Ogallala, Neb. One of the five Best in Show Awards by Gear Junkie at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded to Monarch Flyway Innovations for MINSOLITE an outdoor gear insulation made from 80% milkweed fiber.
“Right now, insulation is made of synthetic materials or animal by-products like down, wool, and more.” said Debbie Dekleva, CEO and second generation milkweed entrepreneur, “as a hollow fiber with a natural, wax coating on it, milkweed is an optimal material for light weight, water resistant insulation.”
Maximum range of movement is important for outdoor sports and activities; at just 3mm thick, MINSOLITE provides warmth without bulk or much weight. Because milkweed is a hollow fiber, it encapsulates warm air keeping sportsmen warmer than other products on the market.
Listen below to our interview with Monarch Flyway CEO Debbie Dekleva
The overall reduction in weight, as well as the key ingredient being biodegradable, natural fibers from milkweed eliminates 88-94% of the synthetic waste created when using leading insulation brands.
“We were thrilled to get this award,” said Dekleva. “While new to the market, MINSOLITE has been under development for decades.” Most recently, Dekleva worked with the Nebraska Innovation Fund Prototype Grant to create multiple iterations with formal testing for warmth, breathability and durability conducted to verify performance and longevity of the material. A United States patent for MINSOLITE is pending.
Milkweed, is a perennial with explosive opportunities for textiles, cosmetics, medicines and more. Natural Fibers Corporation, dba Monarch Flyway began in 1987 with the dream of creating a milkweed business the size of the cotton industry. The idea was laughable, but they have grown, year by year by recognizing high-value, low-volume markets for milkweed. MINSOLITE increases the volumes necessary for larger markets while remaining in the premium market of fashion and functional apparel.
“We want growth,” states Dekleva, “the best way to do that is to identify markets where the natural properties of milkweed fiber shine and move into our next business.” The company’s founder, Herb Knudsen, had already identified nonwoven insulation technology while working with Kimberley Clark on the Milkweed Project while he was at Standard Oil of Ohio. “It was ahead of its time,” added Dekleva “now, the market is ripe where people are looking for high performance and ecologically beneficial solutions to everyday problems like synthetic waste and landscape degradation.”
Monarch Flyway utilizes “UNTAMED AG” which puts people and communities to work protecting monarch butterfly habitat that includes milkweed and biodiversity. As a slow growing perennial, locating viable milkweed stands and paying people to pick the pods is a quicker form of production than trying to grow it from seed. The goal is to have 20 communities across the monarch’s migratory path from Mexico to Canada join the Monarch Flyway Network by 2030. To make that goal, widespread adoption of MINSOLITE across the outdoor gear sector is necessary.
NFC’s first value-added business was Ogallala Comfort Company. After thirty-five years, OCC is the premier supplier of top-of-the-line down comforters, pillows and down beds containing their exclusive Hypodown®, a combination of goose down and milkweed clusters. “When we first started this business, we were laughed at by everyone: Farmers, down suppliers, customers, you name it,” says Dekleva, who leads both Monarch Flyway and OCC. “But now, it’s a different story. We have amazing products and communities want to work with us to turn their natural assets like milkweed into economic drivers for community development.”
