Both of my (mostly white) parents picked cotton as kids. My dad’s family were sharecroppers. He’s pestering me to find and order some cotton seeds so my kids can see what it was like to chop cotton and pick cotton.
This lady and her kid sound like losers.
Cotton don't grow in WA, and down in my home state of Louisiana where it "does" grow (and yes,I've both picked and hoed it), it doesn't reach "pickable" stage until late August or early September.
I would guess that this is drug store cotton balls stuck onto some bush.
I think your dad has a great idea, and I would love to hear about your cotton experiment.