Community-based and regenerative work by the "Linho a Fio" project is already beginning to bear fruit

From harvesting to scutching, from soaking to drying: these were the stages that followed sowing in the linen cultivation cycle, which involves many steps. As part of the revival of linen cultivation, which the "Linho a Fio" project has been promoting in the Serra da Estrela region, between late July and mid-August, a regenerative group – which is now beginning to grow – rolled up their sleeves to embark on a shared journey of learning and discovery about the cultivation of this age-old plant.

The harvest: picking what the earth has to offer

For 60 days after sowing, which took place between April and June, the plant was allowed to develop naturally. Shortly before the linen was ready to release its offspring, open its capsules and scatter its seeds, the harvest took place, involving the careful, manual uprooting of the entire plant (including the root).

The ‘Linho a Fio’ project is revitalising the biosocial culture of linen in the Serra da Estrela region. Photo: Palombar.
 

The harvest was carried out manually and as a community effort. Photo: Palombar.

Stripping and soaking, separating the fibres

Usually on the very day of the harvest, in a convivial and communal atmosphere, the following steps are carried out to prepare the linen fibres. The process began with stripping, which involves separating the capsules (spherical structures containing the seeds) from the rest of the plant. This was followed by soaking: the bundles of linen were submerged in the icy waters of a mountain stream. Immersion initiates the decomposition of the plant matter surrounding the fibre, through a natural process that facilitates its subsequent separation.

The duration of the soaking depends on local conditions, particularly the water temperature, and can last for one or two weeks.

Stripping allows the pods to be separated from the rest of the plant. Photo: Palombar.

Sinking is a natural process that ensures the removal of plant matter surrounding the fibre. Photo: Palombar.

Drying: you need to read between the lines

When the fibre begins to separate from the rest of the plant material and the first fine filaments become visible, it is time to remove the linen from the water and begin drying it.
This is yet another stage in which practical knowledge plays a key role. There is no single, rigid timetable to follow: one must observe the raw material, sense how it is developing and understand how the linen responds to environmental conditions.

The fibre is beginning to take shape. Photo: Palombar.

Learning the ins and outs of linen (and when to apply them)

The processes described may seem simple, but they require learning, observation and practice. The right time to harvest, strip, soak or remove the linen from the water depends on the characteristics of the plant and the specific conditions of each area.

In the past, this knowledge was part of rural community life and was passed down naturally from generation to generation. It was common to find people who could recognise the right moment by the plant’s appearance, the texture of the fibre, the water temperature or simply through experience accumulated over many years.

Today, this chain of transmission has been broken in many areas. Reviving linen therefore means much more than simply sowing a crop that has almost disappeared. It means reviving gestures, words, knowledge and relationships that have been part of community life for centuries.

We have once again started growing a crop that had almost disappeared. Photo: Palombar.

That is why, at "Linho a Fio", the process is, at its core, a community-based one. We learn by doing, experimenting, asking questions and sharing what each person knows. Every stage of the cycle is an opportunity to revive knowledge that was fading away and, at the same time, to forge new links between people and the local area.

European Day of Sustainable Communities – celebrate with us!

The work carried out during this growing cycle shows that reviving linen also means rebuilding a community based on learning and collaboration. It is in this spirit that the "Linho a Fio" project is joining in with European Sustainable Communities Day. To mark this occasion, the project is organising a local event on 26 September dedicated to landscape regeneration, which will take place at Curral do Negro, in Gouveia, in the Serra da Estrela region.

We want to rebuild a community based on learning and collaboration. Photo: Palombar.

The event will begin with a session dedicated to the "Linho a Fio" community – everyone who has taken part in or shown an interest in joining the linen cultivation and processing movement – during which concrete ways of supporting production and knowledge-sharing will be discussed and agreed upon. Subsequently, the whole community will be invited to take part in a discussion on regional strategies that can enhance the region’s social, environmental and economic sustainability. You can now register using this form.

The regeneration of the Serra da Estrela is built on knowledge and hard work, but also on sharing, socialising, culture and relationships.
Because reviving linen is not just about bringing a plant back to life. It is about restoring the thread that connects the land, knowledge and people.