meet your neighbors
High Cotton
50x100x16
One side sheeted. One gable sheeted materials.
50x100x18 Roof only Materials
By Terry Ropp
The Tripp family’s cotton operation continues to grow and expand
40x50x12
enclosed w/3” reinforced vinyl back insulation. 1- walk thru door, 2-10x10 openings, 26 ga. 40 year painted metal. All red iron frame. Materials.
Billy Tripp raised rice, corn and building a gin, choosing recyclable masoybeans outside of Griffithville, terials for irrigation, custom baling cotton and using all three of the commerArk., in White County. Three years ago, he decided he wanted cial parts of the cotton boll. Ray Tripp, Billy’s grandfato try something different, ther, moved to the area in something that would proJudsonia, Ark. the 1950s and purchased 125 vide greater profitability. He acres where he raised strawchose cotton, which hadn’t berries and cotton. Cotton been grown in White Counpicking machines were then in ty for more than 50 years. early development and not readiHis use of value adding to ly available, which meant all of the improve the bottom line was
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cotton had to be picked by hand. Billy’s father, Billy Ray, eventually bought the farm from his grandfather with the farm later passed down to Billy. Billy Wayne eventually increased the acreage to 5,000 acres and decided to go back to his cotton raising heritage. While Billy and his future wife Kim knew each other since grade school, they married later in life. Cotton was a common denominator between Kim and Billy because she had been raised by her father Elmo Ellis on a soybean and cotton farm. “You might say our marriage was a merger as well as a marriage,” Karin said with a laugh. Tripp Farms dedicated 800 acres to the new cotton crop the first year and 1,400 acres the next. Because the Tripps were Monsanto dealers through their Searcy Farm Supply store, they purchased the Monsanto Delta Pine variety of seeds. After harvesting the first crop, Billy discovered traveling 140 miles one way to the closest gin mill was a big expense, seriously cutting into the greater profit he was seeking. Consequently, he decided MAY 17, 2021
