P.I.E. Tour Takes Southwest, Far West Cotton Producers to Georgia
August 1, 2024 Fourteen cotton producers from the Southwest and Far West cotton production regions will observe cotton operations in Georgia Aug. 4-9 as part of the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) 2024 Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) program.
Launched in 1989, the P.I.E. program is sponsored by BASF Agricultural Solutions through a grant to The Cotton Foundation. Following this year’s two P.I.E. tours, more than 1,200 U.S. cotton producers will have been exposed to innovative production practices in Cotton Belt regions different than their own.
The goal of the P.I.E. program is to help U.S. cotton producers maximize production efficiency and improve yields and fiber quality by gaining new perspectives in fundamental practices such as land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting; and observing diverse farming practices and the creative ways in which other resourceful producers have adopted new and existing technology. The program also fosters the sharing of information among the participants within their own regions as they travel together during the week.
The NCC’s Member Services staff, in conjunction with local producer interest organizations, coordinates the P.I.E. program’s tours and participant selection.
The tour participants are:
Arizona – Burleson Smith, Tucson
California – Kevin Gilkey, Fresno; Matthew Jasso, Dos Palos; Aaron Palmer, Blythe
Texas – Levi Ayers, Anton; Michael Block, Travis Dusek, Roger Glass and Zachary Glass, all of San Angelo; August Guettler, III, Taft; Katy Holladay and Calvin Neal, both of Lubbock; Robert Nedbalek, Mathis; and Kyle Nickelson, Littlefield.
The group begins their Georgia tour Aug. 5 with a visit to Stoneville Research in Dawson to learn about cotton breeding, followed by a trip to Harvey Jordan Farms to discuss irrigating row crops. The day will also include a visit to a peanut shelling facility and an in-depth tour of the gin and warehouse at McCleskey Cotton.
The next day, the group will visit the University of Georgia in Tifton to learn about the university’s micro gin and the impact of its Extension programs. Other activities that day include a visit to the Georgia Museum of Agriculture, to C.H. Cannon Company in Moultrie to learn about forestry and Georgia agriculture policy, and a stop at the Sunbelt Ag Expo research farm.
On Aug. 7, the group will visit Lewis Taylor Farms to learn about Georgia’s produce and logistics, observe peanut processing at Premium Peanut in Douglas, tour the Southeastern Gin Company in Surrency, and witness tobacco harvest at Reid Turner’s farm.
The tour concludes on Aug. 8 with a visit to Herndon Farms in Lyons to observe onion and greens production, a tour of Cromley Farms, and a port tour in Savannah.
The season’s other P.I.E. tour took Mid-South and Southeast producers through California operations from July 28- Aug. 2.
Information from the National Cotton Council
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