Farm the Cotton
The cotton is grown and picked. After harvesting, the seed-cotton modules are transported to a nearby cotton gin.
Gin the Cotton
Once the cotton arrives at the gin, seeds (and other impurities) are separated from the cotton fiber.
Tag/Spray with SigNature® T
At the end of this process, SigNature® T DNA, a custom molecular tag, is applied through a fine misting process. This tag attaches to the fiber at a cotton-to-marker ratio of 1:1 billion. The tenacity of the tag ensures a reliable, secure tracking system throughout the entire manufacturing process, beginning in the U.S., and through the spinning, weaving and sewing stage overseas.
Bale Cotton
Harvested, ginned and tagged, the cotton is then compacted into 500-
pound bales that are barcoded and tracked by HomeGrown to prevent product tampering.
Test Fiber
The first check of the cotton fibers happens at the gin. HomeGrown submits the bales for testing, looking for the unique SigNature® T DNA tag. The merchant then receives the bales from the ginner together with test results, the bale ID numbers, and USDA grading certification.
Export
The bales of HomeGrown cotton start their journey overseas for the next stage of product manufacturing.
Spin into Yarn
Spinners receive and separately store the HomeGrown bales and then spin the raw cotton fibers into yarn on dedicated lines.
Test Yarn
After spinning fiber into yarn, HomeGrown once again tests the yarns for the SigNature T tag, to ensure that no cotton blending has taken place. These tests are done before the yarns are permitted to move to the weavers.
Weave or Knit into Fabric
The HomeGrown cotton yarns finally take shape as they are woven or knitted into fabric to be used in various textile or apparel products.
Test Fabric
Guaranteeing purity, the freshly woven fabric is once again tested by HomeGrown for the SigNature T tag to verify that the fabrics contain only tagged HomeGrown cotton.
Cut & Sew into Linen/Clothes
After passing the purity test, the HomeGrown cotton fabric is then cut and sewn into finished home textile or apparel products.
Test Finished Product
HomeGrown does a final test of the finished products prior to the product being shipped back to the United States. Specifically, HomeGrown looks for the SigNature T DNA tags that have remained detectable, even after many complex manufacturing processes.
Import
Having passed the final purity test, the finished HomeGrown cotton products are shipped and tracked with a pedigree document back to the United States.
Retail
The finished goods, labeled with the HomeGrown trademark, arrive at retail where consumers, driven by a desire for a quality and purity, can be assured of the integrity of their purchase.
