Plains Cotton Growers Inc. held its 66th annual meeting at the Overton Hotel and Conference Center on March 28, 2023.
While adversity has had the cotton industry in a chokehold over the past 15 months, the industry’s people continue to prove their grit and resiliency.
As PCG President Martin Stoerner, producer in Floyd County, mentioned in his speech, “We pivot as farmers, pardon the pun. When something doesn’t work or if something happens outside our control, we pivot and keep going.”
Close to 300 people comprised of producers, extension agents, national cotton organizations, industry representatives, and Congressional staff members gathered to hear stories and data from Tyne Morgan, Mark Messura, and John Kriesel.
“West Texas is special,” Tyne began in her agriculture industry outlook. “And not just because my husband is from Plainview.”
Morgan, host of the U.S. Farm Report, covered commodity planting intentions, weather, markets, policy and more, as she summed up the state of the ag industry on a national and regional scale. However, she ended on a surprising note.
“That notion we have that farmers aren’t appreciated is not true. While attending a John Deere trade show event, I noticed that the farmers were treated as celebrities. Everyone wanted to talk to them and get their insight. It was incredible.”
And in terms of all-electric tractors? Morgan visited with John Deere Chief Technology Officer Jahmy Hindman while at this event who stated, “I talked about the 8R tractors. When I ran the numbers on it, if you power that with a lithium-ion battery today, it’s twice the volume, twice the weight, twice the mass, and four times the cost. That just doesn’t pencil.”
Mark Messura, senior vice president of the Global Marketing Supply Division of Cotton Incorporated, discussed the efforts to market cotton worldwide. “Cotton is the natural fiber, but not a natural choice when it comes to purchasing decisions,” he added. He emphasized the need to shift consumer perception when it comes to cotton as it is the most sustainable choice in the marketplace today.
John Kriesel a retired Army staff sergeant, who fought in Kosovo and Iraq brought us a powerful message on the choices we make when faced with adversity. Kriesel lost both of his legs and two of his closest friends when his Humvee triggered an improvised explosive device (IED).
“I know that you guys have faced many challenges this past year with the drought and face a lot of uncertainty in this coming crop year,” he said. “But you can still make a choice to have a positive attitude. I tell my story and I look out among you and see a lot of serious faces. Don’t pity me. I am so much happier with my life now after the IED incident than I was before — because I got a second chance at life. I appreciate you and what you do for our nation. Make the choice to see the bright side as you continue to do what you do.”
The farm partnership panel featuring Mark and Bryce Howard from Dallam County and Travis and Landon Mires from Lynn County focused on several issues and ended with a discussion of the future.
“People are the most critical component of the operation to me,” said Bryce Howard. “They are also the biggest issue I see in the future. I’m focused on fostering a healthy culture for the people in our organization.”
He’s not alone in that. The people are unmatched in every facet of the cotton industry. The fellowship and gathering of likeminded men and women was good for the soul as we prepare for crop year 2023.
And while we focused on weed control, sustainability, markets and hedging, farm bill policy, future concerns, etc., we also visited, laughed, and caught up with friends we hadn’t seen in a while.
The day we had together is best summed up by Steve Olson, producer in Hale County, who stated during the farm practices panel at the end of the day, “There is nothing better than this way of life we lead.”
Thank you to all who came and celebrated the Texas High Plains cotton industry with us and to our sponsors who made the entire event possible.
