First published in 1988, “Land of Cotton, a Southern Cookbook,” has over 100,000 copies in print. It has sold on both national and international markets, and can be found online at stores such as Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com.

Not bad for a book organized and published by a relatively small private school in Selma- Morgan Academy.

“The idea originally came from Cheryl Watts and Smyly Kirkpatrick, parents of former students who have now graduated,” said Gail Bedgood, Morgan Academy secretary and head of the cookbook project.

“Land of Cotton” contains recipes from parents of former Morgan Academy students. Some of these recipes have been passed down for several generations, while others are not quite as old.

“We have not added any new recipes,” said Bedgood. “We just catch errors and proof it each year.”

The front and back covers of the cookbook feature a copy of a painting done by Selma artist, Millie Thomas.

“We wanted to make a cookbook that had regional appeal,” said Bedgood. “Southern states grow cotton and we thought that would be eye catching.”

For the first two years, the cookbook was put together in the school’s computer lab. As demand grew, the school chose Wimmer Cookbooks, a Tennessee based company, to publish it.

“We started out marketing the book at local gift shops, presentation parties, and food testing parties,” said Bedgood.

“We now attend yearly trade shows and holiday gift markets.”

The school’s persistence has definitely paid off. “Land of Cotton” is now featured in major airports and gift shops across the country. In addition to customers in several states, the cookbook has been shipped to Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Japan.

“During a presentation at a trade show in Atlanta, two Japanese men kept coming back to our booth to sample the almond pound cake,” said Bedgood. “We told them that they could not continue to get free samples unless they bought the book, so they bought it.”

Bedgood estimated that Morgan Academy has raised over $200,000 from the sale of the cookbook.

“The money we have received has profited every student, said Bedgood. “We have bought computers, fixed roofs, paved the quad, sent kids to competitions, and provided lights for the baseball field – pretty much anything that the school needs.”

In addition, the school has purchased three 15 passenger vans from the proceeds of the cookbook.

According to Bedgood, students assist in the packaging and shipping of the cookbooks.

“We never realized that this would be a small business, but that is how it has turned out.”

In 1991, the cookbook was even featured on NBC’s The Today Show.

“We had someone traveling to New York and we asked her to try to get the book on the show,” said Bedgood. “We fixed up a gift basket with toasted pecans, pound cake, the book, and actual cotton blossoms. She got it to Willard Scott’s secretary and he featured the book on the show.”

According to Bedgood, the phone rang off the hook from all over the U.S. for days after the episode.

Although “Land of Cotton” has sold exceptionally well, Morgan Academy still has much higher goals in mind.

“Once a cookbook reaches the 100,000 mark, it is eligible for the Tabasco Hall of Fame,”said Bedgood. “We missed the deadline for this year, but our publisher will nominate us for it next year. Only 62 cookbooks have achieved this honor.”

Bedgood would also like to have the book featured in A Taste of the South, a new Southern cookbook magazine.

“This is just like any other business,” said Bedgood. “The more you do, the more you find out that you need to do.”

“Land of Cotton” can be purchased for $16.95. For more information, contact Bedgood at (334) 875-4464.