TCGA ANNUAL MEETING AND TRADE SHOW | | APRIL 6 …€¦ · TX2 COTTON FARMING APRIL 2017...

TCGA ANNUAL MEETING AND TRADE SHOW | | APRIL 6-7, 2017, LUBBOCK, TEXAS

Texas CottonLeads The Way

APRIL 2017 COTTON FARMING TX3TwiTTer: @CoTTonFarmingTX2 COTTON FARMING APRIL 2017 COTTONFARMING.COM

TCGA Annual Meeting and Trade ShowSchedule of Events

Monday, April 3

Southwest Cotton Ginners SchoolUSDA-ARS South Plains Ginning Lab

Tuesday, April 4


Wednesday, April 5

TCGA Golf TournamentMeadowbrook Golf Course


Thursday, April 6

TCGA’s 110th Cotton Trade Show9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Lubbock Memorial Civic CenterShow Registration, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., North Entrance.Purchase tickets at Show Registration for Friday’s TCGA Awards Dinner.Gin owners and managers register for $100 hourly drawing and $500 Awards Dinner drawing.

Official Show Opening9 a.m.Civic Center, North Entrance

TCGA Domino Tournament9 a.m. - 4 p.m.Civic Center, Room 104

Convention Lunch — Cafeteria Style11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.Southwest corner of Pedestrian Mall Exhibit Area

TCGA Executive Committee Meeting (Committee Members Only)

Noon - 2 p.m.Civic Center, Room 102

Spouses Event — “Painting with a Twist,” including hors d’oeuvres, wine and beverages

Transportation will depart Civic Center, North Entrance at 1 p.m. and will return at 4 p.m.Please RSVP by calling 512-476-8388 or emailing [email protected]“Painting with a Twist” is located at 6816 Slide Road, Ste. #6.

Taste of Lubbock Party for All Show Attendees

4:30 – 6 p.m.Civic Center, Banquet Hall

Friday, April 7

TCGA Board of Directors Meeting6:30 – 8:30 a.m.Overton Hotel & Conference Center, Sunset C Ballroom

Breakfast for Directors’ and Past Presidents’ Spouses

8:30 – 10 a.m.Overton Hotel & Conference Center, Canyon Room

Plains Cotton Growers Annual Meeting

Registration, 8:30 a.m.Meeting 9 a.m. - noonCivic Center, Banquet Hall

TCGA’s 110th Cotton Trade Show9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.Lubbock Memorial Civic CenterShow Registration, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., North Entrance.Purchase tickets at Show Registration for today’s TCGA Awards Dinner.Gin owners and managers register for $100 hourly drawing and $500 Awards Dinner drawing.

Convention Lunch - Cafeteria Style11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.Southwest corner of Pedestrian Mall Exhibit Area

TCGA Life Member LuncheonNoon - 1:30 p.m.Civic Center, Room 102

Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust Annual Meeting

2:30 – 4 p.m.Civic Center, Banquet Hall

TCGA Awards Dinner & Vegas Night Celebration

Overton Hotel & Conference Center, Sunset B Ballroom6:30 p.m. Reception7 p.m. Awards DinnerTicket required (May be purchased at show registration)Mike Polk, TCGA President, presiding

Presentation of AwardsGolf TournamentDomino TournamentLife MemberTexas Ginner of the Year

Announcement of New Officers and Executive Committee

$500 Cash Drawing for Gin Owners and Managers (must be present to win)

Vegas Night Celebration – Including Casino, Prizes and Entertainment

Everyone is invited to the Vegas Night Celebration following the TCGA Awards Dinner (no ticket required).8:45 – 11 p.m.Overton Hotel & Conference Center, Sunset A Ballroom

Capital Farm Credit and Atmos Energy Corp. will sponsor coffee and doughnuts near the registration area Thursday and Friday at 9 a.m.

ON THE COVER: PHOTO BY MARY JANE BUERKLE

Lummus

APRIL 2017 COTTON FARMING TX5TwiTTer: @CoTTonFarming

“Though Texas has long been the nation’s leading cotton-producing state, the crop this past year seemed worthy of bragging on in terms of volume and quality, so we are doing so.”

Tony Williams

TX4 COTTON FARMING APRIL 2017 COTTONFARMING.COM

Welcome To TCGA

With optimism, I welcome everyone to the 110th Annual Meeting and Cotton Trade Show of the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association. The officers, executive committee, board of directors and staff hope you will enjoy the show. Please let us know if we can do

anything for you while you are in Lubbock attending our event.As I am writing this, we still have cotton gins in the state trying to finish gin-

ning the fabulous crop of 2016. Who would have imagined we could have pro-duced almost 8 million bales in Texas late last summer? Mother Nature brought

needed rains to West Texas, and the fall cooper-ated with warm temperatures, which produced a lot of late cotton. With such a bountiful harvest, we chose “Texas Cotton Leads the Way” for our show theme this year. Though Texas has long been the nation’s leading cotton-producing state, the crop this past year seemed worthy of brag-ging on in terms of volume and quality, so we are doing so.

As we approach the 2017 growing season, the prospects of another good cotton crop in Texas are looking great. Many areas of the state have favorable underground moisture, and the market has firmed up to the point where we are compet-itive with other row crops. This should provide more planted acres, and with timely rains we should make a lot of cotton with the varieties we grow today. Many of you are looking at changes in your operation so you can better meet the needs of ginning a large crop in a timely fashion. Volume is what makes cotton gins as well as the rest of the cotton industry infrastructure prof-itable. So when the prospects look good for a large cotton crop, we have to prepare for it.

The TCGA show is designed to help you get ready for what we all hope will be a repeat of the 2016 crop. The show provides the opportunity for ginners to see and experience the latest cotton ginning technology. It is amazing some of the machinery, equipment, products and services available today to help gins be as efficient as possible. Many ginners are looking at ways to fully auto-mate processing cotton, and how to capture and better use real-time data. This helps gins be more efficient and reduce or control costs, which leads to profitability.

Texas-based companies lead the way in developing many of these new technologies for the ginning industry, and most all of them will be at our show ready to inform you of what they can do for your business. I encourage you to make the most of this opportunity by attending our event and visiting our exhibitors to see what they offer. They incur significant expense and time to bring their products and services to our show, so be sure to show your support by paying them a visit.

I am excited about 2017 and the chance we have to make back-to-back large, quality cotton crops in Texas. So let’s get started by coming to the show and meeting with exhibitors.

Welcome to Lubbock.

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President’s Message

In reflecting on his leadership term this past year with the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association, President Mike Polk describes it as a great experience. “I really enjoyed working with the board of

directors, and Tony Williams, Kelley Green and Aaron Nelsen — the TCGA staff — were all very helpful,” he says. “Almost everyone in Texas had a good ginning season in 2016. In fact, at Coastal Bend Cooperative, we ginned more bales than we ever have.”

Polk emphasizes that as manager of Coastal Bend Cooperative Gin, his primary goal is helping his farmer customers be more profitable. “One service that the gin offers is marketing our farmers’ cotton through The Seam and other cotton buyers,” Polk says. “Coastal Bend is also a member of Valco, a company in the Rio Grande Valley that pays a nice dividend for our cottonseed. The ginning industry is a competitive environment, so we do the best we can for all of our farmers.”

The Texas ginner also notes that today and in the future, the major challenge the industry faces is dealing with federal regulations.

“Representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Wage and

Hour Division-U.S. Department of Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency are con-ducting inspections of our member gins more frequently and fining them in some cases,” Polk says. “TCGA communicates with the gins to tell them what to expect during an inspection and how to get ready for it.

“Tony, Kelley and Aaron provide assistance in addressing any problems that come up and help ginners work through situations that involve these regulations. If the inspectors see something that needs to be fixed at the gin, TCGA is there to help resolve the issue.”

As the 2016 season gets underway, opti-mism is running high in the Texas cotton industry. “It looks like cotton acres will be up throughout Texas, and that’s a good thing,” Polk says. “And the price of cotton has been improving recently, which has been a big fac-tor in the acreage increase.”

Polk is confident that TCGA will be in good hands under the leadership of incoming President Scott Hilburn. As a third-generation ginner, Hilburn “brings a lot of experience to the table and is ready to lead the organization through what we hope will be another good year for Texas cotton.”

Bio/Career

• Resident of Corpus Christi, Texas• Manager of Coastal Bend Cooperative Gin• Wife Kristi and daughter Mikaylee• TCGA board member• Previously worked for Continental Eagle Corp.• Served as TCGA secretary & vice president• Average capacity at Coastal Bend is 40,000 bales.

Incoming President’s Message

Mike Polk President

Scott HilburnIncoming President

Bio/Career• Resident of Lubbock, Texas• Owner of Barwise Gin in

Floydada, Texas• Wife Dawna. Daughter

Maggie. Son Taylor.• Also served as TCGA

secretary & vice president• TCGA board member• Third-generation ginner.

Grandfather C.E. Hilburn. Father Bill Hilburn.

• Average capacity at Barwise Gin is 25,000 bales.

Third-generation ginner Scott Hilburn is looking forward to his upcoming term as president of the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association. Currently, he is

owner of Barwise Gin in Floydada, Texas.“TCGA is a great organization,” he says. “It

helps ginners secure permits, clearly explains the rules and regulations related to gin activi-ties, and keeps an eye on what is happening in the Legislature. I am honored to serve in this leadership position.”

Texas cotton acreage is projected to increase in 2017, which means the crop must be trucked, ginned and warehoused in a time-ly manner. “The logistics of dealing with a lot of cotton will be an issue we face this year, but for ginners that’s a good problem to have,” Hilburn says. “Many gins across the state are making major investments, such as adding gin stands to increase capacity, buying new trucks and arranging for custom haul-ing. Some are installing automatic baggers to move bales out faster. This type of machin-ery increases efficiency and capacity with-out wearing out the people who work there. Automatic baggers really make a difference in high-capacity gins.”

The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust has also been a savior for cotton ginners by provid-ing workers’ compensation coverage and instituting a comprehensive safety program, Hilburn says. “The accident rate in gins has decreased dramatically, and I would say that’s largely due to the efforts of the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust. Keeping employees safe is a ginner’s highest priority.”

Another bright spot is the upward trend in cotton prices, which also is a factor in the acreage increase. Commodities, such as corn and milo, that compete directly with cotton are not experiencing this uptick. Ginners ben-efit from having more bales to process, and farmers receive more money for their crop.

“Our family — particularly my grandfather, C.E. Hilburn; my father, Bill; and my uncle, Verlon — has always been in the ginning busi-ness,” Hilburn says. “My grandfather brought some of the first gins into West Texas during the Depression, and then he and my uncle bought and built several more through the years. Today, with acreage and prices up, this is an exciting time for our industry. As the incoming TCGA president, I am happy to help Texas cotton lead the way.”


Ron Craft, a fifth-generation ginner, is currently owner/manager of New-Tex Gin in Plains, Texas. His father, Gayle

Craft, opened the plant in 1962, and his grandfather, Bill Craft, operated Craft Gin in Hobbs, N.M. Because the gins were close to one another, Ron recalls spending time between the two opera-tions doing whatever he could to help.

“During ginning season, I would leave football or basketball practice and go straight to the gin to feed a suc-tion pipe or pull trailers in line or what-ever else I was able to do,” he says. “I have watched the ginning industry evolve from cotton trailers to the round modules we have today. Ginning has been my life. I always thought this is what I am supposed to do.”

Even though he grew up in the indus-try, Ron was shocked when he learned he had been chosen Ginner of the Year. “It’s a very humbling experience,” he says. “I never thought it would be me.”

A Team EffortAt New-Tex Gin, the season typically

starts in October and sometimes runs into January or February, depending on the size of the crop.

“After the big crop that we had last year, some gins were still processing cotton in March, even as cotton was coming up out of the ground in South Texas,” Ron says.

During ginning season, his day begins with marketing cotton, market-ing cottonseed and addressing cus-tomer needs as they arise. Customer service is very important, Ron says.

“Our family has farms as well, so we are able to ‘talk the talk’ and be an information source based on what we have observed with our own crop and what we observe at the gin. For exam-ple, varieties have different properties. Micronaire may be low on one variety, but the staple may be higher. We can

also share how various varieties ginned in regard to seed weight and lint turn-out. And sometimes turnout from the same variety varies from farm to farm, depending on soil type.”

Ron credits a lot of prayer, faith and having good employees as the secret to being a successful ginner.

“I couldn’t do it by myself,” he says. “We all work together and everyone knows their function from the office

personnel to the people who work in the gin plant.

“Although I am proud of this honor bestowed on me, it really goes to the entire team at New-Tex Gin. Most of our employees have been here a long time, including the office manager with 20-plus years and the gin superinten-dent with more than 40 years.”

Ginner Of The Year

Continued on page TX11

Ron CraftG I N N E R O F T H E Y E A R

Fifth-generation ginner Ron Craft is owner/operator of New-Tex Gin in Plains, Texas, and the recipient of the 2016 Ginner of the Year award.

71603.03 Cotton Farming Full Page_Wicking Ad.indd 1 3/31/16 1:24 PM


• Resident of Plains, Texas• Owner/manager of New-Tex Gin in Plains• Son Landon and daughter-in-law Morgan,

Midland, Texas. Son Brandon, Lubbock, Texas.

• Graduate of South Plains Association of Governments Law Enforcement Academy

• Past president, vice president and secretary of TCGA. Currently a TCGA board member.

• Secretary of Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust• Board member of Plains Cotton Growers

Inc.• National Cotton Ginners’ Association pres-

ident, 2016. Currently serves as NCGA chairman.

• Serves as National Cotton Council vice chairman

• Serves as Yokum County Farm Bureau secretary

• Received the 2005 TCGA Life Member Award

• Graduate of the National Cotton Council’s Cotton Leadership Program

• Texas Independent Ginners Association president, 1991-92

• Treasurer of First Baptist Church in Plains, Texas

• Enjoys spending time with family and following the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Texas Rangers

Gin Technology And Safety As the day progresses during the busy

ginning season, Ron either physically goes into the gin to make sure every-thing is running smoothly, or he observes the process on the computer screen in his office. “Modernization of the ginning industry has really progressed,” he says. “New technology relieves a lot of stress and allows us to operate more efficiently.”

Several years ago, Ron installed Intelligin, a gin process control system manufactured by Uster. According to the manufacturer, Intelligin uses established sensor technology to monitor the ginning process to optimize the equipment and value of the cotton. The system provides real-time information on trash grade, color grade and moisture of the cotton being processed through the gin.

This information allows the gin to cus-tomize its operation and settings based on the incoming seed cotton quality. On-line quality and moisture data furnish information to set drying temperatures, pre-cleaning equipment and lint cleaning equipment, Uster says.

“We also have an Argus Infrared Spark Detector that allows us to take action a lot quicker to eliminate any fires in the gin,” Ron says. “We try to keep up with the latest technology and make sure the gin is a safe place to work.

“The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust also conducts safety inspections and makes recommendations as well as providing safety training bulletins to share with our employees. We also hold our own meet-ings here at the gin to promote safety.”

Community InvolvementIn addition to his responsibilities at

New-Tex Gin, Ron also participates in community activities. He is treasurer of the First Baptist Church in Plains, Texas, and holds the rank of sergeant as a reserve deputy with the Yokum County Sheriff’s Department. He has served in the department for the past 33 years. Ron also is a past president of the Chamber of Commerce in Plains, Texas.

“Through the years, my family and I have been blessed to be a part of the Texas ginning industry,” he says. “Day in and day out, I still enjoy the sounds of the machinery running, the vibrations and even the smell of cotton being processed. It’s a rewarding career, and I am thankful to see the young people who are coming up in the industry to take our places in the future. To me, that’s a good sign.”

It is a pleasure to congratulate Ron Craft as the 2016 Ginner of the Year.

P.O. Box 4934 Corpus Christi, TX 78469 www.stoverequipment.com

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wrap & inner tail Ability to stop rotation to remove wrap Computerized touch screen controls Processes various forms of modules Quality workmanship

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TCGA Staff

Tony WilliamsExecutive Vice President

Heading the TCGA office in Austin is Tony Williams, Executive Vice President. Williams manages the Association’s activities, is responsible for its financial operations and works with the Legislature and governmental agencies to provide a ginner’s point of view when it comes to legislation and regulations. He also serves as the organization’s represen-tative at many other state and national industry meetings during the year.

J. Kelley GreenDirector of Technical Services

J. Kelley Green serves as the Director of Technical Services. Green assists ginners in complying with regulations and works with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on permits and regulations relating to gins. He also serves as TCGA’s expert in rate cases before the Public Utility Commission and man-ages the Association’s electric aggregation program, which contracts for the purchase of electricity in the deregulated market.

TCGA staff: Tony Williams, left, Aaron Nelsen and J. Kelley Green

Aaron NelsenSpecial Projects and Communications Manager

Aaron Nelsen serves as Special Projects and Communications Manager. Nelsen oversees and manages the contract with the Texas Cotton Producers and the Texas State Support Committee. He orga-nizes statewide safety seminars each year and updates members on various environmental, safety and regulatory issues. He also is respon-sible for the Association’s monthly newsletter, manages the website and oversees updating the Redbook member directory each year.

Continued from page TX8

Bolled Over By Healthcare?

Texas Ag Coop Trust915 Austin Street lLevelland, TX 79336

806-747-7894 l806-747-7897 Faxwww.txagcoop.com

Keeping your needs in

FOCUS

Ron Craft

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Lubbock Memorial Civic Center • Lubbock, Texas

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Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association110th Annual Cotton Trade Show

April 6 - 7, 2017

104

TX12 COTTON FARMING APRIL 2017 COTTONFARMING.COM COTTON FARMING APRIL 2017 TX13TwiTTer: @CoTTonFarming

Ace Harvest ........................................ 257Advanced Sensing & Controls ............ 247AFLAC/Gary Marr Insurance ............. 228Ag Workers Mutual Auto Insurance Co. and AG-PRO Insurance Services ...... 232Agrellus ............................................... 289Agriculture Precision Supply ............. 281Agrijewelry.com .................................. 203AgriWorld LLC .................................... 262Allied Compliance Services Inc. ........ 278Americot Inc. ............................... 282-283Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. .................... 211Associated Supply Company Inc. ….. 10-11Atmos Energy Corp. ........................... 243Attebury Grain .................................... 231Autauga Quality Cotton

Association ..................................... 245B C Supply .......................... 77-79, 98-100Bajaj ConEagle LLC ........................ 14-15Bayer CropScience ......................... 20-21Bayer CropScience ......................... 41-42 Bayer Museum of Agriculture ............. 218Brandon & Clark Inc. ........................... 2-3Brownfield Seed & Delinting ............... 215Browning Seed ................................... 242C&M Baling Systems Inc. ................... 6-9CALCOT ............................................... 214Cape & Son ........................................... 28Capital Farm Credit ............................ 288Caprock Metal Works ................. 140-141Caprock Tire ................................ 223-224Cherokee Fabrication Co. Inc. .......... 56-61City Mart Energy LLC ......................... 250Clerf Equipment .................................. 285Cliff Granberry Corp. ........................... 144CM Material Handling Inc. .................. 110Compass Systems and Sales LLC ...... 26Connexus Industries Inc. ................... 236Cotton Board ................................... 39-40Cotton Farming ................................... 292Cougar Cleaning Equipment .............. 238Deeco Hose & Belting ........................ 249Designs In Thread .............................. 248Diamond E .......................................... 270Dow AgroSciences LLC .............. 286-287DSV ..................................................... 267Eco-Drip Irrigation Systems Inc. ........ 225

Ennis Tag and Label ............................. 90Entec Solutions ................................... 220EnvironX Solutions ...................... 259-260Equity Exchange C/O Equity

Energy ............................................. 237Express Scale Services ..................... 261From Farm to Photo ........................... 246FSA Texas State Office ...................... 244GISC ..................................................... 210Goetz Fibers LP ................................... 101Henrys Parts & Service ...................... 269Hi Plains Electric Motor Repair ... 106-107Hi-Plains Bag & Bagging Inc. .......... 31-33Humphrey Coker Seed Co. ......... 108-109Hydraulic Shop LLC ........................ 49-50Indeco Products Inc. ................... 201-202Insurance Services of New Mexico

Inc. .................................................. 254INTL FC Stone ..................................... 251J&B Industrial Services ...................... 205John Deere Co. ............................. 114-118Jones Enterprises ............................... 258Jumbocel Systems Inc. ...................... 284KEITH Mfg. Co. ................................ 74-76Kenneth Wyatt Galleries .................... 204KFLP Radio ......................................... 272Kimbell Gin Machinery Co. ............. 62-65Kinlau Sheet Metal Works Inc. ........ 94-95Litco Services ....................................... 27Lone Star Bearing Inc. .................... 29-30Lowery Distributing Systems ............. 233LP Brown Co. ................................ 119-123Lubbock Bolt & Supply

“The Bolt Bin” .................................. 142Lubbock Electric Co. ....................... 43-45Lummus Corp. ................................ 80-88M.B. McKee Co. Inc. ................... 138-139McWhorter’s ....................................... 208Milliman Inc. ........................................ 256Module Truck Systems .................... 67-73NACHURS .......................................... 264NASS/USDA/FO ................................. 268National Cotton Council ....................... 37Netafim USA ....................................... 221Northern/Lucus Machine Inc. ......... 12-13Phytech ............................................... 252Pickup Pals .................................. 104-105

Plains Cotton Cooperative Association .............................. 273-274

Plains Cotton Growers Inc. ................. 212Polychem Plastic Strapping ........ 226-227Precision Gin Works .................... 279-280RAM Manufacturing Co. .............. 112-113Recycling Equipment Inc. ................... 219Rootrition ............................................ 265Rusty’s Weigh Scales & Service

Inc. ........................................... 124-126Samuel Jackson Inc. ....................... 51-55Samuel Strapping Systems ............ 16-19SBCotton ............................................. 241Scarborough Specialties Inc. ............ 209Schaeffer Manufacturing Co. ............... 34Scott Land Company LLC .................. 216Seed Source Genetics ....................... 253Shoppas Material Handling ................ 4-5Signode ........................................ 134-137SM Fab ................................................ 263Smith Fans Inc. ................................ 91-93Stewart & Stevenson ....................... 46-48Stover Equipment Co. Inc. ........... 127-133Swan USA Inc. - Legacy Gin Saws ... 222TJ Beall Co. ........................................... 38TCGA Registration Booth ........... 290-291Telmark Inc. ........................................ 277Texas A&M AgriLife Research .... 234-235Texas Ag Coop Trust ....................... 35-36Texas Agribusiness Insurance .... 275-276Texas Alliance of Water Conservation 255Texas Battery ...................................... 240Texas Cotton Gin Museum ................. 213Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust .................. 1Texas Lubricants ................................ 239The Triangle Companies .................... 143Thomas Engineering Inc. ................... 230U.S. Small Business Admin. .............. 271URAD Leather Conditioner ................. 217USDA AMS, Cotton Program ............. 266Vandergriff / American & Sowega

Mfg. .......................................... 102-103W&R Industrial Services Inc. .......... 22-25Washington National Insurance Co. .. 206West Texas Gas Inc. ........................ 96-97Wylie Sprayers ...................................... 89X8 Environmental Inc. ......................... 207

Exhibitors & Booth Numbers

Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association 110th Annual Cotton Trade Show

April 6-7, 2017

For more than 20 years, Cotton Farming has cosponsored the TCGA Cotton Trade Show in Lubbock, Texas. The Cotton Farming staff looks forward to many more years of this important partnership with TCGA.

Cotton Farming

Cotton Farming wishes to thank all of the Show Program advertisers for contributingto the TCGA scholarship program:

Americot Inc.Bayer FiberMaxBC SupplyCALCOTCherokee Fabrication Co.

Inc.Cliff Granberry Corp.Keith Weighing SystemsLone Star Bearing Inc.Lubbock Convention &

Visitors Bureau

Lubbock Electric Co.Lummus Corp.Milliman Inc.Northern/Lucas Machine

Inc.Overton Hotel & Conference

CenterPlains Cotton Cooperative

AssociationPlains Cotton Growers Inc.

Rusty’s Weigh Scales & Service Inc.

Samuel Jackson Inc.Seed Source GeneticsStover Equipment Co. Inc.Texas Ag Coop TrustTexas Agribusiness InsuranceTexas Cotton Gin MuseumTexas Cotton Ginners’ TrustThe Cotton BoardTJ Beall Co.


Backing The Future Of Agriculture

TCGA Scholarship Program

Assisting young people interested in moving into agri-culture is critical to the long-term viability of this sec-tor of our society. They are eager to learn, while also bringing forward their own visions of the future.

Cotton Farming is pleased to continue its support of the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association scholarship program that benefits Texas Tech University students. Each year, the mag-azine contributes a portion of revenue from the sale of ads in the TCGA printed program. This year’s check will be presented Friday night, April 7, at the Awards Banquet held at the Overton Hotel in Lubbock.

“With the costs of attending college, every scholarship helps students make their dream of receiving a degree a step closer. They tell us say this every year. We are proud to provide support for our future generation of agricultur-ists,” says Tony Williams, TCGA executive vice president.

Jane Piercy, Texas Tech’s director of development and external relations, says, “The generosity of scholarship donors is something that speaks volumes to our students. The education they are pursuing with this type of assis-tance is something they will treasure more and more in years to come, along with the generosity of those who helped them achieve that education.”

Here are the recipients of this year’s TCGA scholarships:• Brooke Gayler, Lubbock, Agricultural and Applied

Economics • Marah Walls, Ingram, Plant and Soil Science• Robert Looney, Denton, Agricultural and Applied

Economics • Glenn Green, El Paso, Agricultural and Applied

Economics • Grant Coffey, Lubbock, Plant and Soil Science Cherokee ad

Jeremy SpeisTexas Regional Manager

13330 Leopard St., Ste. #3Corpus Christi, TX 78410Phone: [email protected]

Calcot ad_CF 11/13 template 1/28/15 9:19 AM Page 1

• Joshua Doria, San Antonio, Plant and Soil Science

• Luke Stutler, Anton, Plant and Soil Science

• Joshua Emminger, Frisco, Plant and Soil Science

• Kyle Lambert, Sweetwater, Agricultural and Applied Economics

• Scott Handley, Dripping Springs, Agribusiness

• Amanda Bogart, McAdoo, Plant and Soil Science

• Rohan Orlando Brown, Lubbock, Plant and Soil Science

• John Eveler, Fabens, Agricultural and Applied Economics

• Rodney Darnell, Clyde, Plant and Soil Science

• Dustin Schniederjan, Dalhart, Plant and Soil Science

• Taylor Black, Sabinal, Agricultural and Applied Economics

• Jayton Moyer, Plainview, Agricultural and Applied Economics Jessica Dotray, Lubbock, is a Plant

and Soil Science major and the recipient of the Rocky King Memorial Scholarship.

For more information on the TCGA scholarship program, contact the orga-nization’s office in Austin, Texas, at 512-476-8388 or www.tcga.org.


Plains Cotton Growers Inc., will host its 60th Annual Meeting on Friday, April 7, 2017, in the Banquet Hall of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with regis-tration, and the program will start promptly at 9 a.m. The meeting is held in conjunction with the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show, April 6-7, in Lubbock.

Current PCG President Johnie Reed, who farms near Kress, Texas, will preside over the meeting and PCG Executive Vice President Steve Verett will report on the status of PCG operations and activities. An award recogniz-ing the 2016 High Plains Cotton Agent of the Year also will be presented at the meeting.

Keynote speaker will be Matt Rush. Matt is the fourth generation in his family to be a New Mexico farmer and cattle rancher. He graduated valedictorian of his high school class. Of course, he was only one of six. He says, “You know you’re from a small town

when to be in the top 10 percent you have to be number one!”

He and his dad partner on a farming and ranching operation. To support his farming habit, Rush travels the country as a profes-sional speaker conducting leadership and motivational seminars.

The Zig Ziglar Corp. recently recognized his talent and skill as a speaker and trainer, inviting him to become one of their first- ever Platinum Level speakers. He also is the exec-utive vice president of the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway and Kim Kitchings, senior vice president, consumer marketing for Cotton Incorporated, also are scheduled to speak.

Our mission is to ensure

the long-term profitability of our

grower-owners through value-added marketing programs and through

services to their gins.

806.763.8011 | www.pcca.com

Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust

Trust Continues To Win For Its Members

The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust continues celebrat-ing “wins” in meeting its mission. Formed in 1994, the Trust strives to provide a stable, affordable and well-managed workers’ compensation program for

its members.Wins in 2016 included

a member dividend pay-ment for the 19th year, reducing the base work-ers’ compensation rate charged its gin members. And it finished the 2015 ginning season with the best projected loss ratio in seven years. The Trust paid $3.3 million in mem-ber dividends in 2016. Dividends totaling more than $42.6 million have

been returned to members from the first 20 years of the Trust’s operation. These distributions represent more than 28 percent of premiums paid during that time.

Returns to Trust members include dividend distributions,

Safety Credit and member deposits that total $47.3 million since the Trust’s inception. It reduced the base rate for cot-ton ginning for the 2016-2017 year to $20.98, 10 percent less than 2015-2016. The rate charged by the Trust for cot-ton ginning has decreased 25.4 percent in the nine years from July 1, 2007, to 2016. Since the Trust’s formation, that rate has been reduced by more than 41 percent.

The Trust provides coverage to more than 75 percent of the cotton gins in Texas as well as cotton warehouses, cotton oil seed mills and other agricultural businesses across the state. Its Producer Program offers workers’ compensation cover-age for employees of cotton producers who gin with Trust members. It continues to improve safety service to mem-bers and their employees through safety seminars, grain safety seminars, on-site safety training, a Certified Safety Trainer (CST) program, weekly safety training bulletins and other safety initiatives. The Trust is proud to offer training in Spanish to employees of Trust members.

The annual meeting agenda will provide an update on Trust activities, deliver a report on its financial position and announce the dividend to be paid this year. Three of the nine trustee positions will be up for election. The Trust will once again be located in booth No. 1. Please stop by for a visit.

Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust Annual MeetingWhen: 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 7

Where: In the Banquet Hall of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center

1. 37-plus years experience with cotton gin parts and machinery

2. Stock a variety of specialty parts for all models of gin machinery

3. Stock power transmission products such as: gates belts, hub city gear boxes, timken bearings, dodge bearings and reducers, sheaves, sprockets, bushings, and chain

4. New and exchange lint cleaner saw and brush cylinders, spike cylinders for all types of equipment

5. Distributor for the “Sidewinder” round module unwrapper. (Watch video at lonestarbearing.com)

6. Inventory of used machinery including: Lummus 116 gin stand, SJ humidifier and steam roller, Continental 106 gin stands, Lummus 66” 700 feeders, incline cleaners and stick machines

Lone Star Bearing, Inc. 702 E. 34th Street Lubbock, TX 79404

Phone: 806-747-0556 or 800-262-0556FAX: 806-744-3711

Email: [email protected]

For more information, contact Andy [email protected]

Retirement plan services include:• High-quality, low cost

investment options

• Low fees

• Age-based asset allocation glide paths

• Investment advice

• Portability within the cooperative industry

• On-site education

• Participant and plan sponsor web and call center

• Fiduciary oversight

• Corporate trustee services

• Customized communications

• Retirement Planning

Zach Johnston1.918.408.2435zachary.johnston@milliman.comCoop401kPlan.com

Plains Cotton Growers Inc.

Rush To Keynote PCG Annual Meeting

Johnie ReedPCG President

Additional information about PCG and the Annual Meeting can be found online at www.plainscotton.org.


The industry’s first ginning classroom on wheels. Call today to schedule this unique training experience to come to your gin.

Mid-South: 662-809-9730Lubbock: 1-800-862-9966Oklahoma: 214-695-0158samjackson.com

Lubbock Convention Center ad

Six years ago, the Texas Tech Committee for Champions, as part of a larger promotional effort, suggested a partnership with the cotton industry for a Texas Tech football game. The inaugural

“Celebrate Cotton” game in 2012 was only the begin-ning of a fun yearly event that highlights the relation-

ship between the Texas High Plains cotton industry and Texas Tech.

Texas Tech athletics part-ners with Pla ins Cotton Growers and other cotton industry leaders to plan dis-plays, articles, news confer-ences, media opportunities, and much more surrounding

the event. Several agribusinesses team up as “gameday partners” and host booths at one of the main entrances to

Texas Tech Football Game Celebrates Cotton

Celebrate Cotton

Having pregame fun at last year’s Celebrate Cotton event were (right to left) PCG President Johnie Reed; his wife, Lori; Mary Jane Buerkle, director of communications and public affairs, Plains Cotton Growers Inc.; and her hus-band, Nathan Buerkle.

the game. Some area equipment dealers even bring large cotton harvesters, sprayers and more to put on display so people can understand the investments producers make in growing a cotton crop. Cotton bales line each entrance, each with a banner featuring a cotton fact or logo. The first 4,000 attendees receive a 100 percent cotton T-shirt.

The Celebrate Cotton Runway Show is becoming anoth-er tradition associated with the game. The show is co-host-ed by South Plains Mall and coordinated by represen-tat ives from Plains Cotton Growers, and the National Cotton Council, and students and faculty in the Retail Management Program at Texas Tech. The show features products made either entirely or predominantly of cot-ton, and many of the show’s models are from farm families or otherwise directly involved in the cotton industry. In 2016, the show moved to the mall’s newly renovated Grand Court, a high-traffic area with additional room for expansion.

For more information on the Celebrate Cotton event, visit http://www.plainscotton.org/CelebrateCotton.html.

Celebrate Cotton GameTexas Tech Red Raiders vs. Arizona State Sun Devils

Date: Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017

Time: TBD

Location: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock


If you are attending the TCGA Annual Meeting and Trade Show and want to extend your trip a bit, check out these suggestions for “must-see

tourist attractions.” Many of these attractions make for a fun-filled day for the entire family. Enjoy!

• Texas Cotton Gin MuseumTake a step back in time when cotton was king: 1914 Burton Farmers Gin. 307 N. Main, Burton, Texas

• National Ranching Heritage CenterThis park and museum is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of ranching in North America and addressing today’s ranching issues.3121 Fourth St., Lubbock, Texas

• Bayer Museum of AgricultureThis museum preserves the history, tells the story, and instills pride in American agriculture and values.1121 Canyon Lake Drive, Lubbock, Texas

• The Buddy Holly Center This historic site promotes thelegacy of Buddy Holly and the music of Lubbock and West Texas.1801 Crickets Ave., Lubbock, Texas

• Buddy Holly Statue and the West Texas Hall of Fame

These attractions are on the west side of Crickets Ave. across the street from the Buddy Holly Center, between 18th and 19th streets.Lubbock, Texas

• Science Spectrum MuseumThis attraction features interactive science exhibits and Lubbock’s only public aquarium.2579 S. Loop 289, Suite 250,Lubbock, Texas

• Silent Wings MuseumThis institution preserves and pro-motes the history of the World War II military glider program.6202 N. I-27, Lubbock, Texas

• Prairie Dog TownThis attraction is a fun, quick stop to see lots of prairie dogs up close.Mackenzie Park, Fourth Streetand I-27, Lubbock, Texas

• Jones AT&T Stadium at Texas Tech Visit the home of Red Raider football since Nov. 29, 1947.2626 Mac Davis Lane, Lubbock, Texas

• Llano Estacado WineryThis establishment embodies the spectacular potential ofTexas wine.3426 E. FM 1585, Lubbock, Texas

• Museum of Texas Tech University

Texas Tech

University invites you to experience art, science, history and the future.3301 Fourth St., Lubbock, Texas

• Joyland Amusement ParkEnjoy more than 30 rides, attractions.500 Canyon Lake Drive, Lubbock, Texas

• American Wind Power CenterThis wind power museum has more than 160 American-style windmills.1701 Canyon Lake Drive, Lubbock, Texas

Come see at theLearn about our latest soluuons for - Automauon Controls - Hydraulics Systems - Compressed Air - and more!

Grab some free popcorn and find out how we can help you increase producuvity in 2017.

Focus On Efficiency, Quality And Safety

Ginners School

The Ginners School marks its 31st year of classes in 2017. Cooperators include the U.S. Department of Agriculture-

Agricultural Research Service; National Cotton Ginners’ Association and its member associations; National Cotton Counci l ; Cotton Incorporated; gin machin-ery/equipment manu-facturers and suppli-ers; cooperative state research, education and Extension services; and select land-grant univer-sities. Each level of Ginners School coursework is built on the previous level of instruction, with Level I as the foundation.

Therefore, the school’s coordinators strongly recommend that beginning students, regardless of gin experience, start with Level I.

National Cotton Ginners’ Association Executive Vice President Harrison Ashley says, “We are confident our annual Ginners School is helping raise the competency of our industry’s gin employees. This school not only pro-vides a multiple level curriculum for training personnel on all aspects of ginning but also offers continuing edu-cation opportunities that focus on time-ly topics and issues. As always, the school’s emphasis is on increasing gin-ning efficiency, turning out high-quality fiber and maintaining safety.”

Wide Range Of TopicsThis year’s Level I, II and III course

programming will feature practical information on all aspects of ginning with topics ranging from electricity in the gin to pneumatics and waste col-lection to drying and moisture resto-ration systems.

Programming for the three Ginners School locations is coordinated by the National Cotton Ginners Association working in conjunction with Tommy

Valco, USDA’s cotton technology trans-fer coordinator, and the three USDA ginning laboratories.

Continuing education courses are offered the first two days of each respective school. Among continuing

education course topics will be contamination prevention,

radio frequency identifica-tion tag (RFID) technology and tracking modules, plastic wrap recycling, safety and Occupational S a f e t y a n d H e a l t h

Administration updates, l int cleaners, research

update on fiber process-ing, management issues and

gin safety. These topics may vary with regional interests and speaker avail-ability.

Ginner Certification ProgramIn conjunction with the schools, the

National Cotton Ginners’ Association is offering a Cotton Ginner Certification Program. Here are the Certification Program requirements:

• Completion of all three levels of instruction or, with equivalent experi-ence for Level I, completion of Levels II and III.

• Red Cross standards or other OSHA-approved first aid certification.

• Written recommendation from an established ginner detailing the appli-cant’s knowledge, skill, experience and character.

• Satisfactory performance on a comprehensive written examination covering practical aspects of gin oper-ation.

• Minimum three years’ experience working for a commercial ginning oper-ation.

• Membership in the National Cotton Ginners’ Association, constituted by active membership in one of its mem-ber associations.

• Upon completion of the initial certi-

fication requirements, continuing educa-tion course work credit will be required to maintain certification. Continuing education courses will be offered in conjunction with all three 2017 schools. Continuing education registration infor-mation will be mailed to participants in the certification program.

• The certification program is option-al for each school participant. The cer-tification program written examination will be offered at each school in 2017.

Registration DetailsU.S. certified ginners, gin manag-

ers and superintendents are urged to register for one of the schools. For information on registration and course descriptions, go to http://www.cotton.org/ncga/ginschool/index.cfm.

Registration confirmation will include general class starting date and time for the level registered. Lunch is served each day at the school and is included in your registration.

All courses are offered in English only. Motel guides and maps are avail-able online.

Must-See Tourist Attractions

Marty Northern

[email protected]

www.northernlucus.com

1116 E. Slaton Hwy., Lubbock, TX 79404 24 HOUR SERVICE

Ph: 806-745-8156 Fax: 806-745-0564 1-800-776-8182

Ginners School Locations• Southwest Ginners School

April 3-5South Plains Ginning Laboratory1604 East FM 1294Lubbock, Texas

• Western Ginners SchoolMay 2-4Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory300 E. College St.Mesilla Park, N.M.

• Stoneville Ginners SchoolJune 6-8USDA Ginning Research Laboratory111 Experiment Station Rd.Stoneville, Miss.


offering commercial business insurance including:

l property insurance lgeneral liability insurance linland marine insurance lworkers compensation lcommercial automobile insurance lbonds

ldirectors and officers liabilityContact Stoney or Sloan Jackson

1500 Brodaway, Ste. 1208 Lubbock, TX ~ 806-771-1171 ~ www.texasagins.com

Outstanding In Our Field

business card ad.indd 1 1/30/2017 8:41:41 AM

2016-17 Executive Committee

TCGA Officers/Directors

2016-17 Board of DirectorsDistrict 1Ed Landry, La FeriaGerald Miligan, LyfordGarry White, Raymondville*Sally Ross, Mercedes

District 2Keith Johnson, KingsvilleMichelle Lang, TaftJeff McKamey, GregoryJohn Steelhammer, MathisMike Thompson, BishopChris Yaklin, Robstown*David Wyatt, Woodsboro

District 3John Engel, PalaciosDanny Moses, WhartonJimmy Roppolo, El Campo*Jake Hudnall, El Campo

District 4Patrick De Stefano, Hearne*Doug Beckhusen, Granger

District 5Gerry Kasberg, BiromeTommy Morgan, Frost District 6Larry Black, RoscoeRex Ford, StamfordMax Kerley, MilesBetty McDougal, Anson*Brett Mikeska, Wingate

District 7Kevin Huddleston, MemphisKim Martindale, WellingtonThomas Parker, MemphisLarry Tomlinson, Munday*Dusty Byars, Lakeview

District 8Tommy Montgomery, LomaxRay Ritchey, Colorado CityRick Timmins, Flower GroveJeff Turner, St. Lawrence*Brad Mikeska, Big Spring

District 9Jackie Culpepper, SeminoleRandy Reid, LoopKyle Gene Taubert, Seminole*Mark Owens, Loop

* Alternate

District 10Glen Phipps, WelchChris Rhodes, Lamesa*Noel Morales, Lamesa

District 11Ron Craft, PlainsDan Jackson, MeadowKen Ross, Meadow*Jerry Reynolds, Tokio

District 12David Wied, New Home*Bryan Reynolds, Tahoka

District 13Chris Berry, LevellandJohnny Shepard, ShallowaterPaul Wilson, Levelland*Brian Lehrmann, Ropesville

District 14Jerry Butman, LubbockKeith Grayson, IdalouJoey Jenkins, LubbockCarey McKinney, Idalou*Tony Newton, Slaton

District 15Curtis Griffith, Morton*James Shepard, Muleshoe

District 16Guyle Roberson, AmherstCurtis Stewart, Spade*Mike West, Springlake

District 17Phillip Kidd, EdmonsonBrandon Pritchard, PlainviewWillis Taubert, Cotton Center*Myles Ramsey, Petersburg

District 18Aaron Hendricks, FloydadaScott Hilburn, FloydadaPhilip Manske, LorenzoBill Shields, LorenzoJohn Woelfel, Floydada*Tom Byars, Lockney

District 19Billy Borchardt, HerefordCraig Rohrbach, FarwellLeighton Stovall, DumasJaime Subealdea, TuliaDavid Varner, Hereford*Jerrell Key, Spearman

PresidentMike Polk, Corpus Christi

Vice PresidentScott Hilburn, Floydada

SecretaryLarry Black, Roscoe

Immediate Past PresidentKen Ross, Meadow

Region 1Keith Johnson, Kingsville

Region 2John Engel, Palacios

Region 3Rex Ford, Stamford

Region 4Tommy Montgomery, Lomax

Region 5Randy Reid, Loop

Region 6Paul Wilson, Levelland

Region 7Curtis Griffith, Morton

TCGA StaffTony D. Williams - Executive Vice PresidentJ. Kelley Green - Director, Technical ServicesAaron Nelsen - Special Projects and Communications Manager

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Gin Motes, sample loose and plastic bale wrap

purchasing

1502 Roper AvenueWest Point, GA 31833

706-645-1309www.tjbeall.com

Burton Cotton Gin Festival

April 15-16

CottonGinMuseum.ORG

Oldest operating Cotton Gin in America! Located halfway between Houston & Austin!

307 N. Main BURTON, TX

Open Tues – Sat 10 – 4

Gin Tours Daily 10 and 2

979-289-3378 Y’all Come!! CottonGinMuseum.ORG


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TCGA ANNUAL MEETING AND TRADE SHOW | | APRIL 6 …€¦ · TX2 COTTON FARMING APRIL 2017...

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Transcript of TCGA ANNUAL MEETING AND TRADE SHOW | | APRIL 6 …€¦ · TX2 COTTON FARMING APRIL 2017...