High Desert Utah Fibershed

08/18/2026

Protect Your Waterways While You Train 🌊🌱
Your summer running gear might be delivering stretch, but what is it leaving behind in our oceans?

Every single time a 5kg load of synthetic polyester activewear is washed, it can shed up to six million plastic microfibers directly into our water systems.

Wool activewear offers a powerful, high-performance alternative that respects the planet:
✅ 100% Biodegradable: While wool fibres naturally shed over time too, wool is a natural protein (similar to your hair).
✅ Zero Plastic Pollution: It breaks down safely in the environment instead of persisting for centuries as plastic waste.

You don't have to compromise on athletic performance to make a responsible choice for the planet.

08/18/2026

🐑 Navajo Churro Sheep Association Annual Meeting Coming to Mount Pleasant

The Navajo Churro Sheep Association invites the public to attend its Annual Meeting, October 15–17, 2026, at Contoy Arena in Mount Pleasant, Utah. Admission is FREE, and families are welcome!

Visitors can enjoy sheep shows and classes, fiber workshops, vendors, and family-friendly activities while learning about one of North America's oldest heritage sheep breeds. The event brings together shepherds, fiber artists, ranchers, historians, and heritage enthusiasts from across the western United States.

The Association is also encouraging the next generation of shepherds through its Youth Flock Program. A sheep will be awarded to selected youth ages 12–16 who are committed to beginning their own flock. An application is required. For information, text Dixie or call (435) 851-7300.

📅 Event Details
Dates: October 15–17, 2026
📍 Location: Contoy Arena, Mount Pleasant, Utah
🎟️ Admission: FREE

Please help spread the word and join us for this unique celebration of agriculture, heritage, and community!

08/11/2026

08/11/2026

The Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Idaho has been nominated for Best Fall Festival, as part of USA TODAY 10BEST’s Readers’ Choice Awards. The iconic festival was selected as one of 20 nominees by USA TODAY editors, along with a panel of travel experts.

Over the next four weeks, USA TODAY 10BEST readers will be voting on their favorites, once per day, until ballots close on Monday, September 7th at 11:59am EDT. The top 10 winners, as ranked by USA TODAY 10BEST readers, will be announced on Wednesday, September 16th at noon EDT.

Readers can cast their votes for Trailing of the Sheep Festival at https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/trailing-of-sheep-festival-hailey-idaho/

A person may vote online once per day for the run of the contest.

08/11/2026

The Summer Cool-Down Secret 🏃‍♂️☀️
Think wool is only for winter? Think again.

If you are training under the summer sun, your activewear has to do more than just manage sweat while you move. It also needs to protect you when you stop.

Unlike synthetic alternatives, wool responds dynamically to your body temperature. Wool utilizes a natural process called the "heat of sorption", releasing a small amount of heat as it absorbs moisture vapour.

➡️ The Benefit: When you stop between intervals, hit a rest set, or begin your cool down, wool buffers sudden temperature drops so you don't get chilled by a sweaty shirt.
➡️ The Movement: When your workout intensifies, its high breathability lets excess heat and moisture escape easily.

Switch to natural thermoregulation, choose wool!

08/11/2026

The Southwest goes to East Coast....

This year the Festival will host a 3-day traditional Navajo Twill Weaving class Mon-Wed prior to our event. We welcome Navajo shepherd and weaver, Nikyle Begay who will lead this class and will also join us at the Festival for talks and demos on shepherding, shearing and weaving.

Visit our website to register for the weaving class: https://vtsheepandwoolfest.com/product/navajo-twill-weaving/

08/08/2026

Today!! And not just for fiber artists—wool is great for gardeners, too. 3-5” mulch will reduce water consumption by 30%, suppress weeds better than landscape fabric, and slowly biodegrade while feeding nutrients to your soil.

08/05/2026

The water thief of the Great Salt Lake: an invasive plant called Phragmites.

At the Solutions Exchange, Keith Hambrecht of Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands explained how this tall, non-native grass has taken over thousands of acres of wetlands — blocking water flow to the lake, drying out habitat, and pulling far more water through evapotranspiration than native plants do. Preliminary estimates suggest removing it could save as much as 82,000 acre-feet of water a year for Great Salt Lake.

The good news: it’s working. After years of treatment, Phragmites cover on Utah Lake has dropped by 88%, and a restoration project at Farmington Bay has brought back open water, native plants, and bird life to an area once completely overrun.

Watch the full talk from the Solutions Exchange, co-hosted by the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office and Great Salt Lake Alliance: Link in comments