UMD Land Lab Harvests Flax

DULUTH, Minn. – UMD students met at the Land Lab for flax harvesting as part of a new research project called Book of the North.

Dr. Krista Sue-Lo Twu, a professor of medieval studies at UMD, is leading the project. Dr.Twu is the recipient of the Imagine Chair Award, a $100,000 grant, which is funding the creation of a book.
The book will be crafted from natural resources in Duluth using pre-modern techniques. It will take two years and the collaboration of a medievalist, a chemist, a biologist, an engineer, a paper artist, a fiber artist, an ecologist, and the people of Minnesota.

“We started growing the flax in May, and it has about a 90-day growing cycle,” said Dr. Twu. “You can see it’s laid out for retting now, and that’s going to go until the middle of October, at which point we will, we’re going to break it and hackle it and get all the fibers out so that we can make paper.”

The large project offers students an opportunity to gain experience in creating a product out of what is naturally found around Duluth.

“It’s a really fun hands-on activity, and it’s a great way to get to know not only more about the environment, but as a class with nature writing, being able to contribute to a book and a product,” said Morgan James, UMD student.

According to experts, flax has been used for centuries to make clothing, tablecloths, oils, and, of course, paper.