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Posted on Aug 1, 2016 in Audio, Editorial, Featured, Your Texas Agriculture Minute

YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

 

It will always be cotton for me

By Gene Hall

As cotton farmers struggle with a difficult market, it feels very 1970s. That’s when a wave of polyester clothing hit the market to challenge the traditional dominance of natural fibers.

Today, there are many such products, derived from petroleum, especially for athletic and workout apparel. I’d just as soon wrap cellophane around my torso as to wear polyester shirts in the gym. My workout clothing is a collection of 100 percent cotton t-shirts.

Mother Nature conveniently produced the cotton fiber with a tiny hollow tube, called a lumen, running the length of it. This makes cotton breathable, allowing air flow and absorbency in the fabric.

I admit to wearing polyester golf shirts, when I’m given them, with a 100 percent cotton t-shirt underneath! I was guilty of owning one of those ridiculous polyester leisure suits back in the seventies, shaming my fashion sense for all time. Now, only wool suits hang in my closet.

If history repeats itself, cotton will come roaring back in all these markets.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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