A Family Tradition

Ronald Rawls planted his first crop of cotton in 1979. Since then, his three sons, Neal, Ryan and Chad, have joined him in the Louisiana operation as fourth-generation growers. They have excelled at adopting new technologies and working hard to keep growing the farm that includes 2,500 cotton acres. “My mama’s dad on the Thornton side was a real deal cotton farmer,” Ronald said. “He owned the first mechanical cotton picker in this country.”

14 STEALING COTTON ACRES?

e U.S. Department of Interiors has li ed the boundary limitations for four national wildlife refuges — including the one in Muleshoe, Texas.

18 Texas Field Days

BASF and Bayer hosted eld days in the Central and Upper Gulf Coast regions of Texas. e theme that surfaced for both events was “stay ahead.”

19 Ginners Marketplace

the official publication of the ginning industry

TCGA summer interns report on their “real-world experiences.” Be aware of best practices for processing suspect re bales at cotton gins and warehouses.

2024 Ccoy Nominations Open

To nominate a deserving candidate for the 2024 Cotton Consultant of the Year Award, co-sponsored by Cotton Farming and Syngenta, fill out the form online at cottonfarming.com/ccoy. Deadline for nominations is Aug. 15.

ON THE COVER: Ryan, Neal, Ronald and

Hank

Editor’s Note

Carroll Smith