Table of Contents

Vol. 43, No. 1 | Spring 2010

2010-11 Cotton Outlook Optimistic Near perfect weather and beneficial rainfall have set the stage for a potentially incredible 2010-2011 cotton crop in most of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association’s marketing area. At the end of May, farmers said pre-plant moisture levels in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas were better than many had seen in generations. The air… Read more »

PCCA, in collaboration with Texas Tech University and Cotton Council International (CCI), recently sponsored a local competition that will help send two Tech students on their way to fulfilling a career in the fashion industry. Based on the Lifetime reality TV series “Project Runway,” Denim Runway was a similar contest created for students to put… Read more »

PCCA President and CEO Wally Darneille has been chosen to lead Cotton Council International in 2010. He was elected to lead CCI as its president during NCC’s 72nd annual meeting in Memphis, Tenn. CCI is the National Cotton Council’s export promotions branch and oversees programs in more than 50 countries under the Cotton USA trademark.… Read more »

Dennis Flowers, general manager of Sudan Farmers Cooperative Gin in Sudan, Texas, comes from a long line of gin managers, and after 33 years in the business, he was named the 2010 Texas Cotton Ginners Association’s (TCGA) “Ginner of the Year.” “I am very honored to accept this prestigious award,” Flowers said. “This really does… Read more »

For decades, wind has caused harmful effects on cotton plants, often resulting in extreme damage and even death to the plant. This sandblasting condition sometimes can result in entire crops being completely destroyed. In these cases, farmers may have to replant entire fields of cotton, impacting farming operations financially. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has… Read more »

In the past 25 years, stretch denim has been brought to the forefront of the denim market. During this transition, the entire industry, especially American Cotton Growers (ACG) in Littlefield, Texas, has made strides to keep up with the demand for the product and provide consumers with a valued product. Stretch denim is made when… Read more »

The enticement of the Oregon Trail lured Bob Midkiff into a life of exploration. The rallying call of “Head West, Young Man” found its way to his ears much later than it was first spoken as Bob and his wife Toni hit the dusty trail almost 150 years after the great migration to the West… Read more »

PCCA Board Chairman Eddie Smith has had a great deal of experience as a leader in the cotton industry, and in 2010 he is leading the National Cotton Council (NCC). Smith was elected chairman of the NCC at its annual meeting in Memphis, Tenn. In 2009, Smith served as the NCC’s vice chairman. He also… Read more »

With the increase in enrollment and tuition, funding for Texas Tech University students has become more difficult. However, for two young agriculture majors this burden has become a bit easier. The Howard Alford Memorial Scholarship was endowed in 1974 by PCCA’s Board of Directors in memory of the cooperative’s former chairman of the board. This… Read more »

In an effort to spread the word and educate Plains Cotton Cooperative Association’s members, the first Young Producer Orientation was held on April 1, 2010. PCCA invited young producers and their spouses from around the region for a day full of informative presentations and social activities. The overall goal of the event was to improve… Read more »