Ruskovilla_Catalogue_2018-2019

A VISIT TO THE BIRTHPLACE OF ORGANIC SILK

Our new material, organic silk, is produced in the Qianjiang mountain range in China, where we travelled in late May to learn more about the silk farm and mill. Our trip to the silk farm began in Chengdu, the capital of the province of Sichuan. From there, we took the bullet train to the town of Chongqing, and then drove for a few hours to Qianjiang. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful: wide, flowing river channels, verdant farmland, and tall mountains with forests of clouds around their peaks. Our visit was timed so that we would see the larvae just before they span their cocoons. When we arrived at the farm, there were a

few million silkmoth larvae waiting for us, eagerly chewing at the mulberry leaves offered to them under a protective shelter. Caring for the silkworms is a matter of precision: the temperature must be just right, and at first the food has to be cut very finely by hand for the small larvae, which require feeding five times a day, including night feeds. The larvae we saw were almost fully grown, and they were given fresh leaves three times per day. Wewere able to climb up themountain slope to watch how the leaves were collected by the sack for the rapidly growing silkworms, which had huge appetites. The silkworms' food, the mulberry trees, are pruned to remain in bush form so that it is easier to collect the leaves. We also heard about the farm's organic farming method and were able to meet the employees. The farm does not use artificial fertilisers or pesticides, and themulberry trees are not grown in isolation, but in a simulated natural environment along with a range of fruit trees and other plant species. A diverse environment thrives

Larvae having breakfast just before they spin their cocoons.

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