Why Organic?
All the cotton used in our products is organic. But why does it matter?
Conventional cotton – grown with extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides – is known as one of the world’s most toxic crops. Organic farmers, by contrast, focus on conservation, soil health, and overall ecology. Organic cotton production also requires less water than conventional cotton. Every acre planted in organic cotton – and every item made with organic cotton fibers – helps to reduce use of toxic inputs and also supports overall ecological balance.
The cotton in our pants is grown by organic farmers in Texas. We source our Texas cotton through the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative – a cooperative of organic farmers in Texas that has been producing organic cotton fiber since 1993.
Most of the farmers who are part of the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative are in the vicinity of Lubbock, Texas – which happens to be an area well-suited to the production of organic cotton because of its climate and soil. That’s largely because it gets cold enough in the winter to limit insect pressure and freezing temperatures help to defoliate the cotton plants before a mechanical harvest. Also, abundant sunshine and well-drained soils help enable weed control.
You have to be a good farmer to grow cotton without the chemical fertilizers and pesticides, but the Texas farmers we’re proud to partner with have been making it work for almost 30 years. (One note: our hats and t-shirts are made in the US, but the organic cotton in these items is today sourced from overseas. Rest assured, we’re working on it – and we’ll continue to seek US cotton for all our products.)
How else does organic matter? Organic farming practices generate less pollution to affect surrounding communities. In supporting US farmers, we’re supporting jobs in the US, and we’re also helping to address factors that are driving climate change – since buying closer to home means less transportation costs and emissions.
We’re on a journey, and we appreciate your support for our products – since that helps us support our US supply chain, including farmers who have made the commitment to organic. Thank you! (And, if you made it to this point, kudos & thanks especially for reading this far!)