A few minutes' drive from Arras train station, in Pas-de-Calais, is a flax scutching cooperative called Opalin. Since 1988, this cooperative has helped open up new markets for local flax production. Today, Opalin brings together more than 200 member farmers. The Hast team visited them to better understand the first stages of flax production, this fiber that is so dear to our hearts. Scutching, retting, combing, flax goes through many stages before being transformed into a beautiful and durable shirt. Here, we meet Hubert Brisset, director since 1993, of Opalin.
Why does flax grow in this particular region?
Flax cultivation takes place mainly in western Europe, that is to say in the entire maritime border area on the Channel, from Calvados to the Netherlands, passing through Normandy and Hauts-de-France.
Flax is grown in this region for two main reasons: firstly for the vegetation, and secondly for the small temperature differences between day and night. This stability allows the flax to grow steadily until the harvest period in June. To grow quality flax, rich soils with moisture and mild, temperate temperatures are required.
Where is flax production worldwide?
This maritime border of the Channel, from Caen to Amsterdam, produces 80% of the world's flax production. France is 80% of this 80%, which is huge. It is a culture anchored in the territory for generations. For climatic reasons, but also because we have the appropriate processing tools. During scutching, the machines have to be adjusted and the materials sorted to have very homogeneous batches. The rest of the world's production is divided between Belarus and Egypt. In Belarus, because of the climate, the seeds are made later than here and therefore produce shorter fibers. The retting is shorter and the materials are of a little lower quality.
There is real know-how in Egypt, it is the cradle of linen. 30,000 years ago, linen was already found in the tombs of the Egyptians. However, the Egyptians are limited in production area because they also have to produce to feed the population. And since it is very dry, they have to do water retting. That is to say, soak the plants in the Nile, then they take the fibers out of the water and dry them like that. They can then do scutching.
A plot of land can only be sown with flax every seven years. That is why we do not only grow flax, but we must alternate crops. For example, we plant cereals, only to return to flax after seven years. Otherwise the land would get tired.
What is retting and how long does this step last?
To take care of your look, before thinking about colors, choose lightweight pieces but always in quality materials, which keep their shape throughout the day. Nothing worse than a jacket that is too tight or a shirt in bad cotton - and in which to sweat at the first steps of dancing.
Retting begins with uprooting in the first half of July. The entire plant is uprooted, because the fiber goes down to the root of the plant. The stems must then be paralleled on the ground so that they dry properly. So there must be wind and sun at the start, then a stormy period with a little mist to allow retting to begin.
So it is actually quite difficult to estimate the actual duration of this step. When one side is finished, the stems have to dry again so that the fibres can be turned over and the second side can be made. So logically a second period of humidity is required, then everything has to dry again. The fibres are then rolled up to create a linen sheet. Once everything is conditioned and dry, these sheets can be kept for years. On the other hand, if everything is brought in damp, rot will have damaged the fibres. So there is a subtle balance to be found. So all these first steps take place in the field.
How are these first stages of linen production organized?
For us, a batch is equivalent to a plot. Several batches are packaged in straw bales. Farmers store their bales until we call them to deliver them to us. They then bring the complete batches to the factory. We keep homogeneous batches so that the customer can adjust his machine. We are organized as a cooperative, meaning that the company is managed by its members, with a board of directors. This board elects a president. We then entrust the operation to a management team with a director and a team of employees who run the factory. Scutching is the stage in the factory in which linen sheets are mechanically treated. The capsules are removed to recover the seeds, then they are crushed. Then comes the cleaning stage.
So this is where you prepare the flax for different uses later?
Yes indeed, we do the “cracking” of flax, that is to say we prepare it for other industries. The long fibers are mainly used for textiles, either in clothing or in furniture. They are the length of a cotton or wool fiber. We can make many blends with flax. The fibers can also be used to make insulation in buildings, by mixing them with wood for example. We can also make very fine paper, like cigarette paper. Another anecdote, there is flax fiber in the American dollar!
We use all parts of the plant. The seeds are used to make seeds or linseed oil for paints. So to summarize: 20 to 25% are long fibers, 20% are short fibers, 4 to 10% are seeds, then there are the shives, that is to say the woody part of the plant, which can be used to make chipboard for example. We have a little soil left, which is filtered and collected then put back in the fields. The whole plant is therefore used, without any loss!
