Press Releases

On Tuesday, Maine First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a longtime farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee, visited Meadowcroft Farm in Washington for a hands-on look at the small-scale sheep farm and wool-processing operation. Following the farm tour, Pingree held a roundtable discussion at the Evening Star Grange, where she heard directly from Maine fiber producers and agricultural stakeholders about challenges facing the industry—and opportunities to strengthen fiber production and processing in Maine and across the United States.

“Right now, 70 percent of our clothing is made from fossil fuels. Congress must invest in the farmers who are working to change that. Maine’s fiber producers are raising the sheep, spinning the yarn, and building a more sustainable textile economy from the ground up. But they need processing infrastructure and federal resources to help their businesses grow,” said Pingree. “I’m grateful to all the producers and state leaders who shared their experiences. Their voices are helping shape federal legislation to support the farmers who grow our fiber as strongly as we support those who grow our food.”

Farmers and state leaders joining Pingree for the roundtable included: Emily Horton, Director of Policy and Community Engagement for Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry; Bill Pluecker, Public Policy Organizer for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association; Becky Bartovics, of Cider Hill Farm; Pat Harpell, Maine Fibershed Co-founder and Board Chair; Steph Grant, of Hawthorn and Thistle Farmstead; Nanne Kennedy, Meadowcroft Farm/Seacolors Yarnery; Teresa Cohn, Professor of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of New Hampshire; Lindsey Rice, Chief Operating Officer of Bartlett Yarns; and Stacy Brenner, President and CEO of Maine Farmland Trust.

Background

Pingree is a longtime organic farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee and is Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee. She is also the founder and chair of the Slow Fashion Caucus, the first-ever coordinated effort in Congress to create climate-smart policies to reduce, repair, rewear, and recycle textiles. 

In September, Pingree introduced the Textile Waste Reduction Act (TWRA), a first-of-its-kind bill to address the harmful impacts of fast fashion-driven waste. Based on recommendations made in the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on fast fashion pollution—originally requested by Pingree and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in 2023—this landmark legislation establishes the first coordinated federal framework to reduce textile waste, improve data collection, and develop a national strategy to advance circularity in the textile industry.

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