new york state - cornell universitygoatdocs.ansci.cornell.edu/csgsymposium/prospects... · ny fiber...

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Prospects to Develop a Fibershed

Helen Trejo Professor Tasha Lewis, Fiber Science & Apparel Design

Professor Michael Thonney, Animal Science

New York State

Cornell Sheep & Goat Symposium October 2014

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Purpose

• Expand knowledge about local animal fiber infrastructure in New York

• Consider prospects for development with supportive infrastructure

• Determine how marketing strategies influence consumer perceptions of a local fiber product

Background: U.S. Shifts in Wool

(Van Wagenen, 1963; Smith, 1926; Pendleton Woolen Mills, 1971)

Sheep: 1840 Sheep: 1920

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Pendleton Woolen Mills – Oregon, US

– Alpaca Blanket Project – Wisconsin, US

Background: Textile Industry Interest

Background: Slow Fashion

• Ethics & Resourcefulness (Fletcher, 2010)

• Careful & Receptive (Honore, 2005)

Parallel ecosystems • Quality • Diversity • Long life cycles

-Janine Benyus (in Fletcher, 2008)

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Background: Slow Fashion

Soil to Skin: 150 Mile Wardrobe

–Rebecca Burgess, 2010

(Fibershed, 2011)

Background: Fibershed

• Textile resources available in “geographic landscape”

-Physical infrastructure -farms, mills, studios

(Fibershed, 2011)

Northern California Mendocino County Fibershed

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Northern California Fibershed

(Bieg, Burgess, Kahn, Axlerod, Kassan, DeLonge & Wendt, 2014)

(Bieg et al., 2014)

Estimated cost: $26 million, not feasible

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New York Physical

Infrastructure

New York Social Infrastructure

Washington County

Fiber Tour

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Research Study

PART 1

NY FIBER FARM

SURVEY

New York Fiber Farm Survey

• Fiber Resources • Marketing Strategies • Benefits • Challenges

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Demographics

• 67 respondents; 70% female (n=58)

• Full time: 62.7%; Part-time: 37.2% (n=59)

• Years of experience w/ fiber animals: 1 to over 20 years

Income earned from fiber farm (n=57)

Frequency Percent

Less than $10,000 37 64.9%

$10,000-$24,999 11 19.3%

$25,000-$49,000 5 8.8%

$50,000-$74,999 2 3.5%

$75,000 and over 2 3.5%

Total income respondents 57

NY Fiber Farm Survey

July to Aug 2013

1566

1222

334

47 31 0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

Sheep Alpacas Goats Rabbits Llamas

June to August 2013 Diversity of Fiber Animals!

Am

ou

nt

of

Fib

er A

nim

als


What fiber products do you sell?

Percentage (n=67)

Yarn 76%

Roving 73%

Clothing/ accessories 64%

Household textiles 50%

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How do you communicate info to customers? Percentage (n= 67)

Informative labels on products 53.7%

Direct conversations with customers (farm tours, fiber festivals)

68.7%

Internet (farm websites, blogs, Etsy.com, Facebook, Twitter)

55.2%


Marketing Individualization “I tell them how sweet angoras are,

and that the cashmeres are rascals.”

Laughing Goat Fiber Farm; Ithaca NY

Names, age, personality, photos


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“Suri Alpaca- This is currently a rare fleece to obtain – there are about 30 animals of this type in NY at this time. My stud’s fleece has won Champion at competition.”

Huacaya Alpaca Suri Alpaca


Marketing Heritage Story

“…Our yarns and most of our rovings are made here in this country by Salt City Fibers… or by A+ Fiber Mill

in Jordan [New York]… Salt City also does Alpaca/ wool blends… A+ can do blends very well, but she’s stellar

at doing heathered color mixing in alpaca, no one better, and I like to support both mills.”


Marketing Local Production

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Fingerlakes Woolen Mill Genoa NY

Hog Island Sheep Genoa NY

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Challenges in Marketing • Difficulty finding target market

• Extensive time & effort to market products

• Difficulty selling “tactile” fiber products online


“Some years having to work harder to sell product because of the economy and [W]almart selling those cheap non animal fiber or fake animal fiber items for 10 bucks when we need to sell sweaters for well over a hundred or even two. When all people are looking

at [is] price not the quality.”

Benefits


• Support sub-culture

• Interest in fibers, animals, sustainability, agriculture, farming

• Social & Community Development

• Fiber festivals, Fiber tours

• Agro-tourism & Public engagement

“Alpacas in the field stop traffic on the road. Visitors often come in for a tour of the farm. Because we also sell eggs, honey, and other farm products, our visitors often go home with more than just fiber products. Plus, the local school loves a fiber farm field trip. ”

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Research Study

PART 2

CONSUMER

SURVEY

LOHAS – Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability (Woolmark Company, 2014; Denend & Shiv, 2011; Pawson & Perkins, 2013; Peterson, Hustvedt & Chen, 2012)

•U.S. consumers

– Prefer US wool clothes at reasonable price from independent brands (Sneedon, Soutar & Lee, 2014)

– Preference for wool instead of acrylic, higher WTP produced in state (i.e. Texas vs. USA)

(Hustvedt, Carroll & Bernard, 2013)

– Preference for in-state wool, alpaca, mohair products (Peterson, Hustvedt & Chen, 2012)

PART 2 Consumer Survey

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Basic: Fiber content & Care


Designer: Wendy Bernard Interweave Knits 2008

Basic + Local: Pride of NY

Low Carbon Footprint

Basic + Fiber Animal: Photograph & anecdote

Marketing Condition 1

Basic: Fiber, Care


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Basic & Local:

Pride of NY, low carbon

footprint



Basic &

Fiber Animal: Photograph,

Anecdote

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Feb to May: 250 respondents

Age Final Study 1 (n=243)

18 to 24 17.6%

25 to 44 38.4%

45 to 59 24%

60 to 84+ 17.2%

Occupation Final Study (n= 240)

Undergraduate 14.2%

Graduate Student 11.3%

Faculty/ Staff 16.4%

Other: Professional 57.5%

Income Final Study (n=230)

Less than $10,000 16.4%

$10,000 to $24,999 12%

$25,000 to $49,999 21.2%

$50,000 to $74,999 17.2%

$75,000 and over 25.2%

Race Final Study (n= 242)

Caucasian 75.6%

African-American 3.2%

Native-American 0.8%

Latina 6.8%

Asian 7.2%

Inter-Racial 3.2%

ALL FEMALE PARTICIPANTS


• Product Personality Congruence α= 0.92

• User Image Congruence α= 0.94

• Product Evaluation α=0.91

• Product Attachment α=0.87

• Consumer Ethnocentricity α=0.92

• Local Fiber Attitude α=0.92

• Local Consumption α=0.87

(Govers & Schoormans, 2005; Mugge, Schifferstein, Schoormans, 2010; Hustvedt, Carroll & Bernard, 2013)

Existing Scales


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What personality characteristics would you give to this sweater?


Scale Name Mean SD

Product Personality Congruence

2.63 1.14

User Image Congruence 3.14 1.14

Product Evaluation 3.29 1.13

Product Attachment 3.85 0.67

Consumer Ethnocentricity

2.82 0.75

Local Consumption 3.86 0.58

Local Fiber Attitude 4.56 0.56

250 respondents


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• Univariate ANOVA analysis – (Hustvedt, Carroll & Bernard, 2010; Mugge, Schifferstein &

Schoormans, 2010)

– Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)


Hypotheses 1

The influence of marketing conditions on product evaluation is mediated by (a) product personality

congruence and (b) user image congruence.


Relationships not statistically significant

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Hypotheses 2 High consumer ethnocentricity (a),

preference for local consumption (b) and preference for local fibers (c) positively

influence product evaluation.



Hypothesis 3

The influence of marketing conditions on product attachment is mediated by the

presence of a memory scenario about the product.



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Discussion of Results

• Ravelry sample • More common to touch knitwear before purchase in a store

• Product Personality Congruence & Product Evaluation

• Low consumer ethnocentricity (mean= 2.82)

• Local Fiber Attitude (mean= 4.56)


Limitations

• Photograph bias • Color & personal preference • Limited availability of yarn at time needed

• Survey software formatting • Not realistic online shopping setting


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• New York

– Maker’s Row

– Manufacture NY

– “Made in America” lines – Eileen Fisher, Rag & Bone

– Exclusive work with animal fibers

• Farm2Fashion, Simply Natural Clothing, Where

Conclusions: Future of NY Fibershed

Conclusions

• Strong social & physical infrastructure in NY

• Limited connections between fiber farms, mills & NYC

• Community Based Apparel Value Chain

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Conclusions: Existing Fibersheds

(Fibershed, 2014)

Fibershed Brand Identity

Special Thanks!

• Professor Tasha Lewis, Professor Michael Thonney, Professor Charlotte Jirousek, Professor Huiju Park, Professor Terry Tucker

• FSAD cohort <3

• Kiko Nobusawa, Knitting Etc.

• Rebecca Burgess, artisans, fiber farmers

• Staff: Jay Barry, Francois Vermeylen, Keith Jenkins

• David Arellanes, Nidia Trejo

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Questions?

[email protected]

Key References

Bieg, A., Burgess, R., Kahn, D., Axlerod, E., Kassan, J., DeLonge, M., & Wendt, L. (2014). Fibershed feasibility study for a california wool mill. Fibershed.

DeLonge, M. (2014). Greenhouse gas costs and benefits from land-based textile production. Fibershed.

Fletcher, K. (2008). Sustainable fashion & textiles: Design journeys. London: Earthscan.

Fletcher, K., & Grose, L. (2012). Fashion & sustainability: Design for change. London: Laurence King Publishing.

Friend, C. (2011). Sheepish: Two women, fifty sheep, and enough wool to save the planet. Cambridge: De Capo Press.

Honore, C. (2004). In praise of slowness: How a worldwide movement is challenging the cult of speed. New York: Harper Collins.

Jorrin, S. (2013). The improbable shepherd: More stories from Sylvia's farm. Hobart: Hatherleigh Press.

Joy, A., Sherry, J., Venkatesh, A., Wang, J., & Chan, R. (2012). Fast fashion, sustainability, and the ethical appeal of luxury brands. Fashion Theory, 16(3), 273-296.

Parry, B. (2013). Adventures in yarn farming: Four seasons on a new england fiber farm. Boston: Roost Books.

Peterson, H., Hustvedt, G., & Chen, Y. (2012). Consumer preferences for sustainable wool products in the united states. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 30(1), 35-50.

Tapper, J., & Zucker, G. (2008). Shear spirit: Ten fiber farms, twenty patterns, and miles of yarn. New York: Potter Craft.

Van Wagenen, J. (1963). The golden age of homespun. New York: Hill and Wang.

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