Trade show season is a great time to catch up with people you only see once or twice a year. Aside from all the new gadgets, gizmos, and services, these events are like gold for the story leads that come out of them.
As I write this, I have just returned from the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis. I was there to present the annual High Cotton Award to Jerry Lovie, a cotton farmer from Buckey, Arizona. They join an elite group of U.S. cotton farmers recognized annually by Farm Press for their commitment to sustainability.
Mr. Lovie was honored at an annual breakfast meeting with growers from across the Cotton Belt. Each had their own story, but they were all similar. As U.S. cotton acreage declines, the combined acreage of California and Arizona last season did not exceed 200,000 for the first time in decades; Doland, Texas’ Richard Gaona, and Lovie are among the high cotton winners. , his sustainable farming practices are exemplary.
The Gin Show is a great opportunity for me to see a different approach to farming than the Western ones I’m used to. Indeed, this road trip gave me the opportunity to see farmland in places like Arkansas. It doesn’t seem to suffer from water problems as much as areas I know well. Meeting nice people from other parts of the country and enjoying delicious food is always a bonus.
There’s nothing wrong with meeting and learning from people outside your local area. I’m sure my fellow veterans can attest to this. It is valuable to be exposed to various cultures, both domestic and international.
One of the things that impressed me at the Gin show was the trade negotiations that took place between the agricultural commissioners of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. A one-hour panel discussion discussed efforts to promote key agricultural products to the world.
Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Secretary Andy Gipson spoke about timber production in Mississippi and how the state’s tree management is very different from California. Forest products are his third largest segment of Mississippi’s agricultural economy, behind poultry and soybeans, and his second major export item from the state after cotton.
“We have to cut down trees to keep them healthy,” he said.
Mr. Gipson also pointed out that I have not yet heard from representatives of large-scale export products produced in Western countries. India is clearly growing faster than China as family size increases.
“India is also a free country,” he said.
These opportunities and foresight should bode well for U.S. agricultural efforts that continue to produce large amounts of food for foreign markets. I’m sure other U.S. products can take inspiration from Gipson’s message and consider ways to export more U.S. agricultural products to growing countries like India.