieter days of winter will be a blessing for this exhausted body! I can feel why crop farmers are happy to have a winter break!
I hope to take time during the indoor season to spin and weave more linen, and I will continue to share the results of that here.
Thanks for following me during this 2026 linen flax season! I hope you enjoyed the journey!
