Cotton State Growers Set to Tour Idaho Ag Production
June 14, 2018 Farmers from 15 Cotton Belt states will visit agricultural production and processing operations in Idaho June 24-29 as part of the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) Multi-Commodity Education Program (MCEP).
Launched in 2006, the program is coordinated by NCC’s Member Services and commodity association leadership. It is supported by The Cotton Foundation with a grant from Deere & Company.
The MCEP is designed to provide its participants with a better understanding of production issues/concerns faced by their peers in another geographic region by seeing the region’s agronomic practices, technology utilization, cropping patterns, marketing plans and operational structure; and touring regional research facilities, agricultural processing operations and related businesses impacting the area economy.
NCC Chairman Ron Craft, a Plains, TX, cotton ginner, said the Multi-Commodity Education Program provides another important benefit of building much-needed unity among the nation’s current and future agricultural leaders.
“Regardless of where they farm and what crops they produce, program participants and their hosts gain a better understanding of the agronomic and economic challenges that affect U.S. agriculture’s ability to compete in today’s global marketplace,” Craft said.
Growers participating in the 2018 tour are Keith Allen, Latta, SC; Dean Calvani, Carlsbad, NM; Tommy Dollar, Bainbridge, GA; Clint Dunn, Itta Bena, MS; Rob Fleming, Scotland Neck, NC; Kent Goyen, Pratt, KS; Gary Hayes, Portageville, MO; Neal Isbell, Muscle Shoals, AL; George LaCour, Morganza, LA; Gary Martin, Firebaugh, CA; Dennis Palmer, Thatcher, AZ; Don Pearson, Jackson, TN; Sam Whitaker, Monticello, AR; Austin White, Frederick, OK; and Wesley Spurlock, Stratford, TX.
Karin Kuykendall, executive vice president of Rolling Plains Cotton Growers and executive director of Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers from Wall, TX, will also attend. The group will be accompanied by John Gibson, director of the NCC’s Member Services in Memphis.
The tour, which is hosted and arranged by the Idaho Barley Commission and Idaho Grain Producers Association (IGPA), includes four full days of tours:
June 25 –
- Begin in Twin Falls with an overview of Idaho agriculture from IGPA and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.
- Visit the College of Southern Idaho’s Trout Production Research Facility for presentations on aquaculture research and commercial trout production, and a review of Amalgamated Sugar Company’s sugar beet GMO communications campaign.
- Visit the Twin Falls Canal Company for a presentation on “Resolving Idaho Water Battles”
- Tour the Si-Ellen Dairy Farms and Clear Springs Trout Farm.
June 26 –
- Travel to Caribou County to see malt barley, wheat, seed potatoes and cattle production, plus visit a cow-calf operation.
- Visit Monsanto for a phosphate mine tour.
June 27 –
- Tour Wada Farms fresh potato packing plant near Aberdeen.
- Attend the Cereals Research Field Day hosted by the University of Idaho Aberdeen Research & Extension Center and the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Small Grains & Potato Research Facility.
- Hear presentations on barley research and see the USDA-ARS National Small Grains Germplasm Collection.
- Visit a John Deere dealership in American Falls, see the American Falls dam and tour a local farm.
June 28 –
- Tour the InteGrow Malt Plant in Idaho Falls.
- Visit the Larsen Farms hay compaction facility and area crop production in Dubois.
- See a low energy sprinkler application irrigation system at Justin Place’s farm in Hamer.
- Visit the Idahoan dehydrated potato plant in Lewisville.
- Concluding tour of barley, wheat, hay and potato production hosted by Dwight Little, president of the IGPA and the National Barley Growers Association.
Tour information provided by the National Cotton Council
GET THE NEWSLETTER TODAY!
