One of the many things I love about the Lake Oconee area of Georgia USA where we now live is the rural countryside. There are farms and ranches, fields and crops, animals and livestock. We hear a rooster crowing every morning. Back in June when we moved here (see A Before Tour of our new Casual Lake House), I noticed several fields had recently been seeded. Young green plants were starting to surface in neatly planted rows. It was a picturesque rural sight. But I did not recognize this crop. What was it?
I watched with interest as the plants grew. At some point, the buds started to form, flowers started to bloom and the mystery was solved. It was cotton! When I went for a closer look, the flowers reminded me of the Rose of Sharon flowers I’ve grown in my own flower gardens. Sure enough, it turns out cotton is in the mallow (Malvaceae) family along with other well-known plants like hibiscus, hollyhock and okra. I’ve learned it takes about 3 months for the flower buds to form and the blossoms to open. The petals change colors from creamy white to yellow to pink to red.
The flower petals wither and fall, after about 3 days, revealing greed pods called “cotton bolls”.
Moist fibers grow inside the boll which ripens and turns brown.
The heat of the sun causes the fibers to expand and the bolls open to reveal the cotton.
The bolls burst wide open as the fibers continue to expand.
The foliage turns brown and the cotton bolls become more prominent. The scene changes to a field of white.
Just recently, the cotton I’ve been observing was harvested and packed into huge bales or “modules” as they’re called. Large specialized equipment, including a cotton stripping harvester which looks a grain combine, was used.
A little online research shows that the next step is for the modules to be transported to a gin. The cotton gin will produce ginned fiber, called “lint”, into 500-lb bales. These bales will be sold and shipped to spinning and textile mills where the lint is cleaned, carded and spun. Depending on the final use, it may be woven or knit into fabric. At this stage, the fabric is unfinished and called “gray goods”. It is sent to a dyeing/finishing plant to be bleached, pre-shrunk, dyed and printed. Then it’s sent to the manufacturer to produce the final consumer goods.
Back in the spring when I visited Alabama Chanin (see A School for Makers), I learned about Natalie Chanin’s endeavors to grow organic cotton locally (see More Info below). Alabama Chanin is located in Florence Alabama, an area that has a long history of producing cotton. In keeping with her focus on natural fabrics, Natalie’s objective was to grow cotton organically without all the chemicals that are typically used in commercial cotton growing. How intriguing!
It’s not clear to me how the experiment to grow organic cotton locally turned out in the long run but earlier this year Alabama Chanin’s website reported that all their medium-weight organic cotton jersey comes from cotton grown in Lubbock, Texas, USA and all their lightweight organic cotton jersey or rib-knit is organically grown and spun overseas. Here’s how they put it in a February 13, 2018 Journal blog post “Organic cotton is the foundation of our business. We carefully choose our materials and look for the highest quality. It’s not the easiest, fastest, or cheapest way—but it’s the right way. We have a commitment to quality and a commitment to organic to enrich others’ lives and leave this planet better than before us.” Hats off to Natalie Chanin and her team for their remarkable commitment!
The below basket of cotton bolls, which was prominently displayed at the School of Making, is an effective reminder of the important role cotton plays in Alabama Chanin’s products.
I’ve noticed several examples of cotton bolls incorporated into home decor locally. Wreaths and floral arrangements are a popular application. I love the texture, form and interest that natural elements can bring into my home and surroundings. Cotton fields, plants and bolls are also popular subjects for paintings and photos.
More Info
The National Cotton Council of America has some great reference material available here.
You can learn more about Alabama Chanin on their website. Here is the February 2018 Journal post with the 2018 Organic Cotton Supply Chain Update. Here is a link to the 2016 Selvedge Article titled “Cotton On”.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Consider planting something from seed. Watching the full natural growth cycle can be very gratifying.
2. Explore opportunities to support more natural, sustainable sources for the finished products you purchase.
3. Consider incorporating natural elements into your home and surroundings.
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