SALLY FOX, INVENTOR

http://www.si.edu/lemelson/centerpieces/ilives/lecture12.html

"Sally Fox holds four plant variety protection certificates (the equivalent of patents for open-pollinated plant varieties) for types of naturally colored cotton, which she grows under the registered trade name Fox FibreŽ in six distinct shades: Coyote and New Brown, both of which are reddish browns, milk-chocolate-colored Buffalo, sage-colored Palo Verde, Green Fox FibreŽ, and a dark forest New Green.

She also has received a utility patent for the flame resistant properties she discovered and bred in Coyote and Buffalo Fox FibreŽ. The discovery came about simply by observing what happened when the discarded cotton plants--the "weeds" of different colors that were pulled out of otherwise homogenous plots--were burned: the brown cotton did not burn easily, but seemed to be innately fire resistant. The possibility of producing a safe cotton for children's sleepwear that did not require treatment by chemicals inspired Sally to pursue this discovery. She has been selectively breeding for fire resistance and continues to observe carefully for other advantages colored cotton may offer. "

from An Innovative Life by Martha Davidson

Remembering Sally Fox

by Betty Pulver

When Sally Fox came to Arizona to grow cotton up by Wickenberg, she had asked for help from our Telarana Spinners and Weavers Guild in Mesa, AZ because she knew that we were all interested in spinning cotton. During the mid 80's several of us had just began to concentrate on paper making. We tried cotton but weren't successful because we didn't have access to the half stuffs and formation aid that would have been very helpful. We did make lumpy paper and note cards and put them for sale in our annual guild fair. Weaving fabric from the colored cotton with various twill weaves made an attractive center in a windowed card.

The one time that I remember distinctly was when quite a group from the Telarana Guild went up to Wickenberg and hand planted several acres of colored cotton. California had become quite fussy, worrying about whether she was going to accidentally inbreed her colored cotton with all the white cotton, which would have been a tragedy to the white cotton growers. A woman named Martha Basket donated the use of her land up there by Wickenberg. Most of us planted seeds in pots and had them sitting on our door steps and they did mature. I was going to NZ often and took a few seeds to friends there and they tried them in pots but the growing season was too short and though they blossomed none of them matured.

My son Tom remembers Sally because he was attending Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, CA when she was there and told me about her cotton efforts because I was very much into the arts of spinning and weaving then.

I'm glad that Sally has had a certain measure of success and given the credit she deserves. She has worked so hard for 20-30 years.

Betty Pulver



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