A cotton field in Northern Alabama with its hearty red clay has captured the attention of Southern Woman Magazine. Why? What comes to mind first is the story of the family-run business and the quality of the products they produce. Learning about the company reminds us the American dream is alive and well. The family is dedicated to keeping their products homegrown, all while caring for the environment. We want to highlight Red Land Cotton and spread the word about its mission and values and the luxurious cotton sheets, bedding, bath towels, and loungewear.
The Yeager family has owned and operated the cotton farm for over three generations. It began with Mark Yeager in 1983. A little over ten years later, he built his cotton gin to ensure the finest quality when the cotton is harvested. Over the years, his mission has been to find the most sustainable and least invasive farming practices to protect the land and environment. He uses that cotton to produce heirloom quality sheets, bedding, towels, and clothing. One of their designs was inspired by a product from the 1920s. To replicate it, they were able to reverse-engineer the original weave construction and yarn size to create an heirloom-quality product.
Eight family members actively work in the business. Anna Yeager, the daughter, designs products and is the spokesperson, and the sons in the family manage the farm. Their well-curated website tells the complete story along with their YouTube channel. Southern Woman was fortunate to have the chance for a Q&A with Anna. She provided more insight into the family dynamic and the mission, values, and future of Red Land Cotton.
Southern Woman (SW) – I am so curious to know how you and your family manage the family dynamic and the business. Sometimes a family business can be all-consuming. Do you think there is an art to balancing business and personal life? Or is life all about the cotton business?
Anna-
My husband and I are so excited to welcome our third child into our family in 2023 – so as you can imagine, we are an incredibly busy, growing family. For me, it’s all about balance and family definitely comes first — it’s where I fill up my cup daily to continue the work in the business! I value the family my husband and I are building above most other things. I’m very meticulous about my calendar and maximizing the hours I put in at work so that I can spend time with my family in the afternoons and on the weekends.
I think family businesses work best when everyone stays in their lanes and focuses on what they are good at. Communication is paramount and keeping an organized schedule is key to keeping things running smoothly and not having it be an all-consuming fire that cannibalizes the other aspects of your life.
SW- Many of America’s oldest family businesses are farms. So far, this spans three generations of your family. What is your vision for the company’s future, and do you have plans to expand the clothing line?
Anna-
Family farms are prevalent because it’s definitely a passion project. Farming isn’t easy and I believe it has to be in your blood to make it work. The same goes for manufacturing in my opinion. Most of the US manufacturers we work with are family owned and have been around for decades. It’s really a tradition of hard work that’s passed down from generation to generation. I hope to pass down the tradition of hard work and dedication to my children but it’s not necessarily my desire that they take on this business. It’s my passion but it doesn’t have to be theirs.
I do think expanding into clothing is a natural next step for us and we’re eager to dip into this in 2024 beyond our current Loungewear collections, which includes our Dawn Collection and Go- Anywhere Dresses. Versatility and seasonality of apparel is very exciting for us as we continue to grow and expand the business! It also seems to be a natural fit for what our customers are requesting of us and we are more than happy to fill that need!
I’m thankful that our customers are choosing to shop more intentionally with us, even if that means spending more. If we can be a trusted source for bedding and bath, I hope we can grow to be a trusted
source for 100% cotton clothing made in the USA as well.
SW- Reading the story of your family business is refreshing and shows that the American dream is still sustainable. What makes you most proud of your impact on local communities?
Anna-
For me, it’s about creating jobs and creating a sense of hope in the belief that jobs like textile manufacturing can return back to the towns they once thrived in. For example, we opened a cut and sew manufacturing plan in Tylertown, Mississippi in 2020. We chose Tylertown because of its talented community, skilled workforce and existing infrastructure. We’ve been able to add 30 jobs at our facility and create a sense of hope in the community there. To me, that is a fulfillment of a promise we made to our customers to re-invest money into jobs here in America and we are making good on that!
SW- After learning about your business and the products you produce, I will order sheets soon. This is very appealing to the minimalist lifestyle and those who aim to have a less environmental impact. It’s important to teach that buying quality over quantity saves our planet and gives us a better experience in day-to-day living. What other aspects do you want readers to know about how your company cares for the environment and the surrounding communities where your linens are produced?
Anna-
Red Land Cotton focuses on a lifestyle and business model that implements sustainable practices in all that we do. From a farming perspective, we implement environmentally minded practices like no-till farming, cover crops, crop rotations and no irrigation. These practices keep our soil healthy and our crops prosperous from year to year without wasting precious resources. From a manufacturing lens, our continued focus is to leverage local communities and existing family owned operations to make our products in America. Through our local production in smaller US manufacturing towns – we continue to bring jobs and stability across the country, which supports communities so that we, as a country, can be self-sustaining and not reliant on another country to produce goods. In the end, we’re looking after the environment and our fellow man and there couldn’t be anything more important than that!
Red Land Cotton brings a breath of fresh air when thinking about the American economy. A family-owned business growing, producing, and keeping small textile towns in business feels retro and may inspire other companies to do the same. Check out their website to learn more and shop their cotton goods, www.redlandcotton.com. Supporting an American-owned and operated company feels good, especially when the company grows cotton and produces sheets, towels, and loungewear.