Georgia Cotton Commission Mid-Year Meeting Preview

The easiest way to get blindsided in cotton is to focus on only one thing, one pest, one headline, one price, one rumor. We’re heading to East Georgia with a packed Georgia Cotton Commission mid-year meeting, and we wanted to give you a clear preview of what’s worth your time on July 29 in Statesboro at the Neesmith Lane Conference Center.

We talk through what’s changing in the program and why the market conversation feels different this year, including the USDA Great American Cotton Plan and the growing public spotlight on clothing materials and sustainability claims. That leads straight into cotton marketing and demand building, with Cotton Incorporated’s new direction and a major theme we keep coming back to: cotton is a team sport, and grower engagement matters. We’re also excited to hear from Bev Sylvester as she shares how cotton can be positioned as the fiber of choice and how brands can be moved from near-zero cotton use to meaningful market share.

Then we get practical about risk and readiness. Rusty Rumley from the National Ag Law Center joins the agenda to help producers think about farm business structure, compliance, and how policy changes can affect eligibility, payment limits, and cash flow. On the production side, we’ll update everyone on jassids and reinforce a calm, scout-first approach, while still keeping an eye on the rest of the pest management board: plant bugs, whiteflies, and stink bugs. Dr. Singleton also brings a much-needed look at pesticide regulation and EPA registration, including how to explain safety and science when public opinion gets loud.

Register by July 11 at GeorgiaCottonCommission.org, then come see us in Statesboro. Subscribe, share the show with a neighbor, and leave a review so more growers can find these conversations.

Transcript

Why This Meeting Matters

SPEAKER_01 0:08

Bringing you all things cotton production and pest management. This is the Talking Cotton Podcast with the University of Georgia Cotton Team. Let's get into the whys of putting on, throwing off, and cutting out. All right. Welcome back to the Talking Cotton Podcast. Got us a special episode today to discuss a uh big event that's going to be happening over in East Georgia on July 29th. Wednesday, July 29th, over there in Statesborough at the Neesmith Lane Conference Center, the Georgia Cotton Commission mid-year meeting, and here to talk about it today. I'm here with Dr. Roberts. Hello. Hello, Dr. Roberts. And then uh Mr. Taylor Sills, no stranger to the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:55

I was I was thinking the other day if I was gonna say like third time, long time, but I I don't I don't remember.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

I think after the, yeah, it's probably been five weeks, I would think, but you know, after the first time, it's not a second. Okay. After the second, you're a regular person. I wouldn't say I wouldn't say I'm a regular person. Not a regular person, but it's not special for you to be on the podcast anymore. There you go. Okay, there you go. All right, Taylor. So run us through a little bit

Program Changes And Cotton Messaging

SPEAKER_01 1:27

of the plan here for the meeting. This is the I think fourth year doing that. Fourth year. Yeah. So I mean, it's been a really good event. I always enjoy going over to East Georgia. And I mean, we always end up over there for three days for the last few years. But it's a good, you know, half week over there spending time with growers and visiting and all that fun stuff. But run us through what's a little bit different in 26 than uh has been previously.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Well, um the the main things is that there's some changes in the program. You know, we obviously we're we're gonna give an update on what what our activities are and kind of things we see. And and uh I think the highlight for me, I I haven't written my presentation yet, but from looking around in the environment, obviously the market situation's different. It's a little better. It it on paper it looks a lot better. I'm not sure if it's really all that much. Yeah, right, right. Um it it but it is a little bit. Yeah, we've got this USDA effort, the Great American Cotton Plan. I will we'll go over that a little bit. And because of that, over the last year I've noticed a change in the conversation online about clothing, about materials and things like that. And there's you know, there's been some brands who have who have really taken this Great American Cotton Plan and run with it.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

That I've seen.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Um a lot of Georgia people I saw, like right after it all come out. So I mean it's it's really cool to see all these brands and and retailers that are based in Georgia like really buying into this.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

I think I think my message on all on all of that is that you know years ago a gentleman who's on the state supreme court came to me and said, you know, this is a team sport. And what we're doing here is a team sport. Yeah. Not only do we need like we recognize that producers are having hard times, but the best way to make sure that the Cotton Commission is doing what you you as a producer want is to engage with us.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

And it's the so my message to those people in the room is join the team. Yeah. Talk to your neighbors about engaging with us.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

Well, and don't don't be on the team and don't just sit on the bench either.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

But part of being on the team is gonna be swapping up who you buy your clothes from. Um and things like that. I think that our message is gonna be a little different when we get when we get to that date.

Ag Law And Farm Business Setup

SPEAKER_02 3:56

We have two really good industry speakers in addition to our university speakers, who I think most people are pretty aware of. Um, but we have one is uh Rusty Rumley, and Rusty Rumley is a staff attorney for the National Ag Law Center, which is based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Yeah. And he is Whoopig, man. Whoopig. Sometimes. Uh National Ag Law Center, for those of you don't know, uh, is a uh you know, it's kind of like the Ag and Food Policy Center at Texas AM. It's a it is a federally funded research center, I think is the way to put that, that's uh they're at the University of Arkansas Law School, and they do a lot of research into legal matters that affect farmers. And so if you came to our annual meeting a few years ago, we had someone come talk about pesticide restrictions and pesticide labeling and regulatory processes as it relates to that from the National Ag Law Center. Um there's a guy named Harrison Pittman who runs that outfit uh who does a great job. Um so Rusty's gonna come talk about making sure your business setups are what they need to be going into the what we'll call the post big beautiful bill environment. Yeah, we've got we've talked a lot about updated reference prices, we've talked about payment limits, we've talked about changes in marketing loan, we've talked about all these things. But you know, what we want to make sure is that a producer uh does not have an a business structure that's gonna push them out of compliance or leave money on the table. Right. Um, you know, in tight times like these, uh no one wants to miss out on on an opportunity uh for for uh revenue and cash flow. So that's that's sort of what he's gonna talk about. Uh we've gotten a lot of questions on this topic. It's kind of complex. Yeah. Uh so I I don't think that Rusty is gonna come and fully answer anyone's questions. Right. But it's going to perhaps, you know, one of the things I I've talked about with some people about this topic, it's not the questions you're asking that worry me. It's the questions you're not asking. Right. And so what the intent of this is to give give some general advice. There's been some producers who have gone and redone some of their uh entity structures and things like that. But the the bigger question is it's to provoke thought as you go into it. And in full disclosure, we've reached out to Georgia uh the State Bar of Georgia has an ag law section. We have reached out to them to make sure that their members are aware of the meeting uh so that they can have the same type of uh thought-provoking uh event as well. Um so uh as well as some crop insurance agents and uh lenders and things like that, people that you know advise producers on these types of matters that may or may not be attorneys per se. Um, but we uh we we want to make sure this is an important topic, not just to the cotton business, but to all of uh all of Ag, especially here in the Southeast.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Right. Well, and it's you know, every I'm looking at the agenda right now, everybody slotted for 30 minutes, a 30-minute presentation. And it's it's hard to cover something so complex in 30 minutes. That's right. Right. So there's gonna be other questions, and I'm sure that there are other opportunities to visit with Rusty while he's here or catch up with him or others that are in the room or anything else like that about a topic that is so important.

Cotton Marketing And Fiber Of Choice

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Our other industry speaker is gonna be Bev Sylvester. Hey, just for everybody's information, for 90% probably, but yeah, it was the last couple. For 90% of our winter meetings this year, Taylor gallivanted around the state saying Bev Fitzgerald. And finally, it was in Brooks County, I remember where it was. I'd said, I think it's Bev Sylvester, and some a grower said, Yeah, you're two counties over. So so it is Bev Sylvester. It is I never knew the whole story.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

Oh, yeah, you it was just about a just about a see Philip. The count the county seat of Ben Hill County is Fitzgerald. I got it. You go two counties over, you get dwarf county. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Sylvester. That's right. Got it. That's right. I got it. Her name is Bev Sylvester.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

She's been with Cotton Incorporated, I think, since February 1st. Uh and uh I've been able to talk to her a few times. So we're we're excited about, you know, in addition to learning about the the nuts and bolts of Cotton Incorporated's new marketing plan for cotton. Yeah. You know, her her uh you've got the agenda pulled up. Her talk is you know, is about positioning cotton as the fiber of choice. Right. Um it's kind of like what what how Dr. Roberts talks about you know pesticide programs, placement. Yeah. I I think I think there's a a kind of a similarity in the in the way that those phrases are are put together and how they're going to be conducting business. So we're excited about in addition, you know, she's new, she has not had a whole lot of time uh to get out and visit with folks. You know, Cotton Incorporated also obviously has a global presence. And she uh I was at Cotton Incorporated a while ago and and I asked where she was, and she was doing an orientation with her staff in Mexico. Yeah. And uh, you know, she's she's been all over the world in a pretty short period of time, and we're lucky that that we were able to find some time on her calendar to come down and and uh she's gonna be with us uh for the day before as well. Okay, good. And uh so she's gonna get out and maybe get her get to see some cotton. Get some get some dirt on her boots and a little sweat on her cotton shirt. For producers, I think it's important for you to come and introduce yourself and say and talk about the challenges that you face on your farm. And you know, one of the the problems that I think we face from a global perspective is that the the market doesn't see the producer as a producer. And we need to try to find a way to remind the invisible hand that that that's the case. You're right. Uh and so we're I'm excited about uh Bev coming down. Uh I think it's a great opportunity for for us, it's a great opportunity for her, and it's a uh more importantly, a great opportunity to learn sort of what the plan is going forward.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Yeah, and there's a I mean, all those changes in Cotton Incorporated have happened over the last year and a half, two years, right? So I mean it's all been very recent. Yeah, so super excited that she's coming. I think it's a great opportunity. Taylor did talk about her a lot over the winter meeting time, and I mean I really think that there's she is a good fit for the position that she's in and and just her her knowledge of that industry, of the apparel industry, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:46

That's right. I mean, she uh uh well the joke I made during the meeting season was that she came from the enemy. But I mean she's got great experience. And she's got the connections. That's right, too. But uh, but it's you know, we're gonna be selling widgets going forward, is the way I think about it. And she uh she has experience with that. Right. A very unique experience with that. And additionally, you know, how can we get in addition to selling hundred percent cotton products, how can we get zero percent market share to ten percent market share to twenty percent and and scale these things up as we move forward? You know, you talked about cotton blend leggings.

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's you know, we we all had this joke again in winter meeting time about Lululemon and who all knows what Lululemon is. Dr. Robert said that he did not know until winter meeting time. Well you're lying. I didn't. There's no way. No, you got three daughters and a wife, and I guarantee they all have some. I asked my oldest daughter who Lululemon was, and she just showed me a tag. Mm-hmm. So I mean, he you know. I do know. You were paying for it, you just didn't know it. I didn't know it. But from so you bought your wife some of those companies. I did. And I bought my wife some from Mother's Day. Did does she like them? She does. So there's uh, you know, Lululemon's a good example of a company that's in the athlet leisure type space that has zero cotton. I mean a little bit. But most of their products I would think. Because they're members of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol now. Wow. Wow. So maybe that means they're fixing to get in the cotton business. Make the jump. Yeah. So um, but that's a that's a company that historically has lacked cotton in some of their stuff. And and we talked a lot about how Bev and like she her job is to meet with people like Lululemon and try to go from 0% to 20% and then jump from 20 to 40%.

SPEAKER_02 12:45

It's a different strategy. And but yeah, I I know a little, as like Leonard Skinner said. Uh, but hopefully when we get through with the meeting, we'll know a lot. That's right.

Jassid Update And Pest Priorities

SPEAKER_02 12:54

That's right. So if you're on the program, what are you gonna talk about? It's true.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Well, we'll probably talk about insects. You think about it?

SPEAKER_01 13:01

How about that? What about that? Really? Yeah. What are you gonna say this time or not say this time that you did say last time?

SPEAKER_00 13:11

Well, he hasn't written his program yet. Well, last time, you know, we we did talk about jazz. Mm-hmm. Because we had just found them just prior to this meeting. Yeah, I mean, it was weeks, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

Four counties. Yeah. Mostly on okra. Mostly on okra and uh like okra. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

It uh I checked an okra patch yesterday. But you know, we talked about the jazzed and and I'll say it. I said in front of everybody. I didn't think it'd be a problem. Yep. And uh told people we needed to be looking. You did. I did do that.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

Notably a week later, somebody found a field that needed to be sprayed. Yeah, so it was maybe the next day.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Yeah. I think the meeting last year was on the 23rd. I think we sprayed the first field on the 30th.

SPEAKER_02 14:01

Yeah, but I think I think you went and looked at it when you left.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Uh yes.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

We went and looked at Okra. Okay. Uh, yes. Yeah. And then it was the next week that you went right. It was in cotton.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

Yeah, so we'll we'll update everyone on Jasset. And I think the main thing um till we get there is everybody needs to keep looking. And let's just be calm. Well, and I mean, we're ready this year. We're ready.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

That's what I've been trying to tell people. But we don't need to overreact. Yeah. Is that we're we're in such a a better spot in 26, just from the standpoint of we're not starting behind the eight ball. Right. Like we kind of know what to what to do.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

We know a whole lot more than we knew last year at this time. Agreed. And uh but yeah, we'll talk about that. But one of the things uh I do want to emphasize, and I'm gonna start emphasizing a little more, is you know, let's just don't be so solely focused on jazz and that we overlook some other things. Right. You know, we can have challenges with plant bugs in parts of Georgia, white flies, stink bugs, you know. We still have these other pests. We need to make sure we manage appropriately. And uh yeah, we'll talk about that, and uh you know, we'll know a whole lot more about where jasons are distributed across the state then. And uh I appreciate everybody that continues to look and keep me updated or keep your county agent updated. So there you go.

Pesticide Regulation And Trusting Science

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Dr. Singleton's on the program. She is on the program, and she's gonna talk about uh some regulatory issues.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

Yep, just talk I I think it's important for producers to know about what these regulatory processes are. Yeah, and she's got some knowledge on that, and and uh I I'm excited about her presentation.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Yeah. Well, and I you know, I talked to her a little bit about what she's gonna talk about, and and she's got a really unique perspective in that she grew up on the farm and then came here and worked for Culpepper for her whole schooling, basically, and now is the uh sustainability specialist for us, but really works very closely with the with the EPA and NRCS and people like that. But she uh, you know, she she and I kind of bounce some ideas back and forth, and she's really going to talk about kind of the processes that a lot of these pest control products or or pesticide type products go through for registration because, you know, and and she talked about it a lot at UPW and Dr. Culpepper does as well, that these products, it's not just about science anymore, it's about public opinion. And, you know, she's gonna talk a lot about the processes that these products go through because inevitably somebody in the ag industry is gonna get asked by somebody that you know, right? Well, what about this? How do you know it's safe? Like all this stuff. And you need to be able to defend that.

SPEAKER_02 17:03

And that's that's the whole idea, is because you know we need to empower our producers to be better advocates about these products.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

Right. Right. So really excited about that. She's got a really unique idea there, and I I think it's gonna be really, really good.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

You know, at the end of the day, when I'm asked about something like that, you know, we have EPA. Yeah. A lot of really good scientists at EPA. And you look at, you know, we just had uh insecticide recently labeled. Sure did. I believe from the time of discovery until commercial label, I believe it was 17 years. Yeah, that's probably right. That's a lot. Yeah. Now you know the safety aspect, I mean, let EPA do their job and and use the science. Right. You know, sometimes I think the public doesn't trust science. Sometimes. Sometimes. But but sometimes I think we may need to get that word out and trust the science. Whether it's on registration of a pesticide or variety selection or herbicides recommendations, it it's all based on science. Ag is a science-based industry. I think you could say that ag is a science.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

It is ag is a science. So but one thing that I think that people struggle to understand is that science is not absolute, right? Well, it's research. You're researching and you constantly research. Constantly search again and again. It's researching. But if you find one thing that potentially were to contradict something that had been done 20 years ago, right? You start taking a closer look at that. Absolutely. And so, I mean, but that's part of science, you know, and people people need to understand that. Yeah, it's a it's a continuum, it's not just me or Dr. Roberts or whoever finds something, and it's like, all right, that's it, we're done. No. It's that you keep looking and you keep doing, and as new information comes to light, things change, right? So that's part of that's part of the whole deal, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:14

Well, it's like it's like we you know, we talked about Jasset a second ago. Yeah, oh god. We're gonna handle Jasset differently in 2026 than we did in 2025. 100%. And I bet we handle them different in 2027. Absolutely. Probably so.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

If they're still here. Uh-oh. Comment? Come on, man. Question? Uh, they'll be here. Okay. Yep. Yeah, probably so. They're here. They're here. I think we're married to them. But anyways, I'm I'm looking forward to a good meeting. Yeah. I mean, it's gonna be a lot of fun. Hey, we've got some new sponsors.

Sponsors, Quality Awards, And Lunch

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Uh yeah, I think.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

That's one of the things I enjoy about this meeting is the sponsors and and and visiting with the sponsors during the breaks. I mean, there's a lot of interaction, a lot of opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

Yeah, we've added one here in the last couple weeks that they're they're an international company, that they're they're coming to the United States. Um they're set up shop in Atlanta. Oh they're produce you know, the their owners are producers. Really? Mm-hmm. And so I I met with them and they're they're excited about Georgia, they're excited about cotton, they're excited about cotton in the U.S. Uh, and but I think it's great. Um, it it's it's really good feedback for them to talk with their customers. Right. To learn about how their product will be placed or could be placed in the system that we have here in Georgia. Right.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

Well, and I I'm like Dr. Roberts. I love going out in the hall and visiting with everybody and just kind of getting everybody's opinion on the crop and what's going on, you know, in 2026. I get to see a lot of people that I don't talk to regularly, and some people I do talk to regularly, which is also great. I enjoy seeing them and catching up with them. But uh certainly want to thank the sponsors because there's lunch. There is lunch. I mean a good lunch. Great lunch. It is a good lunch. It is a great lunch. I wish I could remember what we're getting. You said the same thing, or you're a yeah, but I think we changed it. Uh oh. I think it was a tweak. More of a tweak. Okay. But I hey, the food at the Kneesmith Lane Conference Center is very good. I think it's like Blue Tide Catering. Is a nice shout out.

SPEAKER_02 21:27

Yeah, shout out to them. Sponsored, sponsored by the ham. I do think we're still having the ham and the fried chicken. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:32

Maybe some of the sides are. That stuff's good. Um, and then as part of the lunch program, hey, the quality awards. Yeah. And listen, 2025 was a good quality year for us. Let me tell you something. I had somebody text me a couple weeks ago that they had not heard back from the quality awards. And uh they said, Well, they said, Well, who won? And I looked at the section or whatever, and I said, Well, I didn't tell them. Who won, but I said, Hey, this grower had a premium of you know 500 points or whatever it was. And they said, Holy cow. But I mean, those of you that, you know, remember the end of last year, it was in it was just an incredible harvest season. We had a good setup going into October and November, and really didn't start catching rain. I mean, it really just didn't rain in the fall. So I mean, it we just had an incredible, incredible harvest year. And so and that led to a lot of really high quality cotton last year. So it did. Certainly excited about that and recognizing those producers and those gens for all the good work that they did uh last year. And the county agents and the county agents for sponsoring, not sponsoring, supporting, nominating everyone uh for this award. But um certainly a lot of fun, a

Registration Deadline And Final Details

SPEAKER_01 22:54

lot of fun. Now, one thing that everybody's gotta do, first and foremost, you gotta come. Gotta come. Gotta come on July 29th. But by July 11th, you need to register. Please. Pretty please. Because Taylor and Audrey and Kelly, they all need to know who, number one, who they can look forward to seeing. But how many people are gonna be there for a long time? And how can we look forward to feeding you? So uh you the food's good. The food's great. And the people are great. I mean, it's door prizes. Air conditioning. Door prizes. Door prizes. Yeah, we had an air conditioning issue the first year. But not since then. Not since then. No, sir. Nobody's falling asleep in that program. No, sir. No, sir. But it uh They might not move. That's right. They're not falling asleep. That's right. So we're uh the air conditioner's gonna be working. There's gonna be lunch and door prizes. And last year, the air conditioner was needed. It was hot. It was very warm. It was very hot last year. We were in Midville the day before, and that may have been the hottest field day I've ever been to.

SPEAKER_02 24:02

I looked over at Philip. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon. He was doing his talk, and he was sweating to the point that I wanted to look up and see what the heat index was. What was it? 114.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

That was hot. It was hot. Humid. Yeah. It was everything. And we actually had very good discussion. People were asking questions and stuff, and it was like, man, alive. Like that's it. You know, normally whenever it's real hot like that, people want to get out of the heat and get in the air conditioning, but man, it was a great day that day a year ago.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

And then we went back to Midville two and a half weeks later, three weeks later, and it was like 75 degrees.

SPEAKER_01 24:36

Yeah, it was overcast and it was great. The best one ever. Yeah, it was the best Midville field day ever. So, but certainly looking forward to this event uh and and want to thank all the sponsors. You can see them at the bottom of the program if you go to uh GeorgiaCotton Commission.org. Uh there's a button that says view agenda, and that's on the left side. Or on the right side is the registration link, which everybody needs to fill out by July.

SPEAKER_02 25:02

We need to put a third link that says autocall your county agent, see if you can get a ride. It's true.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

Justin Odom. Justin Odom will probably be there. Uh he's already there. He's already registered. I know for a fact. I know for a fact. Justin Odom. I mean, he's a consistent attendee in Statesborough. He was registered before I was registered. So give us that website one more time. GeorgiaCotton Commission.org. You can find all the information that you want to find and more. It's true. I looked at their website a couple weeks ago and found a lot of information about the commission. So um certainly some good stuff. We are looking forward to seeing everybody uh on July the 29th in Statesboro at the Neesmith Land Conference Center on the campus of Georgia Southern University. On the shores of beautiful Eagle Creek. There you go. Indeed. If y'all have any questions, call your county agent. See ya. Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Cotton with the UGA Cotton Team. If you have any questions about anything we talked about today, or if there's anything you'd like for us to talk about in the future, please contact your local UGA County Extension agent. And as always, you can find us on all Major Podcast platforms. Be sure to like, share with your friends, and subscribe so you can stay up to date.