Normandy, Land of Linen and World Leader in Production
Across the Norman countryside and along the coastline, linen stands as both a tradition and a local treasure. Known as the “green gold” of Normandy, it is a defining part of the region’s identity and heritage. Let’s take a closer look at linen growing in Normandy.
Some key figures about linen cultivation in Normandy
- Seine-Maritime is the leading linen-producing département in both Normandy and France, followed by Eure and the Caen Plain.
- 63% of French linen growers are based in Normandy (according to the report supported by CESER Normandie).
Did you know? Linen requires neither irrigation nor defoliant, is entirely usable from root to tip, and needs very few inputs.
Linen is therefore a fibre increasingly in demand, whether in Normandy, across France, or internationally. As a sustainable plant, linen produces no waste and helps capture greenhouse gases.
The Organic Linen Industry in France
Since the early 2000s, Norman linen cultivation has evolved and adapted to new needs and changing demand. With today’s focus on sustainable development, its future looks bright—excellent news for Norman producers.
Normandy: land and climate ideal for growing linen
Linen is the oldest textile known to man, first discovered 36,000 years BC in a cave in the Caucasus. Today, Normandy is the world’s leading region for textile flax production—and this is no coincidence. Its mild, oceanic, humid climate, low temperature variation, and deep, fertile soil make it especially well-suited to growing linen.
But that’s not all. The technical expertise of the linen growers also plays a crucial role. Thanks to their know-how, they produce linen of exceptional quality.
The Linen Cycle Route in Normandy
The annual calendar of Norman linen cultivation
- The natural cycle of linen is quite rapid, reaching maturity in just 100 days.
- Sowing takes place from mid-March to mid-April.
- Flowering, lasting 15 days, occurs in June, tinting the fields with a delicate bluish hue.
- In July comes the pulling period.
- In August, the fibres are then laid flat on the ground in rows for retting. This process relies on a combination of sun, rain, and dew, and lasts between 3 and 9 weeks. To ensure even retting, the rows need to be turned regularly.
- Afterwards comes rolling and processing (scutching, combing, spinning, finishing).
Only after all these stages is the linen ready for making and the creation of finished products!
A fibre used in the creation of a wide variety of products
Fully biodegradable, no part of the linen plant is wasted. Everything is put to use—and that’s one of its greatest strengths. This prevents waste and is environmentally friendly. What’s more, linen is used to create a host of products across different sectors.
- Long fibres are used to make clothing, household linen, wall coverings and upholstery, as well as technical fabrics.
- Short fibres are used in the manufacture of paper and eco-materials such as insulation and composites.
- Shives (the straw fragments) are used for animal bedding, particle boards, and mulch.
- Additionally, by combining linen weave and resin, it’s possible to create fibres tailored to the specific needs of the furniture, sports equipment, and engineering sectors.
- The seeds and flour are also used in cooking—for making bread, cakes, biscuits, and terrines, for example. And in Normandy, many local and artisan products are made from linen, delighting young and old alike!
Finally, this fibre is ideal for making bed linen, table linen, and bath linen as it is thermoregulating, durable, absorbent, and wonderfully soft.