Spending her early years on a ranch near the Blackfeet Reservation, Candice English says her Montana roots are saturated in a blend of cultures that are at the heart of The Farmers Daughter Fibers.
“Having a Native American mother and then a rancher for a dad, it was just, I realized how unique that kind of was,” she said.
English says the combination of those two worlds inspire her business – which came to life after she decided to quit her corporate job
“I was just not happy and instead of kind of settling for a 9-5 job and being stressed out and all of these things that I was gonna change that,” English said.
So, in 2015, English set out to find what was needed most in the fiber arts industry.
“Dyeing yarn seemed like it was a good idea,” she said.
Starting in her basement, English began to hone her skills by watching tutorials, reading books and traveling to craft festivals and shows until hand-dyeing yarn became second nature.
Since then, The Farmers Daughter Fibers has moved behind Great Falls’ Columbus Center in the old hospital laundry facility – another piece of history threaded through the business that adds uniqueness to their products.
“What we produce in the colorways we create have a nostalgic feel to them and so being in the building just fit in with all of that,” English said.
English credits her businesses’ growth to the sentimentality of simpler times- which many find here in the Last Best Place.
“When you’re in the city or more urban areas it’s harder to do that,” she said. “I wanted to kind of be able to bring that to people and so that I think is why we attract so many people outside of the state.”
While many think of The Treasure State as a place of the past, English says Montana is full of culture, something she is proud to share wherever her yarn is shipped.
“Think it’s amazing to see our stuff from Montana, inspired by Montana out there in the world because it is a piece of us, y’know, and our culture mostly here,” English said.
The business has products in 20 states and five countries.
English says her goal is to keep growing The Farmers Daughter Fibers website along with increasing wholesale orders outside of the state.
Reporting by Keeley Van Middendorp for MTN News
