In the last fortnight, I rode by a farm in South Georgia where cotton was making its way toward harvest—it takes 200 days for cotton to mature into the fluffy white stuff which is most valuable to growers.
This brought about down-on-the-farm nostalgia, good and bad, but was also a reminder of how important this cash crop has been to farmers and agribusinessmen historically in the South.
Georgia ranks third nationally among the cotton-producing states in acres planted and also production. Cotton has always held sway in economic impact in our state.
Two things make cotton farming today different than in yesteryear: Most significantly, the eradication of the boll weevil and the prevalence of mechanical cotton-picking machines.