Growing a Field of Natural Dyes with Salt of the North Dye Garden

Have you ever looked at certain flowers and wondered if there was more you could do with them then simply enjoy their beauty?

In this interview, I share Maddy Bartsch’s journey from tiny pots in their apartment, to a community garden plot, and all the way to growing their own dye garden. Salt of the North Dye Garden was born of Maddy’s desire to create sustainable dyes.  Like many small businesses, there are often practical limits to growth without a helping hand.  And then they met Theresa from Get Bentz farm in Northfield, MN. 

Theresa raises Icelandic sheep on her farm. Theresa also runs a mill on the property.  Like many farmers, she had plenty of space. She welcomed Maddy to grow a natural dye garden on her property. This has allowed Maddy to experiment with growing at scale, in ways that simply were not previously possible.  I had an opportunity to meet both Theresa and Maddy at the Yarnover 2024 event in Plymouth, MN run by the Minnesota Knitters Guild. It was a great opportunity to learn about this unique arrangement that is benefiting both businesses.   

In this interview, I talk with Maddy to learn about their history with natural dyes.  We also explore creating a natural dye CSA, and what is really needed to start growing natural dyes at scale. 

I encourage you to give Maddy’s story a listen to learn more about the interesting projects they are working on. Warning- you might find this to be a heartwarming story! 

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