The Cotton Shedd

Oddly Entertaining Cotton Videos

No this is not a political video just strange and funny. 

This second one has some really neat historical photos.

A Bit About Marketing a Bale of Cotton

We are now actively marketing our cotton.  We definitely had a bumper crop with an average of 4.37 bales per acre first picking.  That may or not make a profit depending on the cotton market.  Cotton is sold on the open world commodities market which is a very volatile market.  It is affected by consumer demand for cotton, world cotton production or lack thereof, investor speculation as people move in and out of the stock market and other investments, and China. 

China?  China has the power to completely change the world price for cotton just by buying or not buying cotton.  It is my understanding, that they have one minister who is charge of the nation's cotton.  Remember they are not a capitalist free society.  One guy has the power to buy and sell for the nation.  When he makes a move the market moves.  China because of its population consumes a huge percent of the world's cotton.  It also mills a huge percentage of the world's cotton and sells it to the world in the form of textiles. 

The American South and Great Britain used to be milling most of this cotton, but now, most of the mills have closed down unable to compete with cheap labor and unfair labor practices. As growers we do not have control over who buys our cotton - think selling stock on the stock market.  As consumers we do.

It bothers me a great deal to buy goods made with unfair labor practices that take away American jobs.  I try to vote with my dollars.  Read labels and try to buy American.  If not American than made in a country that values human rights and is in line with my values.  I am willing to pay a bit more and have a little less if it supports my nation and my fellow Americans.  This is American stimulus that really works.  If I can't find or afford new American made I look for used versions and meanwhile helping charities such as Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul. Sadly, more and more I am finding there is no longer a choice for many of the things we buy.

With the Christmas buying season upon us, and constantly watching the cotton market this seems to be my November soap box of choice.  Next time you make a purchase think about what your dollars are voting for. 

"A bale of cotton ain't worth very much, at least when you are trying to sell."  Charlie Pride, Mississippi Cotton Pickin' Delta Town.

The Provider, Heritage, My Father's Footsteps, & More Giclees & Notecards Available

If you check out the Header above it says "Art For Sale"  This is where I will be listing giclees, notecards, and an occasional original art piece for sale. 

I will also be adding a Gallery page later that has most of my paintings (many commissioned) for viewing.

 

In case you are thinking we quit farming to paint and quilt.... Here is a view from my porch this morning as the rood guys moved in again.

The Quilting Bee - One of the Best Days

We finished 24 quilts last night.  It was such an amazing experience.  We laughed, we cried, we prayed, we created, we sewed, we tied, we loved, we didn't want to go home.  April, our quilt hander-outer at Phoenix Children's, will not be able to fit into her office it will be so stuffed with quilts.

 

It was so amazing how what everyone brought just went together and was just what was needed. This is how real communities are built.

It was such a night of grace.

We wanted to go longer but we only had rented the shop until 9:00.  One of the ladies said that next time we could have it at her church which is one of the oldest in town.  A 1938 building should be perfect for an old time quilting bee, but best of all we could go as late as we want.

 

The consensus was we need to have another one in January.  I hope you can join us then.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation - Be A Big Shot

In case you don't know we are all Big Shots around here. That is members of the Big Shots 4-H Club.  We are named Big Shots because a huge part of our club is shooting sports like trap and skeet and archery.  Unfortunately, we also give big shots as two of our members have type 1 diabetes.  This year we are walking in the JDRF walk to find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes. 

Juvenile Diabetes is a big part of my life every day.  My daughter was diagnosed when she was six.  It is a horrible disease that never gives you a break.

Out of pain comes goodness though.  The Quilting Bee tonight was because of our Diabetes experience as is this really great chance to raise some money for the Juvenile Research Diabetes Foundation by either donating or walking.  

THIS IS COMING FAST --  NOVEMBER 14TH IN TUCSON

If you want to donate to my walk click here.

If you want to Walk with the Big Shots click here.

Here is a picture of my daughter throwing her last container of syringes away after going on an insulin pump.  It was a triumphant moment as she did not have to have a shot every time she ate anymore.

Little Elves Prepping For Quilting Bee

Little elves have been ironing, cutting, sewing, and baking in preparation for the quilting bee tomorrow night.

 

Bigger elves are coming out in force tomorrow night to make some loving gifts for sick children.  I am the luckiest woman to have such strong, caring, and Godly women in my life who always seem to have my back.  I may not deserve to be surrounded by such true women but I will accept the blessing anyway!

This boy of mine has made about 10 14 dozen cookies for our quilters today.  They are soo good that maybe a few dozen won't make it there at the rate they are being stolen when his back is turned.

 

Our quilts may not be works of art but they are very important works of heart.  And that is the best kind of work we can do. 

I also want to mention that if you can bring your sewing machine or quilt batting please do so.  After price checking quilt batting I found The Quilter's Corner on Florence Street to be the most economical in Casa Grande - even beating Michael's prices. 

It is OK (greatly appreciated) to bring supplies if you have some you wish to donate.  While we are having this at Kokopelli Quilt Shop we are there as renters only and our Quilting Bee is not affiliated with the shop.

Meanwhile, on the farm Rodney has been changing 300 knives on the stock cutter and being the best husband ever for picking a bag of cotton burs for his quilting obsessed wife.  It looks like a lot of farmers here are having good yields.  Hip hip hooray!!

Now if that kid is not looking I am going to snatch a cookie and go work on some quilts.  He may be young and quick but I am crafty.

Post Harvest Peaceful

Had a great restful Sunday.  So nice to be done picking.  This morning we were watering our soon to be not dusty roads and getting the stock cutters ready to go behind the roods.  Rodney is off to Rio Salado's shooting range with some of our CATS team kids to shoot International trap with the Dust Devils tonight.

We are getting ready for the Quilting Bee on Friday.  It will be so much fun and full of so much goodness.  I hope you can come!  We are also picking lots of cotton burs for future wreath classes.  Cause when they are gone they are gone.

We aren't offering any classes for the next two weekends because this weekend we will be quilting and attending the Sunland Visitor Centers annual fundraiser.  Next weekend we will be walking in the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) walk in Tempe.

MSIDD is fixing the CAP canal bank where it flooded on Halloween.  Luckily, it flooded toward the trap club and not into our fields.  They have always been so good about making things right with us.  For some odd reason this gate has overflowed three times.  I think the police and county have finally figured out it is not our water and so they cannot give us a ticket for flooding the road.

Since it was too dark to take any cool flood pictures, here is a picture of a cat driving a golf cart.

Daisy did another one of her custom upholstery jobs on the seat.

Silence

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. - Mother Teresa

Pumpkin Moonshines

A Happy Halloween indeed!  Daddy can go trick or treating with us instead of picking cotton.

 

For a really great tutorial on how to prepare fresh pumpkin and seeds go here.  We also saved some seed from these Wilcox pumpkins to plant in the garden next year.

A Strong Finish At 5 Bales

We picked our last 33 acres today and it looks like it came in at 5 bales/acre.  Rod's Grandfather had a 5 bale field one year a long, long time ago.  His Dad had one 5 years ago and now after 25 years of farming we have one.  The hottest July on record, a dry summer, and a manure enriched field is probably why.  We decided several years ago to get rid of all our debt as soon as we could because of what it says about debt in God's Word.  I can only think such a blessed yield is helping us reach that debt free point a bit earlier.

 

I persuaded Rodney to pose in the field for me.  Look at that grin.  Unfortunately, he is not grinning about the cotton but about throwing this green boll a moment before...

 

I swear my family could fend off a small army with these hard little pods.

 

This is what it looked like from the picker.  Many times you couldn't even see the ground between the rows and the cotton plants were leaning from the weight of the cotton.

Here is a line of the modules from that field.

 

We are thankful for a good harvest as the sun sets on another year's crop.  Now, it is all about marketing the cotton for the best price.  Even the best yield can lose money in a fickle world cotton market.

I am hoping some of our cotton ends up at this American Mill

featured in this CNN video.  Sure makes it hard to justify not buying American.