Fall Cotton Harvest Creates Kodak Moments for Visitors

As I led pair of tour buses across the Valley last Friday, you could see sure signs that the cotton season is in the final stretch run.

Some fields were already harvested and ready for plow down. Some were still drying in the warm fall sun. And others were in the middle of harvest.

Cotton Tour participants loved to capture close-up photos.

Indeed, in one field just outside of Firebaugh, the harvest was in full swing with a flurry of activity. The tour buses drove up a dusty dirt road and pulled to a stop near a module builder packing in the freshly-picked cotton. Some 100 visitors carrying notebooks and camera stepped off the buses, eager to watch the cotton picker and boll buggies in action. Some climbed up the steps of the module builders to get a closer look at the machinery. Others inspected a harvester on display.

Many people took notes from speakers.

UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Dan Munk of Fresno
County  talked about weeds and irrigation issues.

Smile: Posing with colored cotton grown by Windfall Farms.

Dr. Pete Goodell of UC IPM talked about biodiversity.

Once again our annual Cotton Farm Tour last week provided a diverse group of people – from fashion retail designers to state and U.S. agriculture officials – a unique glimpse of the world of cotton production and the work and dedication of California cotton growers.

As one participant summed it up, “This is a nice experience. You get to know where your clothes come from.”

My sweep net caught good and bad bugs.

I want to thank growers who hosted our visitors, the Silver Creek Gin and our cotton experts from University of California Cooperative Extension and Integrated Pest Management. I’ll share more information and insights from our growers and experts in the coming weeks.