OUR  STORY

First . . .  a  little history

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The Farm at Krystal Acres is a 50 acre family-run farm on scenic San Juan Island in Washington State. First developed as an alpaca farm back in 1996,  "Crescent Moon Alpaca Ranch" moved its operation to Central Oregon (where the Ranch continues to thrive, today) and the Olson family took over and renamed the property "Krystal Acres" in the early 2000's. The Olson's ran the farm for 18 years, breeding their alpacas to grow the herd, attending shows around the country, and winning many ribbons. They traveled to Peru to discover the origins of alpacas and meet producers of alpaca fiber as well as apparel makers. They stocked their country store with yarns and products made from their animals and milled in Canada, as well as buying from their Peruvian connections, supporting local artisans and crafts people working with the fiber there. In 2021, the Olson's retired from alpaca farming and the Brahic-Kusner family took over the stewardship of the land and the animals, lightly re-naming it "The Farm at Krystal Acres" .

The Kusner's are keen to be involved in their local "Fibershed", a push that seeks to return to a more localized and sustainable production of fiber a.k.a. the "slow fiber" movement. With a growing interest in mitigating the ecological harms of the textile industry, there is a desire to return to both natural and local fibers. Much like the last decade of farming has yielded a return to locally grown, sustainable food and knowing where your food comes from, the slow fiber movement has expanded on the concept to include knowing the origins of the fibers you put against your skin, and knowing how they were handled and processed in manufacturing. Joining the Climate Beneficial Fiber Pool, the local Agricultural Guild  and Conservation District have been the Kusner's first steps towards this goal. Operating the farm using regenerative agricultural practices such as rotational grazing, natural soil improvements and amendments, diversifying the flora, planting hedgerows and an orchard for bird and insect habitat and trees for shade, raising bees, and working with the Conservation District to reforest certain areas of the property as well as riparian restoration along its streams are all systems and practices being put into place to ensure that the farm flourishes for years to come. Other plans for the future are investing in solar power, a botanical dye flower garden and an educational program. Offering classes to teach the next generations about where textiles come from and how they are made, as well as the benefits of supporting local farming, fiber farming and regenerative agriculture are all important parts of improving the environment, and the outlook for our future.