PA Flax Project

We at the PA Flax Project are fortunate to say that we work with a lot of amazing farmers, so we wanted to brag on their behalf in a short series. This farmer highlight is about Melissa Smith!

Melissa Smith runs the Willow Creek Farm Preserve, which sells beautiful home-grown peonies as well as their own line of wool products made from their very own sheep. They make everything from high quality yarn to wet felted goods. Earlier in this growing season, we collaborated with her and her husband, Andrew, to add ~10 acres of organic fiber flax to their farm.

We will also be hosting our 2026 Flax Picnic at the Willow Creek Farm Preserve! Buy tickets to join us through the link in our bio.

Last year, the PA Flax Project and Schumacher teamed up for the first time to celebrate the flax to linen industry in this region.

This year, we’re doing it again, and you are invited! Enjoy a light lunch and refreshing beverage alongside growers, designers, gardeners, and fiber lovers near two 5 acre fields of flowering flax.

Buy tickets using the link below!
https://www.paflaxproject.com/2026flaxpicnic

Note that we have a rain date held for the following week, on Saturday, June 20th. However, only extreme weather will change the date. This event is tented except for a brief period of time next to the large flax field. Wear a raincoat and/or bring an umbrella if needed!

Are you curious about growing with the PA Flax Project? What about watching the flax crop go from straw to spinnable fiber in minutes? If any of that sounds good to you, join us at Steve Groff's farm on June 6th!

This will be a great opportunity to meet our interim Director of Agriculture, Sergei Konanykhin, who is joining us from Russia with 12 years of experience in the Russian flax industry.

It will also be a great opportunity for us to talk to you about the growth cycle, the industrial process of fiber flax, our plans for a mill, and the business case for farmers. Learn about the benefits of buying into our co-op and the markets for flax fiber and flax crop co-products.

Please dress appropriately for the outdoors (ie closed toed shoes, sunscreen, layers if needed, etc)

This event is FREE, but please RSVP so we know you are coming via the link below
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pa-flaxs-field-day-tickets-1987646138105?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Thank you, Bill! You will always be our first Director of Agriculture, and we wish you success on the next stage in your life.

And welcome Sergei! Sergei will be our interim Director of Agriculture for the next few months. He comes to us with 12 years of experience in the Russian flax industry. We are very excited to learn from each other.