The Farmer Who Lent Seed Without a Ledger

In 1998, outside Americus, Georgia, a peanut farmer named Earl Thibodeaux did something his neighbors thought was foolish. After a brutal drought wiped out half the county's crop, Earl opened his seed barn to any farmer who needed a fresh start. No contracts. No interest. No repayment schedule. He simply said, "Take what you need and plant it." His wife asked if he was worried about going under himself.…