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Dear John,
When we think about farming, our minds usually go straight to food. But the clothes we wear also started in a field. From cotton to wool, leather to linen, textiles are agricultural products and I’m excited to announce a new collection of Farm Aid merch, in partnership with US family farmers.
A few weeks ago, I called up Judie and Greg Sage. Back in the ‘80s, they loaded 10 sheep in a Dodge van to bring home to a beautiful piece of land in Wisconsin they named Hickory Hills Farm. They started breeding Rambouillet sheep specifically for fine wool. Decades later, their herd is over 100 ewes and they are working on transitioning the farm to a neighbor for expansion. Check out this awesome video of their sheep shearing process!
“Garment manufacturing used to be a decent income for people,” says Greg. “We have none of that anymore, and so farmers had nowhere to go with the fiber. The price of wool clothing did not decrease, but the farmer got no part of it. Now, some people are developing the market again. People are interested in more quality things than what you can get at Walmart. Our wool is so fine and soft, I can wear it directly on my skin.”
The Farm Aid winter ‘26 collection features a wool hat from the sheep on Hickory Hills Farm, plus other quality items that are hand-selected for their direct connection to family farmers. These are limited edition items that focus on supporting farmers and artists in our Farm Aid 40 festival region. Enjoy!
Anna Mulè
Business & Marketing Director
Farm Aid
The Limited Edition Winter Merch Collection
Flower Dye Kit
This year at Farm Aid 40, the HOMEGROWN Village sounded like a workshop, thanks to the very popular flower pounding station in the Skills Tent. Now you get to bring natural dyeing to your own home, thanks to farmer Maddy Bartsch.
Cozy Wool Hat
Get cozy with this hand-cranked double knit wool hat, made with love in Minnesota from Get Bentz Mill and Broken Unicorn Crafts, with wool from sheep across the border in Wisconsin at Hickory Hills Farm.
Farm Aid 40 Knit Hat Kit
The Farm Aid Hat is a simple colorwork pattern featuring the Farm Aid 40 logo with a nod to the style of the 1980s when Farm Aid was founded. This hat pattern rocks vintage vibes with a wide fold-over brim and hand-crafted pom that sits atop stacked stripes. Each bundle of yarn includes a pattern download code.
Regenerative Leather Wallet
This beautiful leather wallet has nine pockets, but is slim enough to slip into your back pocket. The leather comes from cattle raised by family farmers with regenerative agricultural practices that are better for the animals, people and the planet. The entire production process stayed within Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Sunburst Farm Aid tee
This super soft organic cotton t-shirt features the beloved Farm Aid logo. The cotton in this shirt was grown in Texas by the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Collective. It was spun, knit, finished and dyed in the Carolinas, sewn in Pennsylvania, and decorated in Rhode Island with union workers.
Farm Aid Ceramic Mug
Pour yourself a hot beverage and wrap your hands around this beautiful, hand-crafted ceramic mug from Grey Fox Pottery, made in Minneapolis from American clay.
“Farms Not Factories” Shepard Fairey tote
Since the beginning, Farm Aid has stood against corporate consolidation and in fierce support of US family farmers. We collaborated with renowned artist Shepard Fairey this year to develop a beautiful piece that celebrates Farm Aid’s 40th anniversary — now available as a tote bag, made with 100% organic American cotton.
