VICTOR SAMPLE BELIEVES IN THE FUTURE OF STONEVILLE® COTTON AND ITS GROWERS

ASA says legendary, innovative brand ‘always brings something new to the table’

About 30 years ago, Victor Sample started working for Stoneville cotton. Since then, he’s built a career centered around working with growers. As the brand moved from Monsanto to Bayer CropScience to BASF, Sample moved with it. What has kept him loyal to Stoneville cotton? Simply put, Victor said, “I believe in the product, plain as that.” Sample is an Agronomic Solutions Advisor who covers the river counties in the bootheel of Missouri. In addition to helping growers figure out the best cotton varieties for their farm, he provides his growers with solutions for cotton crop protection products like fungicides and herbicides – but to him, Stoneville seed stands out. “Seed quality has always been critical to us,” Sample said. “We’ll miss a sale before we sell an inferior seed – and it’s always been that way with Stoneville cotton.”

STAND AND DELIVER

Another reason Sample has stayed with Stoneville cotton throughout most of his career is the innovations it has provided to the market and its readiness to adapt to growers’ needs. “Stoneville cotton always brings something new to the table,” he said. “We do a lot of research to bring the best varieties to our growers. We’re good at emergence and standing up out of the ground, and we deliver great yields at the end of the season.” At the end of the day, Sample said Stoneville cotton makes money for the grower, which is why he feels so confident in the brand. When he’s had growers call him with trouble in their fields, he helps them select the right variety based on their specific field conditions, which is where he says the success stories come flooding in.

THE GROWER COMES FIRST

Though his phone has been ringing off the hook for the past few weeks, Sample said the best part of his job is the relationships he has made throughout the years. He knows his growers trust him to provide the best chemistries for their fields. Because to him, the grower comes first. “There have been times when we’ve been short on a variety, and I’ve placed a competitor’s product because I know my customers trust me,” Sample said. “I learn a lot from my growers, and they depend on me, too. We learn from each other.” He still likes to keep his growers on their toes. “I quiz them on their management practices every so often,” Sample joked.

“SEED QUALITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN CRITICAL TO US. WE’LL MISS A SALE BEFORE WE SELL AN INFERIOR SEED – AND IT’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY WITH STONEVILLE COTTON.”    – VICTOR SAMPLE

 

LOOKING AHEAD

Sample stated that it’s incredible to watch the grandchildren of the cotton farmers he worked with years ago grow up to run their family farms. At the beginning of his career, he noticed many growers having a hard time turning over their farms; now, he sees promise in the kids he has watched grow up. “You can tell they’re going to be good farmers when they’re little,” Sample said. “I’ve watched so many of them grow up, and now I’m helping them. It’s no surprise to see them running the show – and doing a hell of a job at it.”