Gary Oldham, SOS From Texas: Growing Organic Tee Shirts

When people think about organics, they mostly think about food.  However, what about all of the pesticides that are used to grow materials such as cotton? What is the big deal about wearing a garment made from seeds that are saturated with chemicals? Afterall, isn’t it just clothing? Not at all! The skin is the largest organ and anything you wear that has been grown with pesticides is going to have an effect on your health.

What do you do when you have been growing cotton for many years and want to make the transition to organic? It is not an easy thing to do, even if you have been growing cotton for generations. The Oldham family has been growing cotton in Texas for more than 100 years. Depleted soil fertility and conventional market challenges led Gary Oldham, CEO of SOS From Texas, which stands for Save Our Soil, to search for alternatives to help the family farm remain sustainable.  Gary started farming organically in 1992 and started SOS From Texas in early 1993 to market his organic cotton through finished sportswear. The company slogan, “We Grow T-Shirts” reflects vertical integration of the products from the seed to the sewing. Today, SOS is one of the oldest and most respected producers of organic cotton sportswear in the US and markets all farm production through this line throughout the US and Worldwide.

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Gary Oldham about organic farming and the challenges of growing organic cotton in the USA. Stay tuned!