TANNER, Alabama — History is in the making with a partnership between multi-million dollar company Victoria's Secret and Bridgeforth Farms in Tanner. This unique partnership sees the lingerie company purchasing cotton directly from Bridgeforth Farms.
Bridgeforth Farms partner Billy Bridgeforth explained, "We're dealing with a large corporation. They sell billions and billions of dollars worth of apparel each year. But the main thing for them, they wanted to know where their cotton is coming from and who's producing it.
"We were fortunate that our father and grandfather, great grandfather, left us a very good legacy," he continued. "Good citizens work hard, pay the bills, help neighbors. That's the kind of legacy we want to pass on to our sons and daughters."
The next stop for the cotton culled from this farm, before it makes its way to a mall near you, is Associated Growers, where the cotton is stored. It also happens to be the only cotton gin in Limestone County.
"All the cotton out here, the whole gin is about 10,000 bales. All of it is not our cotton, but we we're standing in front of some of our cotton now, said Billy's brother, Gregory Bridgeforth.
The Bridgeforths produce cotton, soy, wheat, and more.
"We launched Bridgeforth Cotton in October of 2023. We have t shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, sweatshirts, some of the finest quality, 100% cotton garments you will ever find, and it's all made from the cotton we produce here in Tanner, Alabama."
In its annual cotton sustainability report, Victoria's Secret wrote about Billy Bridgeforth, "As Chairman of the National Black Growers Council, Billy advocates on behalf of Black farmers in the United States and abroad through organizations like 4-H, the Youth Development Program of the USDA and the Cooperative Extension System."