While growing up in a small town in Louisiana, I attended the local public elementary school located on the edge of town. After turning onto the access road at the John Deere store, all you could see were cotton fields on the horizon and a large pecan grove that straddled the highway going out to Lake St. John.
Almost everyone rode the school bus, and Mr. Cross was the driver on our route. That man was one of the jolliest people I have ever known. I always thought he bore an uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus with his shock of pure white hair and bushy beard.
Every year — without fail — during the week before school let out for the holidays, he had a big box of oranges or apples next to his driver’s seat. Since he knew all our names, he personally greeted each one of us when we got on the bus and presented us with a piece of fruit.
Years later, one of the boys who rode Mr. Cross’s bus worked as a farmer and decided to pay homage to the kind man who gave out farm-grown fruit to the kids at Christmas instead of a bag of packaged candy. His idea was also a nod to all the farmers who provided food and fiber to the world.
The young man wrapped his best tractor in battery-powered, multi-colored Christmas lights and joined the nighttime parade that rolled down Main Street. He had a big box of oranges and apples that he tossed into the crowd reminiscent of the Mardi Gras float riders throwing beads.
Although farmers are currently facing many challenges, they are inherently resilient and looking for ways to make the most of what they can control instead of being dragged down by what they can’t. One of the brightest lights in the cotton industry today is the success of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. By enrolling their cotton acres, a tremendous number of cotton farmers have embraced the program, showing their commitment to responsible production.
As we soon turn the page on a new year, let’s enjoy this positive momentum in the same spirit that the school kids and parade goers savored the farm-grown fruit handed out by Mr. Cross and the young farmer riding his brightly lit tractor in the Christmas parade.
Here’s wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!