Pitts, GA |

Farming has never been easy—but for young producers trying to start from scratch, the odds can feel stacked against them. Equipment costs, input prices, and limited access to markets make it difficult to even get started. Just ask John Henry Roberts, a first-generation farmer in Pitts, Georgia.

“I’d say the hardest challenge is just getting into it to begin with,” said Roberts. “If it wasn’t for my boss right now, I wouldn’t have this opportunity. I mean, I’m like I said, I’m a first generation. The latest generation for me to farming was my great granddaddy. And that’s when everybody farmed.”

Roberts is doing what he can to change that narrative—and he’s not doing it alone. Thanks to a partnership with Magnolia Loom, a Georgia-based clothing company, Roberts has found new purpose and a better price for his cotton.

“A lot of things we have now are American grown, but they’re not American made,” Roberts explained. “So knowing that what Scott and Zeke and them are doing up there at Magnolia Loom—that they can take this cotton, keep it separated from mine…to a garment like this that I can touch with my own hands—it’s special.”

Magnolia Loom’s model offers producers like Roberts something rare in today’s cotton market: a price above market value.

“The Magnolia Loom mission is to give a dollar a bale, or twenty percent above market price, whichever is higher,” said Roberts. “Even if cotton market price goes to a dollar, they’re still going to pay you $1.20. What they’re doing is buying a little bit from lots of people, to make it truly Georgia grown.”

It’s a small portion of his total crop, but Roberts says the value goes beyond just economics—it’s about dignity, transparency, and pride.

That mission is resonating with other growers, like Clayton Anderson of Bulloch County, who says it’s refreshing to see a market-driven model that actually supports the people who grow the crop.

“Well, the bottom line is important because that’s what keeps us in business,” Anderson said. “A lot of farmers brag about top yields, but they may not be making money making that top yield. They have to put more inputs in.”

Anderson says it’s not just about the dollars and cents—it’s about the bigger picture.

“It’s a great opportunity, and every little bit helps,” he said. “They’re not buying my whole crop. But I appreciate whatever they can and whatever they’re doing to promote Georgia cotton. Magnolia Loom is doing their part to promote cotton, and I appreciate it. And all farmers do.”

By bringing attention—and better prices—to Georgia-grown cotton, Magnolia Loom is helping restore a direct connection between the field and the fabric. For young farmers like Roberts and Anderson, it’s a step toward making farming viable again—not just for them, but for the next generation.

By: John Holcomb