Southeastern Cotton Producers to See San Joaquin Valley Agriculture
July 7, 2015 Thirteen Southeastern cotton producers will observe cotton and other agricultural operations in California’s San Joaquin Valley the week of July 12 as part of the National Cotton Council’s 2015 Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) Program.
Sponsored by Bayer CropScience through a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the P.I.E. program is now in its 27th year of helping participants improve yields and fiber quality. The program specifically aims to help its participants boost their overall farming operation efficiency by gaining new perspectives in such fundamental practices as land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting; and observing the unique ways in which their peers are using current technology.
Upon completion of this year’s tours, the P.I.E. program will have exposed nearly 1,200 U.S. cotton producers to innovative production practices in regions different than their own.
Making the trip from the Southeast are Cade Grace, Jasper, AL; Chris Smith, Mt. Hope, AL; Scott Walker, McDavid, FL; Elton Brooks, Broxton, GA; Preston Jimmerson, Doerun, GA; Gator Walker, II, Tifton, GA; Mark McGee, Margarettesville, NC; Shane Revelle, Murfreesboro, NC; Bartley Warren, Newton Grove, NC; Dee Hane, Ft. Motte, SC; John Perrow, Cameron, SC; Landrum Weathers, Jr., Bowman, SC; and Richard Kitchen, Capron, VA.
The group will begin their activities on July 13 in Fresno with a presentation on California cotton issues from the California Cotton Ginners/Growers Association and a tour of the Bayer CropScience Research Facility. They also will visit Terra Nova Ranch in Helm and see other cotton operations in the Tranquillity area.
July 14 will feature tours of Gilkey Enterprises and other cotton operations in the Corcoran area, plus visits to the Rosa Brothers Dairy in Hanford and to Jovie and Mark Rosa’s cotton operation in Laton, as well as tours of other local cotton production operations.
On July 15, the group will visit the Quady Winery in Madera before traveling to Los Banos for a look at tomato processing at the Ingomar Packing Company. They also will tour Delta Farms in Los Banos and meet with area cotton producers.
The tour concludes on July 16 with a look at the table grape harvest at Kirschemann Farms in Bakersfield and a tour of the Bayer CropScience research operations at the Shafter Research Center in Shafter.
Three other P.I.E. tours are scheduled for this season. Mid-South producers will travel to Texas on July 26-31, Far West producers will visit Georgia on August 2-7, and Southwest producers will travel to Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi on August 16-21.
Source – National Cotton Council
GET THE NEWSLETTER TODAY!
