Nadia Bunyan of Growing A.R.C. on how cultivating community led to the collective cultivation of the flax plant for linen

<p class="" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">In episode 280, Kestrel welcomes Nadia Bunyan, a fashion designer & the cofounder of Growing A.R.C., to the show. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/growing.arc/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Growing A.R.C.</a> is a nonprofit that creates spaces and opportunities for people to activate, reciprocate and cultivate their relationships with all beings. Through plants, material culture, and bioregional design, they are engaging in a conversation on sustainability through active participation.</p> <p class="" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">What started as an experiment – tossing some flax seeds into the ground in the backyard, has now led to the creation of a community-oriented nonprofit, that’s using the concept of farm to closet to shift peoples’ mindset on consumption; reinforcing their connection to the local environment and expanding their understanding of <strong><em>biodiversity</em></strong> to include the diversity of human perspectives, and experiences from diverse communities (because while we are trained otherwise, yes – we, humans, are also a part of nature).</p> <p class="">Nadia gives us an education on the need to try new things, to jump in without the fear of making mistakes, and to embrace those so-called *failures* along the way. As she tells us, “No expert becomes an expert without first having tried something.”</p> <p class="">With over 20 years of experience working as a fashion designer, she started growing flax – has now harvested it with other collaborators, and is working toward spinning and weaving it into linen fabric. </p> <p class="">Such a reminder that there is so much beauty that can be found through the act of stepping outside of your comfort zone and opening yourself up to learning new things.</p> <p class="" data-pm-slice="1 3 []">Quotes & links from the conversation:</p> <ul data-rte-list="default"> <li> <p class="">“You can plant, you can craft, you can knit, you can do what have you. But we’re around each other and in those moments, we’re talking