Wesson Radomsky dries indigo
Wesson Radomsky’s earliest memories are shaped by two things: agriculture and textile art.
Radomsky grew up on a farm in Elizabethville, caring for the animals on the property and occasionally helping out on neighboring dairy farms.
“There are many ways you can help on a farm and that’s what I did,” they recall.
When he wasn’t working on the farm, Radomsky experimented with textile art, inspired by grandmothers who were enthusiastic artists themselves. Later, Radomsky attended HACC and then Georgetown University, staying in Washington, DC for 12 years to work in higher education.
“It was a fascinating job, but I was pretty burned out during the pandemic,” they said. “I left in 2021 and made a major fresh start in my life.”
Radomsky returned to the farm and began planting the first crop of dye plants at Berry Mountain Color Farm. Through self-study and trial and error, Radomsky made a breakthrough and developed practices and routines that resulted in luminous fibers that he could share with the local artist community.
“It was just incredible,” they said. “I loved it so much that I wanted to do it all the time and share it with others.”
Community release
From July to September, the annual and perennial dye plants at Berry Mountain Color Farm are in full bloom and packed with their brightest pigments. These months are the busiest for Radomsky, as he harvests and processes plants such as Japanese indigo, goldenrod, marigolds, sunflowers, and many others.
“I harvest every day, using every bit of daylight I have as best I can so nothing goes to waste,” they said. “Then I dye with the fresh dyes I have just harvested from the fields, and then I also dry any leftover flowers or leaves.”
For a small farm like Berry Mountain Color Farm, raising money early in the season to support the labor needed to plant, harvest and produce fiber is critical. So Radomsky founded Berry Mountain Color Farm as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a model that allows customers to purchase produce from farmers before a crop is harvested, animals are slaughtered or, in Berry Mountain Color Farm’s case, fiber is dyed.
Once a year, Berry Mountain hosts a collection day to distribute fiber to members. Radomsky operates on a CSA model and tries to budget their resources and make sure they have steady customers before production so the plants, dyes and fiber are not wasted.
“I want there to be a sense that there is a community connected to this farm,” Radomsky said. “This is not something I want to do in a vacuum. It’s something I want to invite people to and share with them.”
Despite the challenges of running a small farm — securing funding, lots of work and making ends meet — Radomsky has found joy in the variety, as well as the rich community that has formed around local textile arts. In particular, Radomsky praised the support of Andrea Grove, founder of Elementary Coffee Co. in Harrisburg.
“Andrea’s early and enthusiastic support was critical,” said Radomsky. “Elementary Coffee Co. gave Berry Mountain Color Farm a home in Harrisburg, helped me reach a wider audience, and gave me a sense of community and support that was critical to sustaining this work.”
After meeting Radomsky at the cafe, Grove wanted to help spread the word about Berry Mountain Color Farm by becoming a pickup location for CSA distributions.
“The more we as people can encourage other people to do great things, the better off everyone is and, I think, the more growth we can see in a society, hopefully for the better,” Grove said. “It’s really hard for small businesses to really get the attention they need and deserve for what they do.”
Such a gift
Frankie Laird saw a flyer for Berry Mountain while working as a barista in elementary school. Laird had been a textile artist since high school and was interested in using locally dyed fibers for knitting projects.
“I signed up through a mailing list that was on a flyer and was allowed to choose from two different types of yarn,” Laird said. “I got this beautiful bag with all these beautiful oranges and color variations… It really helped me feel a little more connected since I’m working with yarn that came from someone’s garden.”
In addition to Elementary Coffee, CSA members can pick up their annual share at Radomsky’s homegrown yarn store, Humble Stitch, in Newport and at Dickinson College Farm in Boiling Springs.
As Berry Mountain Color Farm develops, Radomsky hopes to provide educational opportunities by leading dyeing workshops and providing numerous entry points where people can be exposed to natural colors.
“Engaging with natural dyes can enrich people’s creative lives in many ways, so creating a place where people can come to the farm, touch the dye plants and really immerse themselves in them seems very powerful and fulfilling,” Radomsky said.
Recently, Berry Mountain Color Farm was selected to participate in Pasa Sustainable Agriculture’s Climate-Smart Farming & Marketing program, a pilot program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program provides funding and support to farmers who implement regenerative practices and support programs that are considered climate-smart.
“Working with Wesson has been a really creative process,” said Delaney McKinney, technical assistant for the Pasa program. “They have a really big vision that is becoming more and more tangible as we integrate these practices into different areas of their farm.”
From workshops and new products to selling at markets and stores, Radomsky has a big vision for what Berry Mountain Color Farm could become. Regardless, they’ve chosen to prioritize sustainable growth at a pace that supports their well-being despite the intensity of a farming career.
“The most fulfilling thing is that slowing down and paying attention has grounded me and opened my eyes to beauty and joy (and) things I wouldn’t have paid attention to before,” Radomsky said. “Slowing down has given me space to center wonder, beauty and joy in my life – that’s a true gift.”
For more information about Berry Mountain Color Farm, visit www.berrymountaincolorfarm.com or follow us at @berrymountaincolorfarm.
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