As challenges for producers mount this season, our team is working tirelessly to provide the latest in pro table production strategies to help boost your bottom line.
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Page eight continues our look into those advocating for agriculture on a daily basis. From every day farmers to those savvy in media, these individuals are taking steps to help the industry and enhance the way people around the world view it. Find out how Matt and Kelly Griggs use their social media platforms to bring agriculture to the forefront and educate others.
Producers hoping for relief from high fertilizer prices are not likely to nd it in 2023. However, careful management helps o set some of the cost.
e Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame that began in 1987 to promote awareness of agriculture's role in the state's culture and economy names new members.
As Californians feel the e ects of weather extremes, they continue discussions about how to secure a more certain water future.
the official publication of the ginning industry National Cotton Ginners Association makes important announcements, and Southeast growers and ginners go to Washington, D.C.
Although farmers in the Rio Grande Valley had a good crop year in 2022, drought conditions have been ongoing since 2019. See how farmers in this area are dealing with the situation. Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.
ON THE COVER: Matt and Kelly Griggs pictured on their farm located in Humboldt, Tennessee.
Cover photo by Cassidy Nemec.
In many industries, competition is an ingrained part of an entity’s culture in which a person strategizes about how to move themselves forward or upward to achieve their individual goals. The agriculture industry is more of a collaboration among its members. They tend to work together to help one another’s operations succeed and promote the U.S. cotton industry to the public, both on a local and international level.
For example, you’ve all heard the stories about farmers assisting other farmers at planting time or during harvest. When a farmer is facing an unexpected situation in which his ability to keep the operation moving forward is impaired, his neighbors often step up to volunteer their time and equipment to fill in the gap. Another example involves a consultant who contracted Covid-19 during the heat of the growing season. Upon hearing this news, the other area consultants came together to assist. They split up the consultant’s clients among themselves — without charge — to make sure the fields got checked and recommendations made to keep everything running smoothly until he recovered.
Also, more farmers are beginning to use social media platforms to educate the public about the “real world” of farming to counteract much of the misinformation that is often spread. Matt and Kelly Griggs, who farm in Humboldt, Tennessee, started out using Facebook to share information, then shifted to YouTube and Instagram. On page 8, read about their efforts to keep honesty at the forefront of social media and be agvocates in their fields.
On a broader stage, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol was launched in 2020 to bring quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the key sustainability metrics of U.S. cotton production. As Louisiana crop consultant Dr. Rogers Leonard said, “For the cotton industry, this is an opportunity to stand up to the plate and begin to control a little bit of their own destiny. By participating in the Trust Protocol and showing you are employing sustainable practices, you are going above and beyond many of the cotton producers around the world.
“The United States is already recognized for great cotton quality, but we have to be able to document that now at the farm level with individual practices. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol brings that level of value to the individual producer. The hope in the future is that this value will translate into a much better return on their investment.”
The take-home message is that the U.S. cotton industry is not a competition among individuals but rather a group effort to ensure the success of everyone in each sector and promote those positives around the world.
EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.
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■ In a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, the NCC listed recommendations and suggested funding levels for selected USDA programs under that panel’s jurisdiction.
Sufficient funding was requested for the Foreign Agricultural Service so it can continue carrying out vital market development and trade enhancing functions at home and abroad, among them informing trade partners of trade barriers and reasons for them to be removed. We also seek a $200 million funding level for the Market Access Program and $34.5 million for the Foreign Market Development program as authorized in the 2018 farm law. These undergird the activities of Cotton Council International which has a significant mission of maintaining and expanding U.S. raw cotton and cotton product exports in Asia, Europe, Africa and Central/South America. The NCC also asked for $4 million in funding to help the Agricultural Marketing Service upgrade its 10 cotton classing offices — laboratories essential to maintaining U.S. cotton’s fiber quality/reliability reputation.
The NCC also seeks 1) $15.73 million for the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service’s Cotton Pests Account so active boll weevil eradication activities in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley can continue and 2) sufficient funding for the Farm
Service Agency to make up to $30 million in loans to eligible producer-controlled organizations carrying out eradication program activities. Regarding other pest-related funding requests, the NCC seeks 1) level funding for Cotton Blue Disease research and 2) $2 million (a $1 million increase) for research aimed at controlling the Cotton Seed Bug. The NCC has conservatively estimated annual seed bug damages of $47.8 million in California, $28.5 million for Arizona and $8 million for New Mexico.
■ The NCC’s letter noted that the U.S. cotton industry continues to be concerned with the financial support of the Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) cotton research programs. These programs and facilities conduct vital research in fiber quality, production agronomic systems/pest management, sustainability, germplasm/genetic studies, and textiles.
Specifically, the NCC asks that priority be given to maintaining the National Cotton Germplasm Collection and requests increases of $1.4 million to ensure its preservation/use and $2.3 million for critical renovation to its facility, including the storage vault. The NCC also requests a $1.5 million increase to ARS for three programs aimed at helping ensure plant breeders/geneticists can efficiently share information related to varieties in the Germplasm Collection. This funding will greatly advance multiple research activities and will provide access to genetic information that more efficiently identifies genetic stock containing desired traits, thus allowing rapid response to critical needs such as introduction of new diseases and/or drought tolerance. The NCC is seeking an additional $2 million for FY24 above the FY23 funding level for the three ARS cotton ginning research units. This funding can enhance research on quality improvements/ginning efficiencies, energy consumption reduction, and gin by-product use to enhance carbon capture and improve cotton’s overall sustainability.
BY BONNIE COBLENTZ MSU EXTENSION SERVICE
Agricultural producers hoping for some relief from recent high fertilizer prices are not likely to find it in 2023.
Brian Mills, Mississippi State University Extension Service ag economist at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, said fertilizer prices are expected to remain at 2022 levels.
“We do have good, high crop prices, and with high crop prices, you usually see input costs stay high and go up,” Mills said.
Darrin Dodds, head of the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, said increased fertilizer prices typically result in reduced fertilizer application. “While this is cost effective in the short run, in the long run we potentially mine the soil of vital nutrients,” he said.
“We must keep in mind that investment in soil fertility should be a long-term strategy, and that maintaining adequate levels of soil nutrients is critical to optimize production.”
Although current fertilizer prices are higher than they have been in recent years, they are not at record levels. Input costs were just as high in 2013 and 2008. An extra challenge is that when fertilizer prices began to inch up in fall 2021, inflation caused a lot of equipment prices to go up, too.
Mills said there is no single cause for the high input costs, but it is rather the result of a combination of factors.
“Supply chain issues have been a big thing, delays in imports mean we’ve not been able to get some of these inputs in a timely manner, and high natural gas prices usually correlate to high fertilizer prices,” he said.
Mills said U.S. farmers use about 33% of the world’s supply of fertilizer. A big factor in prices today is the continuing war in the Ukraine.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed prices up because when they attacked Ukraine, they cut back on their fertilizer exports, and the U.S. cut back on our imports from Russia,” Mills said. “Russia exports about 16% of the world’s fertilizer, so this reduced the world’s supply of fertilizer.”
Mills said the best response to high fertilizer costs is careful management.
“Soil sampling every three years lets you know what nutrients you have available in your soil so you can apply fertilizer at the current rates and not apply more than you need,” he said. “Then make sure you make your crop budgets, so you know how much each crop will cost you.”
Crop budgets based on each farm’s specific data allow growers to know when to switch to a lowerinput crop and what crops will make the most money under the current financial situation.
“Every farm is different, so every farmer needs to analyze their situation to figure out what is the best path for them,” he said.
Lime and fertilizer management are significant costs in cotton production. Consider these five points in making your nutrient management decisions:
• What nutrients do you need?
• How much of each nutrient do you need?
• What source of fertilizer should you use?
• How should they be applied?
• When should they be applied?
When I was a little kid, Desha County, Arkansas, was probably 90% cotton. Everything revolved around it. Three sides of my yard were cotton fields, and the cotton gin was about a half mile from our house. Cotton was what we grew, and when I started scouting, that’s all we scouted. In 2005, I started Pearce Consulting, LLC. Today, I consult on cotton, rice, soybeans, corn, and wheat.
Although the 2022 cotton season started out hot and dry, we are 100% irrigated and had on average one of the best cotton crops we’ve ever had. Much of it yielded more than 1,500 pounds per acre. However, after an early sandstorm stunted the crop, we had thrips as bad as I have ever seen. We were only getting about 60% control with organophosphates, and the pressure was so high that a lot of my farmers switched to Intrepid Edge® insecticide for thrips control.
We also are one of the hottest spots in the country for tarnished plant bug numbers. When the cotton is early and short — first square until bloom — we scout using a sweep net to look for adults flying back and forth out of the field. Once the cotton starts blooming and retaining some fruit, we scout using drop cloths. Signs of plant bug damage are loss of square retention and seeing small, yellow-flared squares. Every time I walk in and out of a cotton field, I do 50 square counts beginning with the third node down from the top. As long as I can stay over 80% to 85% square retention, I am fine.
Because the key to achieving plant bug control is to never let them get established, we apply Transform® WG insecticide to achieve early control with a long residual. As soon as I start getting tarnished pIant bug nymphs in the field, I normally end up with three shots of Transform and Diamond insect growth regulator on my cotton to break those breeding populations. You can’t fight plant bugs from behind. If you let the numbers get out of hand, you will have plant bugs all year.
We have some of the best cotton varieties I have seen during my career. Many of them have high-yield potential. You can’t let these racehorse varieties get hot on the front end. We may get some early rains, but make sure the cotton doesn’t get drought stressed. It doesn’t matter if it’s 6 inches tall or already big and blooming. I like for my farmers to water their cotton every 10 days.
• B.S. degree in plant and soil science, University of Arkansas at Monticello.
• Started Pearce Consulting, LLC in 2005. Consults on cotton, rice, soybeans, corn, and wheat in southeast Arkansas.
• Member, Green Hill United Methodist Church in Monticello, Arkansas.
• Wife Sarah. Daughter Aida, 8. Son Fletcher, 3.
• Enjoys deer, turkey, and hog hunting. Raises and trains hog dogs.
• Spends time at the deer camp with his family in the winter.
1. In 2022, after an early sandstorm stunted the cotton crop, we had thrips as bad as I have ever seen. We were only getting about 60% control with organophosphates, and the pressure was so high that a lot of my farmers switched to Intrepid Edge® insecticide for thrips control.
2. Signs of tarnished plant bug damage are loss of square retention and seeing small, yellow-flared squares.
3. Because the key to achieving plant bug control is to never let them get established, we apply Transform® WG insecticide to achieve early control with a long residual.
4. We may get some early rains, but make sure the highyield potential cotton doesn’t get drought stressed.
GRIGGS FARMS:
BY CASSIDY NEMEC ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Matt and Kelly Griggs operate roughly 1,600 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans, and wheat in Humboldt, Tennessee. Matt, a University of Tennessee-Martin graduate, began the fifth generation of the Tennessee Century Farm, which can be traced back to 1882 when his great-great grandfather moved a cotton gin to the same, once-bustling Mason Grove community area where the Griggs work and live today.
“My great grandfather and grandfather all ran the cotton gin until it got shut down in 1995,” Matt said. “We had done some farming on the side, but the gin was the primary industry. When my dad graduated from college in the early ‘70s, he focused on the farming side while my grandad did the ginning side.”
Once the gin became unprofitable and saw its last ginning season, the Griggs family continued farming as their way of life.
“Growing up, I spent all my time on the farm,” Matt said. “My dad really discouraged me from farming because he knew I had the ability to do whatever else and have a lot easier life, but it’s what I grew up loving. Finally, by the time I was getting ready to go to college, I convinced him this is what I want to do. It was God’s calling for me.”
Matt went on to college at UT-Martin and received a degree in plant and soil science before returning home to work with his dad. After farming as a father-son duo for about three years, Matt’s dad passed away suddenly in 2005. It was not long before his father’s death that he met Kelly, his now wife and mother of three children.
Journeying south from the Chicago suburbs, Kelly began working on the farm with Matt and transitioned into a fulltime role in 2011.
Since 2005, Matt said they have doubled the size of the farm and turned over all their equipment, now holding more modern and useful technologies.
2011 was the year the Griggs started experimenting with cover crops to increase soil health, thereby beginning Matt’s venture into YouTube later into the decade.
“That’s really what we base a lot of our online presence on. It’s what we learned, how we succeeded, how we failed,” he said before commenting he hopes to be a resource for other farmers. “I don’t look at other farmers as competitors; I look at them as resources and would like to be seen the same way. Every farmer gets a wealth of information on their farm every year that could really help somebody else out, and that’s what we want to do and hopefully help other farmers
avoid going through a lot of the pitfalls we’ve gone through.”
“If you’re another farmer, we’re an open book to educate,” Kelly added. “We want to educate the public and other farmers on what we do and why we do it.”
Matt emphasized their initial goal was to educate the general public about farming. “You start seeing a lot of propaganda against farming, and the majority of the general public is two or three generations removed from the farm.”
Kelly said some of her favorite people to follow are the smaller farms and those who do something different than what they do, like vegetables or livestock. Matt enjoys following the smaller farms but also those who are more local to see how they’re approaching issues on their farm.
Before COVID-19 swept the nation and world, “The American Farm” premiered on the History Channel in 2019. The Griggs were featured in this reality documentary as one of five farming families across the country. This opened the door for them to expand their presence and step into new ways of sharing their lives with others.
Starting out on their social media platforms, Facebook was their initial mechanism for sharing information, especially as it related to cover crops. After “The American Farm,” their primary platforms shifted to YouTube and Instagram.
“My target audience at the time was finding other female farmers,” Kelly said of starting out on Instagram. “For me, it was to find friends and to show people what we were doing.”
She said she can explain things in simple terms, being an outsider, but still knows enough of the scientific side from Matt now to rest assured she is not steering people in the wrong direction. Kelly also noted she has found some of the greatest friends all over the country and world through this platform.
“It’s amazing that social media can be used for good,” she said. “Yes, it has been used for bad, but, in my case, I’ve met friends that I never had before who are in this industry and understand.”
As for YouTube, Matt said he works on the videos but that he and Kelly both are in them and provide helpful perspectives as they relate to what they’re working on in the field.
He said that he has been able to make friends a lot closer to home because of his channel, noting one family farm he found through YouTube is 45 minutes away in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and another is two hours away in Middle Tennessee, that came to help them with harvest last season.
“They drove two hours one way just to come help us out. Social media can be used for good, and that’s it,” Kelly said.
Kelly admitted there is a downside to media platforms in that some people get a large following very quickly and sell themselves or change as a person. She said that is what people in the cities are watching and believing, which is where she takes issue as those with the now-large followings have lost the original intent of their platforms.
Kelly said she wants to see them continue to focus on educating rather than growing in popularity. “We’re just showing our real lifestyle and being educators.”
Matt reiterated their goal on social media is to be as open and honest as possible.
“The same information I would have to give to our landlords is the same information I try to provide to the public so there is no discrepancy about my honesty,” he said. “The one thing we care about more than anything is our credibility and honesty. It’s not about how much money we could make — making money is a side benefit — but we care far more about our reputation and our credibility.”
He said over the next five to 10 years, he would still like to be putting out content they are proud of.
“In our occupation, there is no shortage of content. The big players are going to be our daily videos of what’s going on at the farm, but I also like to put out several videos a year dealing with specific topics like how a piece of farm equipment works, a series on how to start farming or even how government subsidies work. I want to have a real impact on people and the industry. I want to help change it for the better.”
“If you’re another farmer, we’re an open book to educate. We want to educate the public and other farmers on what we do and why we do it.”
Nathan Reed, a Marianna, Arkansas, cotton producer was re-elected chairman of the American Cotton Producers of the National Cotton Council for 2023, during the NCC’s 2023 Annual Meeting.
He served in that position in 2022 after serving as an ACP vice chairman, and he has and continues to serve on multiple ACP committees. He also is an NCC director, serves on various NCC committees and task forces, and currently chairs the NCC’s Farm Program & Economic Policy Committee.
Elected as ACP vice chairmen were Adam Hatley, Mesa, Arizona; Doyle Schniers, San Angelo, Texas; and Matt Coley, Vienna, Georgia.
Re-elected as ACP producer directors were David Dunlow, Gaston, North Carolina, representing the Southeast and Patrick Johnson, Tunica, Mississippi, representing the Mid-South.
Gary Martin, Firebaugh, California, represents the Far West. Jon Whatley, of Odem, Texas, was elected as a director representing the Southwest. Nathan Reed also will serve as the ACP’s at-large director.
The NCC’s American Cotton Producers is an organization of cotton producer leaders elected by their peers. All major cotton-producing states have representation. The ACP is the producers’ advocate within the NCC and has responsibility for developing recommendations on all matters affecting the cotton production sector.
Serving as ACP state producer chairmen in 2023 will be:
■ Alabama: Nick McMichen, Centre; and Shep Morris, Sr., Shorter.
■ Arizona : Jerry Rovey and K.C. Gingg, both of Buckeye.
■ Arkansas: Matt Hyneman, Jonesboro.
■ California: Bryan Bone, Bakersfield.
■ Florida: Nick Marshall, Baker.
■ Georgia: Lee Cromley, Brooklet; and Chad Mathis, Jr., Arlington.
■ Kansas: Stuart Briggeman, Pratt; and Dan Metz, Oxford.
■ Louisiana : Heath Herring, St. Joseph; and Jason Condrey, Lake Providence.
■ Mississippi: Ted Kendall, IV, Bolton.
■ Missouri/Illinois : Steve Droke, Hornersville, Missouri.
■ New Mexico : Dean Calvani, Carlsbad.
■ North Carolina : Brad Warren, Faison; and Kent Smith, Rocky Mount.
■ Oklahoma: Mark Nichols, Altus; and Phil Bohl, Faxon.
■ South Carolina : James Johnson, Mayesville; and Daniel Baxley, Dillon.
■ Tennessee/Kentucky: Jason Luckey, Humboldt, Tennessee; and Bill Walker, Somerville, Tennessee.
■ Texas : Martin Stoerner, Lockney; Richard Gaona, Roby; and Stacy Smith, Wilson.
■ Virginia: J.W. Jones, Windsor.
Are you a college student interested in science or agriculture but need more experience before starting your career? If so, apply for the USDA-NIFA-funded Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates Internship at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson.
Each summer, paid internships are available to those interested in learning about research and Extension efforts that support agriculture. Interns gain job-based skills and knowledge through hands-on experiences.
Interns will be paired with professors and technical staff in Plant Pathology, Entomology, Crop Physiology, Weed Science, Agronomy, and Soil Science and Fertility.
While each intern will have a “home” program, everyone will get a rotation in the other disciplines to gain a holistic understanding of agriculture.
Undergraduate students enrolled fulltime may apply. The internship lasts 10-12 weeks and begins in mid-May. There is a $5,000 total stipend for 40 hours per week. Housing is available.
Apply now, as remaining spots are limited for the 2023 summer. The application is online at https://utcrops.com/wp-content/ uploads/2021/01/Intern_Application.pdf.
The Cotton Consultant of the Year reception was held Feb. 24 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, to honor the 2022 CCOY and all past CCOY recipients. This prestigious annual award is sponsored by Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine.
Hank Jones (left) of Winnsboro, Louisiana, was recognized as the 2022 CCOY.
Agronomic Services Manager, congratulated Jones and expressed his pleasure as a sponsor of the CCOY award that has been in place for more than 40 years.
Jones’s friends and family attended the reception to honor him and celebrate the e orts of all cotton consultants.
Jessie “J.D.” Vaught of Horatio, Arkansas, a pioneer in contract livestock production in the state, was thrilled to learn a few months ago that he would be inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. He passed away in late 2022, but not without knowing that he and his life’s work would be celebrated.
On March 3, he was posthumously inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Little Rock Convention Center. His daughter Carla Vaught, a longtime Extension agent with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, accepted the award on his behalf.
“He was an agricultural risk taker, as all the good ones are,” Vaught said.
Four other people were inducted, including two other honorees with connections to the Division of Agriculture through the Cooperative Extension Service and Arkansas Discovery Farms.
The other inductees are:
■ Ellis Bell of Forrest City, a fourthgeneration farmer who owns and operates an Arkansas Century Farm.
■ Bert Greenwalt of Jonesboro, Arkansas State University professor of agricultural economics. He co-founded and directs the college’s Agribusiness Conference, sponsors the Agribusiness Club and manages Greenwalt Co. farm.
■ Rice farmer Chris Isbell of Humnoke, the first to grow Koshihikari rice outside of Japan. He sells rice to sake breweries around the world.
■ Steve Stevens of Tillar, a longtime cotton farmer who was an early adopter of computerized-hole selection for irrigation and the cotton management program.
The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame began in 1987 to promote awareness of agriculture’s role in the state’s culture and economy and honor those who helped local communities and the state prosper.
When J.D. Vaught’s health began declining, the family decided to share news of his award with him at Thanksgiving.
“All of us were there — all 18 of us — and we clapped for him and told him how
proud we were of him,” Vaught recalled.
She retired from the Division of Agriculture after working 33 years as an agent with the Cooperative Extension Service and accepted the award along with J.D. Vaught’s youngest grandson, Ryan Vaught.
Also present were J.D. Vaught’s three sons and their spouses: Joey Vaught and wife Lori; Jon Vaught and Rep. DeAnn Vaught; Jason and Emilee Vaught; and grandchildren and a great-grandson.
In the late 1960s, Vaught built chicken houses and secured a contract with a poultry company to raise their chickens. He also was a member of the Arkansas Farm Bureau state board of directors from 1991-99, a Sevier County Cattlemen’s Association officer and served on the Farm Credit Association board.
The 400-acre family farm that Vaught owned and operated from 1963 until his death was a family operation. Extension, too, played a role in the farm’s success by providing research-based information.
“Former Sevier County agents Thurman Ray and Ralph Tyler were very influential in helping Daddy,” Carla said.
Ellis Bell of Forrest City operates an Arkansas Century Farm established in 1878. His great-great-grandfather purchased the land after his return from the Civil War. Bell also founded Bell’s Ag Tech
and Bell Community Services to advance interest in ag among minority youth.
“I’m overwhelmed to be standing here where so many people have stood before me and will stand here after me,” he said. “It’s been a long journey for me.”
He credited Extension personnel for helping him through the years.
Steve Stevens works closely with researchers from the Division of Agriculture to improve farming practices.
“My dad always said, ‘Leave the land better than when you found it’,” he said during his acceptance speech. That advice has shaped much of his work.
One of the more significant seedbed-preparation innovations was first implemented in Arkansas on Stevens’ farm in the early 1990s. He was an early adopter of computerized-hole selection for irrigation and the Cotton Management program. Arkansas Discovery Farms selected Stevens’ fields for cotton research in 2013. In 10 years, more data on water use, water quality, and nutrient loss has been collected on his farm than any other farm in America.
Stevens credited several Division of Agriculture faculty and staff who assisted with the research, including retired Extension entomologist Gus Lorenz; Mike Daniels, who oversees collection of data; and retired Extension cotton agronomist Bill Robertson, who recommended cover crops, which led to improved yield.
Cotton Incorporated’s mission is to increase the demand for and profitability of cotton through research and promotion. The research Cotton Incorporated conducts provides a solid foundation of data and facts to validate any claims made in promotional and marketing efforts. Additionally, and central to its mission, Cotton Incorporated looks for every way possible to increase profitability for cotton. This focus on profitability is the reason Cotton Incorporated will research opportunities beyond the lint and fiber produced by a cotton plant, such as market opportunities for the seed.
Although cotton is primarily grown as a fiber crop, it is regulated as a food crop by the Food and Drug Administration, and that is because cottonseed is a byproduct of cotton production. Cottonseed has many potential uses, both in food and non-food applications. Cottonseed oil is a popular cooking oil but can also be used in cosmetics and industrial applications. By researching new and innovative uses for cottonseed, Cotton Incorporated can help increase the demand and value cotton producers receive for their seed.
Cottonseed oil is a versatile, plantbased oil with a naturally high smoke point and neutral flavor. Those qualities have led American culinary experts and food brands to use cottonseed oil for more than a century. Cottonseed oil is found in various food products we eat daily, such as fried snacks, baked goods, and margarine.
Ongoing research supported by Cotton Incorporated is exploring any potential human-health benefits of consuming cottonseed oil. Dr. Evy Jaconis, Director of Ag & Environmental Research at Cotton
BY STACEY GORMAN WARREN, ARKANSASIncorporated and the organization’s primary cottonseed research program manager, recently presented at the Southern Cotton Ginners Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tennessee. In her presentation, she spoke about ongoing human-health cottonseed oil research being supported by Cotton Incorporated — specifically, research that investigates how cottonseed oil may help improve cholesterol levels.
According to Jaconis, an early study1 demonstrated that consumption of a high fat, cottonseed oil-rich diet over a one-week period, reduced total cholesterol in female participants. A team led by Dr. Jamie Cooper at the University
of Georgia 2 also found that a cottonseed oil enriched diet improved blood lipids in a study with healthy adult males. The newest study 3 , an eight-week research trial conducted by the University of Georgia team, investigated the effects of cottonseed oil in adults with high cholesterol, and again results showed improved blood lipid levels.
“When it comes to human health, we need a lot of research,” said Jaconis. “The next steps for us are to continue building a robust body of research regarding cottonseed oil and its potential health benefits. The research we conduct will help us understand cottonseed oil from a health perspective and expand what we can say in terms of marketing cottonseed oil.”
By exploring potential human nutritional benefits of cottonseed oil, including its potential role in reducing cholesterol levels, Cotton Incorporated is finding new and innovative ways to promote this valuable byproduct of cotton production. For more information on cottonseed oil, visit cottonseedoil.org.
Stacey Gorman is The Cotton Board’s director of communications. Contact her at sgorman@cottonboard.org.
In early March, as still more storms dumped new snow onto California’s burgeoning snowpack, water managers, farmers and environmentalists gathered in Sacramento to discuss long-term challenges to secure a more certain water future.
The fresh snowfall contrasted with challenging water realities discussed at the 61st California Irrigation Institute Annual Conference. With a theme of “One Water: Partnering for Solutions,” the event focused on addressing impacts of climate change, including warming conditions and frequent droughts that severely diminish the snowpack and state water supplies.
The gathering emphasized solutions that some speakers said could be aided through partnerships among different water interests.
“We’ve certainly adopted a ‘one water’ approach, and that really is breaking down the silos within our own utility and then taking that same approach as we think about building partnerships outside of the utility,” said Paula Kehoe, San
Francisco Public Utilities Commission director of water resources. “We recognize that there are definitely opportunities, but it takes a lot of hard work. There are many solutions to our challenges.”
In describing the state’s “hotter, drier new normal,” Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, which operates the State Water Project, said the state’s water supply is much improved since last December.
Lake Shasta, California’s largest reservoir, was framed by heaps of snow last week. Its water level as of Monday had risen to 83% of historical average. But Nemeth warned that the state’s hydrology is variable, and snow levels in some regions are below average.
“The snowpack is much more intense in the central and southern Sierra, less so in the northern part of the county,” Nemeth said. “In fact, we’re a little bit below average. These storms may push us over that, which would be terrific, but what is important is the northern part of the state is where we have our biggest reservoirs that feed the state and federal water projects — a backbone of water management here in California.”
Prior to the last few weeks of storms, she said, California had less than an inch of rain from late January to the first two weeks of February. “When it’s not raining, it’s actually getting drier, and that really represents a shift over our observed hydrology over the past hundred years.”
Warmer temperatures, Nemeth said, have water managers looking at the amount of water lost to evapotranspiration.
“We need to develop and appreciate the actual growing sliver of water that is either sinking into the soil or is evaporating given the role of temperature,” she said.
DWR is also focusing on forecasting improvements and looking at soil moisture modeling to better understand how much water can be counted on from storms following dry conditions, Nemeth said.
As part of a panel discussion, Sacramento Valley farmer Fritz Durst discussed his approach to sustainable farming, including the use of no-till and other soil-health practices that retain water and improve yields.
Durst, who grows mainly dryland crops, said “the climate change we’re seeing today has really added a substantial amount of risk” to farming.
“We’re seeing much warmer temperatures in the summertime and colder temperatures in the winter,” said Durst, who farms rice, alfalfa, sunflowers, tomatoes, and cereal crops near Knights Landing and is a Sacramento River settlement contractor.
By farming sustainably, Durst said, he uses water to benefit wildlife and fish, and he is able to make a profit.
“We’ve been very proactive in the Sacramento Valley, especially in the rice realm, where besides providing food for human beings, we provide food for shorebirds and waterfowl,” he said. “We provide food for fingerling salmon, and we have a plethora of different types of mammals and reptiles living around our fields. We’re trying to help not just ourselves but the environment we live in.”
Nemeth said water management must emphasize the “need to share the resource, so that we can continue to thrive both economically and environmentally.” She said it is important for water managers to add flexibility to the water system.
To respond to changing conditions, she said, investments must be made in construction of aboveground and below-
ground water storage, desalinization, and water recycling.
Local agencies are working on groundwater recharge and demand management to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, a 2014 law that requires efforts to bring depleted groundwater basins into balance.
Jeevan Muhar, general manager of the Arvin-Edison Water Storage District, a federal Central Valley Project contractor based in Kern County, said it is important to invest in construction of new infrastructure and repairs of existing conveyance facilities.
Touting partnerships between agencies as a path to water-management solutions, Muhar described the cooperative relationship the water district enjoys with the large water provider in neighboring Los Angeles County.
“One of our largest partners is the Metropolitan Water District,” he said. “We were one of the first ag-urban partnerships, and I’m proud to say that we continue to have that partnership.
“Talk to your neighbors. Your neighbors might already have those facilities, and you should be able to capitalize on what folks are doing around you,” Muhar added. “I definitely encourage you to think outside the silos and break those down. We have to.”
Working collaboratively with various interests, he said, his district is trying to solve problems, noting that there are “some synergies in working with flood plains and recharge and solving water quality problems all at the same time, so that we can move forward and not continue to fight.”
Robyn Grimm, climate resilient water systems director for the Environmental Defense Fund, discussed work with local partners to develop tools, systems, and approaches to manage water and land resources.
“Ultimately, all of us in the room here, we’re trying to get to the same place where our water systems are in balance, and we’re using our water supplies in a way that results in a sustainable and resilient California with ongoing agricultural production, beautiful places to recreate, a strong economy and a healthy environment,” Grimm said.
“It is a big lift to get there, and change is really hard, and the system is ever evolving and changing. We need to trust one another and work together.”
Frequent droughts in California severely diminish the snowpack and the state’s water supplies.Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert–California Farm Bureau Federation. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.
As I write this March 6, approximately 78% of Texas is still in either drought or abnormally dry conditions. Conditions in the Coastal Bend and Lower Rio Grande Valley are listed as being in moderate drought, along with some areas in the Blackland Prairie. e Rolling Plains, West-Central Texas and the High Plains growing regions are listed anywhere from moderate drought to extreme drought in some areas. Additional rainfall would greatly help recharge soil moisture and get the crop o to a good start on many of our cotton acres across the state ahead of planting.
Warm and cool germination values, along with overall cotton seed quality, are very important considerations as we get closer to planting. I encourage growers to wait until soil temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit at a depth of four inches before even considering planting, and always consider what the ve-day weather forecast looks like.
ere is a strong correlation between soil temperatures and the time until seedling emergence, and waiting on favorable temperatures can ensure young cotton gets out of the ground in a timely manner and o to a good start. I also encourage producers to plant their best seed rst, as indicated by warm and cool germination percentage, and hold o until conditions are more ideal before planting seed with lower warm or cool germination values.
Additionally, seed treatments and in-furrow applications can bring quite a bit of value to early season pest management programs. As cotton begins to emerge, it enters one of the most vulnerable times throughout the entire life cycle for damage from pests. Protecting young cotton plants on the front end of the season can go a long way toward protecting yield and ber quality at the other end of the growing season. bmcknight@tamu.edu
Before I get going on getting a good stand of cotton, I do want to thank all our UGA county Extension agents and growers for organizing and attending our winter production meetings for 2023. It was great hitting the road, seeing everyone and visiting with agents, growers and industry about our state’s most widely cultivated row crop.
As I write this March 6, it is over 80 degrees outside and has been for the last few days. Many growers are getting the itch to jump out and plant something, but I hope they planted corn instead of cotton this early. However, by the time this is published, it will be time to be getting in the eld and possibly planting a little cotton.
One thing I’ve talked with a few growers about this year is planting into good conditions. Most of my other colleagues at this time will likely say something about waiting until soil temperatures are above 65 degrees Fahrenheit in the morning and possibly getting your seed’s cool germ tested. While these things are important, and do have a few folks planting really early in Georgia, it seems like we don’t really get going until late April/early May. One thing I have noticed might be more vital for us is planting into good moisture.
Last season on the station, we began planting cotton April 17, mainly to take advantage of good soil moisture in a dryland eld. It did not rain in Ti on again until June 15, so if we had not taken advantage of that mid-April rainfall, we wouldn’t have been planted until June 15 or so. Luckily, we were sitting on go so we could take advantage of the good moisture. Although that was a dryland situation, we need to plant into good moisture in our irrigated elds as well, even if that means watering the eld prior to planting. Planting into good moisture can reduce injury from preemergence herbicides and give us a little more con dence that
Getting a good stand of cotton at the beginning of the season can maximize returns of the crop, according to specialists across the Cotton Belt.
we will get an acceptable stand on the first try. Of course, there are a lot of factors that can affect getting a stand, but planting into good moisture leaves us with one less thing to worry about.
As always, your local UGA county Extension agent and specialists are here to help! Reach out if you have any questions. camphand@uga.edu
The first step to a successful start to the season is establishing a healthy cotton stand. Planting early can increase yield potential and promote earliness in terms of plant maturity. Generally, when conditions are conducive to optimum growth, cotton can grow rapidly, reducing losses to insect pests such as thrips. However, conditions were marginal in 2022, and that created several stand issues from soil-borne diseases and heavy thrips pressure. In Missouri, we rarely see optimum growth conditions for cotton in April or early May.
Starting off with a weed-free seed bed will allow for greater sunlight to increase soil temperatures and reduce moisture and plant competition. Therefore, pre-plant burndown applications are essential to promoting a healthy stand. In fields with cover crops, termination of the cover is needed three to six weeks prior to planting to reduce biomass and moisture use by the cover crop. Good seed-to-soil contact is important for promoting a healthy cotton stand.
Optimum conditions for planting include a mid-morning, 68-degree Fahrenheit soil temperature at the desired planting depth for three consecutive days and a favorable five-day forecast. Environmental conditions that provide cotton DD60’s that are 25 or greater are considered an optimum five-day outlook. Lastly, monitoring seeding depth is important as you move from field to field. This is an aspect that can be easily overlooked but can come at a huge cost. brwilson@missouri.edu
With cotton planting knocking at our door, now is a good time to start preparing for thrips management. Thrips are a major, early season pest of seedling cotton in Louisiana and throughout the cotton belt. Tobacco thrips are the most common species on cotton in Louisiana. Research has shown that severe thrips infestations can reduce yield by 200 to 300 pounds of lint per acre.
Cotton is most susceptible to thrips injury between emergence and the fourth true-leaf stage due to the slow development of the terminal bud. Cotton seedlings injured from thrips may exhibit tattered/crinkled leaves that curl upward and fail to properly expand. Injury from sandblasting and preemergence herbicides can oftentimes mimic thrips injury.
Management options include insecticide seed treatments, in-furrow applications, foliar sprays and the recently commercialized ThryvOn technology. Currently, acephate and neonicotinoids are the only two seed treatment options. The two most common neonicotinoids are imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, and they are offered alone or in combination with nematicides. LSU AgCenter entomologists do not recommend the use of thiamethoxam alone to manage thrips in cotton due to development of resistance by tobacco thrips.
At-planting, in-furrow insecticide options include imidacloprid, acephate or AgLogic (aldicarb). Foliar rescue sprays may be necessary under certain conditions, but they should not be the only tool used to manage thrips. The decision to use a foliar insecticide for thrips control should be based on scouting. The presence of immature thrips indicates the insecticide seed treatment has broken down and reproduction is occurring.
Foliar insecticide options include acephate, Bidrin, Radiant, dimethoate or Intrepid Edge. ThryvOn cotton expresses a new biotech trait that provides protection against thrips and tarnished plant bug species. It-
“Thrips are a major, early season pest of seedling cotton in Louisiana and throughout the cotton belt,” Matt Foster said. “Research has shown that severe thrips infestations can reduce yield by 200 to 300 pounds of lint per acre.”
protects young cotton plants from thrips species by deterring adult feeding and egg laying. In LSU AgCenter trials, ThryvOn cotton provided excellent control of thrips without additional insecticide inputs. Implementing a good thrips management plan will help ensure a healthy stand. mfoster@agcenter.lsu.edu
With warm weather in February, planting season seems like it’s already upon us. Spring is busting out with great enthusiasm, and a respectable number of corn acres are already planted in Mississippi. However, historically, we are due for another cool/cold snap, and it will likely occur near Easter if there is any normalcy left regarding weather trends.
Typically, larger-seeded varieties have better early season vigor and less emergence issues; however, this is not always the case. First, it is always a good idea to pay attention to the germination percentage for the seed lot that is being planted. For varieties with a history of poor germination or emergence issues, consider requesting the cool germination from the seed company. A good seed treatment with a fungicide and insecticide can help protect seedlings when environmental conditions become challenging either from pests or poor weather conditions.
Anyone who has been around cotton long enough has experienced issues with getting a stand at some point in their career. Often, under relatively favorable conditions, it appears like cotton seedlings want to die until they get a developed root system. Environmental conditions a week or two after planting are critical to the success or failure of a cotton stand. Checking the soil temperature and ensuring it’s over 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the morning is a good starting point as well as monitoring the extended forecasts to avoid cool nights or abundant rainfall.
Finally, seed placement at a proper depth, in moisture, and good seedto-soil contact will increase your chances of success. In cover-cropped systems, soil temperatures could remain cooler a couple days longer compared to bare ground, and seed placement might be a little challenging. Therefore, making sure you have right equipment to achieve proper seed placement in a cover-cropped system is key to good emergence and a healthy stand. Best regards! bkp4@msstate.edu
Achieving a healthy stand is not always an easy task in North Carolina as environmental conditions can change frequently during our optimum-planting window. We have a tool on our cotton portal called Cotton Planting Conditions Calculator where growers can find what the planting conditions are for their farm on a map. Growers should check this often as these predictions are based on weather forecasts and those can change fairly rapidly.
There are very few planting seasons where growers might have to plant in less-than-optimum conditions. There are some things that growers can do to increase the odds that they will get a healthy stand. One is using the best quality seed they have in terms of both warm and cool germ. Growers can check the NCDA cotton seed quality database to check and see if their lots of seed have been tested in the NCDA seed lab. Reducing any stress on the germinating seed is important under less-than-ideal conditions. Such ways to reduce stressful conditions include avoiding planting too deeply, avoiding any in-furrow fertilizers and/or planting before packing rains, especially on soils that tend to crust. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu
Tennessee, as a predominately no-till state, has limited our ability to create an ideal seedbed. Over the past several years, our seedlings have had to struggle through prolonged saturated soil conditions and cold snaps. While many of our colleagues to the west and south can take advantage of beds — which provide a uniform, warm seedbed that allows moisture to move away from the young seedling — much of our ground is rolling and erodible; we simply cannot bed some farms without risking substantial soil loss.
Our best bet for achieving adequate emergence and a healthy stand is to move residue away from the furrow, properly place and cover each seed at the proper depth and constantly watch the forecast. If a Blackberry Winter and significant rainfall is in the forecast, it is usually best to keep the seed in the bag. If residue is near the furrow, slugs tend to be worse and will move down an unclosed furrow to significantly damage a stand.
I run my row cleaners aggressively enough to move as much residue as possible away from the furrow without moving substantial amounts of soil. This usually allows the row unit to maximize seed-to-soil contact, uniformly place seed and properly close the furrow. Completing those three activities with the planter and keeping a close eye on the forecast usually represents a solid start for Tennessee cotton. traper@utk.edu
I am not a planter expert. But I walk behind a lot of planting equipment and see the results.
My bias is against thick stands. What looks good in early June seems too thick in mid-August. In the Lower Southeast, two seed per foot may be enough. Farther north, even in north Alabama, seeding rates of at least two and a half to three seed per foot are probably needed. For hill-drop plantings, three seed per hill seems one too many. Last year at a grower meeting in Jackson, Tennessee, I asked, “What’s wrong with three seed per hill?” The quick response from the audience was, “One plant will be a weed.” Yes!
In the distant past I gained considerable experience with a Monosem planter, a French brand recognized for versatility and accuracy. These planters are not green or red, but blue. With proper plates and vacuum settings, they can plant peanuts or pigweed (planted for weed management studies) and provide a stand almost as precise as a pecan orchard. With time, practice and coaching, I learned how to maximize the capabilities of our planter and, most of the time, obtain consistent stands.
This is not to promote that brand but to encourage producers to give attention to detail on planter setup and operation. Seed are too expensive to waste with over-planting, but obviously and absolutely, essential to successful production.
Achieving effective stands involves knowledge of equipment, its capabilities, adjustment points, quirks and nuances. It also requires knowledge of seed quality — warm and cool germ numbers — as well as seed count per pound along with expected vigor. Time in the shop and on a few practice passes will be time well spent. Also, in-season adjustments will likely be needed as conditions vary.
I recognize I am “preaching to the choir.” Growers know all these things. Still, proper attention to the planting operation — matching all the mechanical aspects of equipment to field conditions, seed size, seedling vigor, weather forecasts, etc. — should reap important results in up-front costs and stand establishment. Don’t let the RUSH of planting crowd out the real goal.
As one of my mentors from long ago stated, “Anybody can plant cotton. Not everybody can get a stand.”
cottonbrown@auburn.edu
“Achieving effective stands involves knowledge of equipment, its capabilities, adjustment points, quirks and nuances,” said Steve Brown. “It also requires knowledge of seed quality — warm and cool germ numbers — as well as seed count per pound along with expected vigor.”STEVE BROWN
Curtis Stewart, a long-time ginner who has provided outstanding service and leadership to the U.S. cotton industry, is the 2022 Horace Hayden National Cotton Ginner of the Year. He was recognized at the 2023 National Cotton Ginners Association’s annual meeting in Dallas, Texas.
The annual NCGA award is presented to a ginner in recognition of:
Able, e icient, and faithful service to the ginning industry.
Continuing those principles exemplified and practiced by Horace Hayden, a former NCGA executive secretary.
General manager of Spade Cooperative Gin in Spade, Texas, Stewart has provided dedicated service and leadership to the industry during his career through participation in multiple organizations. He served a two-year term as NCGA president and is the outgoing NCGA chairman. He is a past president of Southern Cotton Ginners, Planters Cotton Oil Mill, and Dumas Cotton Warehouse, among others. A graduate of the National Cotton Council’s Leadership Program, Stewart has served on multiple NCC committees and as a NCC director and director of its export promotions arm, Cotton Council International. He also is a past chairman of the Joint Cotton Industry Bale Packaging Committee. A Texas native, Stewart graduated from Texas A&M University in 1982 with a B.S. degree in mechanized agriculture and then worked for several regional cooperatives that included the Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, Farmers Cooperative Compress, and New Home Co-op Gin. He later earned a degree in agriculture engineering from Texas Tech while working at the U.S. Department of Agriculture South Plains Ginning Laboratory in Lubbock — where he continues to assist in various research projects.
Stewart later worked as the engineer for Chickasha Cotton Oil Co. in Casa Grande, Arizona, before becoming president of Dumas Cotton Gin in Dumas, Arkansas. He joined the Spade Cooperative Gin in 2011.
The NCGA also recognized Dr. Greg Holt as recipient of the NCGA’s 2022-23 Charles C. Owen Distinguished Service Award. That award honors those who have provided a career of distinguished service to the U.S. ginning industry. Holt, research leader at USDA’s South Plains Ginning Lab-
oratory in Lubbock, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University and then his Ph.D. in industrial engineering at Texas Tech while working at the ginning laboratory.
Over his 24-year career with USDA, Holt has been involved in countless research projects that added to the U.S. ginning industry’s success. Among those studies were post-harvest processing of seed cotton, cottonseed, and cotton gin by-products such as hydro-mulch and fuel pellets.
Holt also was involved in development of the Power Roll Gin stand design, generation of new particulate matter emissions data that has been used to improve the permitting process for gins, and the successful design and testing of an improved mechanical delinter that e iciently removes residual lint from ginned seed. More recently, his work has focused on designing detection and removal systems for removing costly plastic contaminants from seed cotton.
The Memphis-based National Cotton Ginners Association named its leaders for 2023 during its recent annual meeting in Dallas, Texas.
The NCGA’s 2023 o icers are: president — Gene Seale, Pima, Arizona; first vice president — Richard Lindsey, Centre, Alabama; second vice president — Larry Black, Roscoe, Texas; and third vice president, Brad Williams of Burlison, Tennessee. George LaCour of Morganza, Louisiana, who served as NCGA president in 2022, will serve as NCGA chairman. Harrison Ashley, Cordova, Tennessee, is NCGA’s executive vice president.
Seale, who currently is the general manager of the Glenbar Gin in Pima, has been active in the Arizona Cotton Ginners Association and served as its president from 2018-2022. He has served on numerous NCGA committees and subcommittees, including chairing its Safety and Labor Committee in 2022. He
also served on multiple National Cotton Council committees and as a NCC director in 2022. Originally from Safford, Arizona, he graduated from Eastern Arizona College and Northern Arizona University with a degree in business administration.
At its annual meeting in Memphis, the Joint Cotton Industry Bale Packaging Committee (JCIBPC) granted two requests for continued testing of packaging products.
PAC Strapping was granted approval to continue its compatibility testing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) strap on patented p-weld friction technology systems and L.P. Brown’s light-weight cotton bale bag also was approved for continued testing for export in the West. PAC Strapping’s sixth-year PET compatibility test was granted a “JCIBPC determination” in order for bales in the test program to be deemed “deliverable” in accordance with Intercontinental Exchange Cotton No. 2 rules.
The committee, chaired by Chris Berry, a Wellman, Texas, ginner, also approved the revised 2023 Cotton Bale Packaging Specifications, which included removing all reference to Standard Density bales and discouraging use of wire tags.
Editor’s note: The following news item came from a blog in The
Gin Press, produced by the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, Inc.
Thirty producers and ginners from the Southeast went to Washington, D.C., to meet with most of the Congressional representation from our region. The group flew to the Capital city on Monday, Feb. 27 and had 60 meetings over the next day and a half on the Hill.
This is an annual trip held by the Southern Cotton Growers Government Relations Committee. For the past several years, the group has invited the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Executive Committee to join in the trip. This year, many of the producers were also ginners or tightly connected to the ginning community.
This is the first time the association had a chance to go on such a trip in three years. The last trip was just before Covid
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conversions work great! Trucks are loaded fast and the drivers love them.”Jimmy Web and other growers and ginners discuss the Farm Bill with Sanford Bishop (D-GA).
House Ag Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson and Ag Committee sta . We appreciate the Chairman’s time and his sta for meeting with us.
If it were not for the support of producers and ginners in the Southeast Cotton Committee (SECC) political action committee, we would not be able to get the appointments we were able to have.
If you would like more information on how to participate in SECC, please contact Susan Garrick in our o ice.
We would like to thank those that went on the trip and the members who were able to meet with us and especially the National Cotton Council Sta on helping to facilitate the trip.
Distractions have become “routine” in our daily lives. Our phones go o , we get text messages and we’re bombarded by the never-ending news cycle. Everything seems to be trying to get our attention, and it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important. Things can sneak up on you, and those are the ones that will jump up and bite you.
shut everything down in March 2020.
With this being a Farm Bill year, it was the main topic of conversation. While nearly every special interest in the country has a lobbyist in D.C., having actual constituents a ected by the laws they write has a much bigger impact than can be explained here.
In the last year or so, we’ve seen huge increases in our costs. As I write this, we’re getting news of the highest inflation in more than a generation… maybe two.
While I’m personally seeing some of the things that increased so much ease down a bit, it’s not common for costs that have gone up this much, this fast, to come down or come down very much. We will likely have to learn to live with some of them.
Being able to hear about the actual e ect of the cost of diesel or fertilizer prices from people back home leaves a serious impression.
Another topic front of mind for many on the trip was the H-2A Program and the recent 14% increase in the AEWR. The Department of Labor released some changes in the program that will make it even more cumbersome and potentially more expensive than it already is. More details are forthcoming.
One of the costs that snuck up on many gins in the past year or so is the cost of insurance. Normally, this is a once-a-year expense we get hit with.
The past renewal cycle or two have been more than a bit of sticker shock for many in the ginning industry. Your associa-
One of the biggest highlights was to be able to visit with
tions have been aware of this and have brought it to the attention of our memberships. But I think many of us got distracted by the other things going on and have now been hit with the reality that it’s not getting better.
April 13-14: American Cotton Producers, Hyatt Regency DFW, Dallas, Texas
April 14-15: Oklahoma Cotton Council’s Annual Denim Ball, Skirvin Hilton, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
April 19: PCCA Board & Delegate Body Meetings, Lubbock, Texas
This is a simplified explanation, but insurance companies are going to do what they need to in order to stay in business. They must make money like we do. The companies take our premium and invest it. They pay claims with it, and they expect to have some left over. If losses are low and return on investment is good, you have happy insurance companies. We get stable premiums and competition.
If they have poor investment returns and higher-than-expected cost of claims (read inflation), you have unhappy insurance companies. They may decide to pull out of the market and/or significantly increase rates. This is where we are today.
Your ginners associations and the National Cotton Ginners’ Association have been concerned about this for some time. We need healthy insurers and competition, but we really can only help one side of the insurance problem…losses. NCGA has put together a list of questions to ask yourself, so you can evaluate
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Reflecting on things I learned while growing older keeps taking me back to childhood.
One such memory concerns fences, a lesson I appreciate more now than then. I’ve been weed eating in the woods at my mother’s childhood home lately.
Rusted page wire, flattened by time, is camouflaged by limbs, leaves, and vines. I’ve found yesteryear’s remnants with my feet several times and once with a chainsaw. It reminded me of Daddy’s tongue-in-cheek comparison of my grandfathers’ approaches to putting up fences.
Papa Joiner, he’d say with a slight grin, would reuse old wire and homemade cypress posts that were cut off the farm. He’d sometimes flip the posts over and put the top in the ground, giving them a fresh start. His fences lacked glamor but were tightly stretched and followed straight lines. Grandaddy Hill, on the other hand, favored new wire and creosote posts, and took a casual approach toward alignment. Trees, even if a little off course, were enlisted into service. Evidence of that practice remains in trees that gradually swallowed sections of wire.
Sharing their contrasting philosophies was Daddy’s subtle way of advocating conservative living. My father was born in 1923 and grew up plowing a mule. He was still farming that way in 1947 when Mama said, “I do.” Cora was replaced with a Big M Farmall before I came along in 1952. Big exaggerates the tractor’s size, but perhaps described the huge improvement over walking.
Daddy’s frugal nature was reinforced by a drought in 1954. That was the first year he was unable to repay his crop loan at Exchange Bank of Unadilla. Mr. Tom Woodruff let him carry his debt over and loaned him more operating money. His appreciation for Mr. Tom never waned, nor did the unsettling experience of a crop failure.
My father didn’t give lectures. He taught by making observations and through example. With current talk of a recession, Daddy’s philosophy toward finances is worth revisiting. Frugality won’t solve every financial problem, but it’s a start. A similar view was perfectly expressed years
ago in a wry comment made by Mr. Rufus Collins, a man 10 years older than my father. I met Mr. Rufus after Jane and I moved to Vienna in 1975. He had retired from farming by the time I began working at Bank of Dooly in 1980. That’s where I would usually see him. As he was leaving one day, I followed him outside to visit for a few minutes. Mr. Rufus was driving a well-worn 1974 Chevy pickup with faded green and white paint. Knowing that was by choice and not necessity, I teased him about being overdue for an upgrade.
“Mr. Rufus,” I said, “The bank will be glad to help you get a new truck if you’re about ready.” He smiled as he opened a dusty door and shared a pearl of wisdom. He said, “Son, save the meat that hangs closest to the door.” He was referring to the days when most farms had a smokehouse, a place to cure and store hams and such. It was probably tempting at times to grab what was convenient rather than going to the back corner to get the oldest.
Larry Collins recently told me another saying of his father, a response to his loving wife when she wanted to do something he didn’t consider essential. He’d tenderly say, “Vera, we’re comfortable. We’re doing okay. I want to save so the young’uns won’t have to go through what I did.”
Born in 1913, Mr. Rufus had a firsthand look at hard times. The cracks between the floorboards of his childhood home were wide enough that wind would move the bed covers. Most of us don’t have that perspective, but we can learn from those who do. Economic problems are likely to present increasingly painful challenges. I have no idea what the future holds, but here’s what I’m certain of. Two men who understood lean times would recommend getting prepared.
Stumbling across those fallen fences reminded me of how Daddy described my grandfathers. And that led me to a treasured memory of Mr. Rufus Collins. Conservative living has mostly gone out of style, but it might be a good time to bring it back. Rusty wire and reused posts may not impress the people who ride by, but that’s not important. A better approach is to ask if the fence will keep the cows in. Decisions can be viewed from multiple angles, and old material is not always the best choice. But there’s one thing about cattle and fences that’s become more clear as I’ve grown older. Cows don’t care if the wire is new.
— Neil Joiner; Vienna, Georgia; gneiljoiner@gmail.com Read the entire White Socks series at joinerscorner.com.“Frugality won’t solve every financial problem, but it’s a start.”
