Memories from very early childhood are often sketchy and sometimes hard to hold on to. But the ones that survive the test of time will probably stay with us forever. I remember a flying toy — not an airplane — I played with for hours in the 1950s. It basically was a plastic contraption attached to a long string on ... Read More »
In 1983, Mississippi author Willie Morris published a collection of short stories titled “Always Stand In Against the Curve.” The content primarily focused on small-town baseball and football and the coming of age years for a Southern teenage boy. Being an avid Morris fan, I bought a copy and asked him to sign it to my son, Matt, who was ... Read More »
During a recent conversation with West Texas cotton producer Shawn Holladay, he said, “There’s nothing that makes you look like a better farmer than a good rain.” Although no one will argue against rain being the lifeblood of farming, sometimes Mother Nature is stingy with her water. When there is not a cloud in the sky or a hint of ... Read More »
Some memories, along with photographs I have seen from the past, are as horrifying as a clip from the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds.” But instead of birds, I’m talking about bugs. More specifically, relentless cotton insects. A book titled “The Boll Weevil: How To Prosper in Boll Weevil Territory,” authored by G. H. Alford in 1916, contains a ... Read More »
Looking back on the history of a farming operation can sometimes involve measuring the growth in acreage, comparing yield results from one year to another, and calculating the return on investment for improvements made. Another aspect worthy of contemplation is the human element. Read More »
Although you may not embrace her politics, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) penned an interesting quote when she said, “If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.” Many people in the cotton industry may have felt they were being gobbled up like the main course Read More »
Words to contemplate and live by often come from unexpected and sometimes anonymous sources. While scrolling through Facebook last weekend, I ran across a post that caught my eye. It was titled “Advice From A Wise Old Man.” There was no author mentioned so I suppose this falls into the anonymous category. I have always believed in listening to my ... Read More »
Cotton Farming One Grower Publications