cabinfever

This is such an insult to us all. I know their theory, but really today the world demand for everything is so much greater than they will ever keep up with, there is no longer justification to pay anyone NOT TO GROW. It just contributes to inflation.
Here is a link to where cotton is grown & consumed globally...note how much cotton we EXPORT! http://www.cottoninc.com/MarketInfor...conomicLetter/

The scarier concept is that due to high cotton prices, many farmers (worldwide) have opted to stop growing food (corn & wheat) & are growing cotton instead. Also China is stockpiling grains as insurance, so maybe you should plant some wheat or corn for your family this year, not to mention a good garden. http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/0...r-food-prices/

I think I should tear up my backyard grass & plant a big garden, but I can see my husband frowning on ruining his lawn; & sprinkler system below;)

Doreen

They grow a lot of cotton here in El Paso. The sad thing is that the growers are selling the land to build more houses! I guess they make more $$. That's the bottom line.
They start harvesting after September.

ree-nee

Cotton is usually planted when all danger of frost is past.
It isn't harvested until october but this is Alabama more South than the Carolinas. It is dangerous for the crop in September because the rain sets in and is liable to damage the crop just before harvest.
Hopefully we will have a good year because we had substantial rainfall during the winter and it is time to plant now. I just hope it rains during late july and early August so the fields will get enough water to sustain them until the October harvest.

cabinfever

The other side of this is...do commodity traders (buyers of futures) really provide a needed flow of money to farmers to grow or are they really just sucking a portion of the cost of everything from each of us; as in their profits as a gamble, at our expense?
When futures markets drive up the cost on news of a shortage, the real cost to weavers & mfr. (& later to us) for cotton goes up, even though the market traders do nothing for their profit. It's sad. Likewise grains (corn & wheat) futures traders do the same; this is really scary...this is our food.

Donna Mae

this has been very interesting. Never new they grow cotton in so many states in the USA. TY for all your knowledge. Its always good to learn about things that are so close to our hearts. Cotton!!

simple quilter

cabinfever

Wow, so now we need to have a cotton field-gleaning bus trips for the sewing & quilting guilds; sort of like a shop-hop. How many of us could really "take" the work required to do it? I know I am past being capable of much farm field work...maybe I could send my kids 13 to 21. Yeah...good life experience for them. A little reality check would give many in their generation some life-changing food-for-thought.

tangledthread

This is a great topic, I have thought about growing cotton as well, well, everytime I look at the photo of my Great Grandmother spinning it. She spun till just before she past. And we still have her wheel in the family. I would love to share a pic of her spinning. Oh, the knowledge I wish I had!!!

scrappy happy

thnaks for the picture.. What did the make with the spun cotton? did they use it like yarn than? Guess i never though much about spinning cotton. Now im full of questions .

cabinfever

Did you mean "spinners"...I was LOL when I realized what you meant, I couldn't figure out what group of "sinners" you were referring to. Sorry still laughing so hard I have tears. :lol:

cabinfever

So, can't individuals use the same pesticide as commercial growers? Just asking, as I did think about trying to grow a little cotton, if I'm in a cotton-friendly zone. I don't mean a field of it, just a patch to see how it grows & basically the process.