Three Rivers Fibershed Board

 
 
Andrea Seifert (she/her)Regional Outreach CoordinatorAndrea Seifert and her husband Mike own a small sheep farm near Centuria, Wisconsin. While their three kids were growing up, they had a few sheep as a family hobby and loved the excitement of the …

Andrea Seifert (she/her)

Volunteer Director

Andrea Seifert and her husband Mike own a small sheep farm near Centuria, Wisconsin. While their three kids were growing up, they had a few sheep as a family hobby and loved the excitement of the spring lambs. A few years ago, Andrea began to focus on the wool and has now expanded to a herd of sixteen. Her goal is to raise healthy and happy Shetland sheep producing natural color fine fleece wool.

She has been a knitter for many years but is always striving to improve her fiber skills. She is currently learning to weave on a rigid heddle loom, an interest accomplished with a class through the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Andrea retired from her Public Health career in February of 2020. She is happy to have the opportunity to volunteer with The Three Rivers Fibershed and is ready to serve the community in a different aspect. She looks forward to meeting more of her fiber neighbors and to learn of their experiences, interests, ideas and needs for the fiber world.

Andrea can be reached at regionaloutreach@threeriversfibershed.org

 
Rachel Schindler (she/her)Grants and Program Coordinator After growing up on a dairy farm in north central Wisconsin, Rachel spent time working for a variety of non-profit organizations around the country, most recently in Washington State with a fa…

Rachel Schindler (she/her)

Grants and Program Director

After growing up on a dairy farm in north central Wisconsin, Rachel spent time working for a variety of non-profit organizations around the country, most recently in Washington State with a farm incubator program that trained and supported new organic farmers just south of Seattle. It was there that she found herself feeling at home in the world of sustainable agriculture education and advocacy. In 2020 she graduated with her MS in Agroecology from UW-Madison where she studied training and land access programs for new farmers. As a long-time crafter with skills learned from her grandmothers and mother, Rachel is excited to bring together her agroecology background and skills with her love for fiber craft while volunteering with Three Rivers Fibershed. Rachel can usually be found hand-quilting, working with wool, or growing plants.

Rachel can be reached at programs@threeriversfibershed.org

Instagram

 
Jane Hansen (she/her)Steward Outreach DirectorJane Hansen is passionate about sustainable and regenerative agriculture and the environment. What started as a love of knitting led her to learning to spin and finally to raising the wool herself. She began keeping sheep on her farm in Ogema, WI in 2009 and got her foundation flock of Coopworth sheep in 2012. In addition to the Coopworth breeding stock, she keeps a trio of Romeldale/CVM wethers. Jane loves that agriculture and specifically raising sheep for wool is a pursuit that involves constant learning. She works tirelessly to improve her pastures, flock health, wool quality and her business skills as well. Jane received an education in Architecture and worked as a construction manager. She finds that translates nicely to the problem solving skills needed on the farm. She also worked for a decade as the coordinator of the Wisconsin Local Food Network and through that work, she discovered that her forte is connecting people. When Jane discovered Three Rivers Fibershed, and became a member in 2017, she knew she had found a fiber home. The vision and mission of Three Rivers Fibershed to develop regional fiber systems that build soil health and protect the wellbeing of our biosphere right here in our little corner of the world aligns perfectly with her own philosophy. Jane strives to help the members of Three Rivers Fibershed connect with one another and with customers for their beautiful locally produced and processed fiber and also to continually improve the wellbeing of the land and their flocks.Jane can be reached at autumnlarch@gmail.comInstagram

Jane Hansen (she/her)

Steward Outreach Director

Jane Hansen is passionate about sustainable and regenerative agriculture and the environment. What started as a love of knitting led her to learning to spin and finally to raising the wool herself. She began keeping sheep on her farm in Ogema, WI in 2009 and got her foundation flock of Coopworth sheep in 2012. In addition to the Coopworth breeding stock, she keeps a trio of Romeldale/CVM wethers. Jane loves that agriculture and specifically raising sheep for wool is a pursuit that involves constant learning. She works tirelessly to improve her pastures, flock health, wool quality and her business skills as well. Jane received an education in Architecture and worked as a construction manager. She finds that translates nicely to the problem solving skills needed on the farm. She also worked for a decade as the coordinator of the Wisconsin Local Food Network and through that work, she discovered that her forte is connecting people. When Jane discovered Three Rivers Fibershed, and became a member in 2017, she knew she had found a fiber home. The vision and mission of Three Rivers Fibershed to develop regional fiber systems that build soil health and protect the wellbeing of our biosphere right here in our little corner of the world aligns perfectly with her own philosophy. Jane strives to help the members of Three Rivers Fibershed connect with one another and with customers for their beautiful locally produced and processed fiber and also to continually improve the wellbeing of the land and their flocks.

Jane can be reached at stewardoutreach@threeriversfibershed.org

Instagram

 
Renee Obrecht-Como (she/her)Secretary and Co-Director of Grant DevelopmentRenee advocates for socially just climate solutions and decentralized regenerative fiber and food systems. She was trained in 2020 as a volunteer Climate Reality Project Leade…

Renee Obrecht-Como (she/her)

Secretary and Co-Director of Fundraising Development

Renee advocates for socially just climate solutions and decentralized regenerative fiber and food systems. She was trained in 2020 as a volunteer Climate Reality Project Leader, and she focuses on how fiber and food systems can contribute to social, economic and environmental justice while mitigating the climate crisis. Her creative practice focuses on the fiber arts of spinning, weaving, and knitting. Her household includes two beloved rescue rabbits, an Angora mix and a Jersey Wooly, who get caught up in her fibery pursuits. Renee enjoys sharing her passions through presentations, outreach, and craft demonstrations. She also brings professional skills with grants and program management to her work with Three Rivers Fibershed.

Renee can be reached at secretary@threeriversfibershed.org

Instagram

 
Maddy Bartsch (she/they)Co-PresidentMaddy Bartsch is an artist, educator and organizer of decentralized textile economies based in Minneapolis. She is a co-founder of the Three Rivers Fibershed and recently finished a 3-year term as President of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Maddy's previous experience includes project management for the Minnesota Hemp Wool Project and the Three Rivers Fibershed Regional Fiber Sourcebook, as a research assistant for the National Mill Inventory Survey, as a Farm Educator at Gale Woods Farm and as a Yarn Incubator. In addition to fiber systems, Maddy's work includes tackling food systems (a "sister" to fiber systems) as a member of the Food Fighters Project and as the Social Media and Community Outreach Manager for the Cannon River chapter of the Sustainable Farming Association. Maddy recently began a plant-based dye business, Salt of the North Dyes, to provide accessible local color to all. Maddy speaks on the topic of local fiber systems and sustainable textiles and teaches fiber arts classes to learners of all ages throughout the Midwest. She can be found most summer days, in her gardens tending to her dye plants.Maddy can be reached at saltofthenorth@gmail.comInstagram

Maddy Bartsch (they/them)

President and Director of Community Outreach

Maddy Bartsch is a farmer, educator and organizer of decentralized textile economies based in Minneapolis. Maddy has helped a broad range of clients navigate local textile economies through projects like the Minnesota Hemp Wool Project, the TRF Regional Fiber Sourcebook, the National Mill Inventory Survey, and as a Yarn Incubator for Fibershed. In addition to fiber systems, Maddy’s work includes tackling food systems as the Community Connector for the Cannon River chapter of the Sustainable Farming Association. More recently, Maddy received a Farmer-Rancher SARE grant which has enabled them to focus on 2 years of research around building a natural dye cooperative in the midwest. Maddy is co-founder and co-president of the Three Rivers Fibershed and teaches and speaks on the topic of local fiber systems and sustainable textiles to learners of all ages throughout the Midwest.

Maddy can be reached at hello@threeriversfibershed.org

Instagram

 

Cerissa Stockton

Regional Outreach Coordinator (NW Wisconsin)

Cerissa can be reached at
regionaloutreachnorth@threeriversfibershed.org

Instagram

 

join our board of directors

Three Rivers Fibershed relies on a small but mighty board of directors to oversee and conduct the work for all aspects of our growing non-profit organization. Our board is made up of shepherds, fiber enthusiasts, and individuals with professional skills and a desire to support and grow our organization. The board of directors is entirely volunteer run and acts through consensus decision making. We currently meet monthly on the second Monday of each month from 6:00-7:30 pm (Central Time).

We are currently seeking to fill the following positions on our board of directors:

If you are curious about getting more involved with Three Rivers Fibershed but are unsure if joining our board of directors is right for you, please reach out to us at hello@threeriversfibershed.org. We would love to talk with you more about our open positions and opportunities for involvement.