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Texas organic cotton farmers to receive Organic Leadership Award

A pioneering group of forward-thinking farmers have given a boost to organic cotton production in Texas since the early 1990s. It now covers over 20,000 acres thus turning the Texas High Plains the largest organic cotton-growing region in the United States. In recognition of the group's hardwork, farmers of the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative (TOCMC) will receive the prestigious Organic Farmer of the Year Leadership Award from the Organic Trade Association (OTA). They will be given the award as one of the leadership awards presented at the Organic Trade Association's Annual Awards Celebration on September 21 in the kickoff event for Natural Products Expo East.

It may be noted that in 1993, Texas farmers formed a cooperative when they realised they were producing more organic cotton than the market could absorb. Bonding together, they began efforts to develop markets and to avoid being at the mercy of cotton brokers and merchants. Many of these early pioneers still are involved in promoting organic farming and educating the public about organic practices.

The cooperative began with 30 farm families producing 1,400 organic bales and 4,900 transitional bales from about 5,000 acres in 1993. In 2015, its 50 farm family members harvested 14,000 organic bales and 1,200 transitional bales on over 20,000 acres. They produce 80 to 90 per cent of the organic cotton grown in the United States.

 
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