Stories: on the farm

Cotton production

Leadership is built from the ground up. That’s why the Cotton LEADSSM program is driven by Australian and U.S. producers, scientists and other professionals dedicated to sustainable cotton production. Get to know the growers and researchers who, season after season, are investigating and implementing solutions that improve cotton’s environmental footprint.

  • Dr. Tyson Raper

    Memphis, TN, USA

    Every cotton-growing state in the U.S. has a cotton extension specialist. This research and outreach professional is dedicated to advancing the science of cotton agriculture and translating it into guidance that growers use to increase their productivity and sustainability.

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  • Dr. Audrey Gamble

    Auburn, AL, USA

    Dr. Audrey Gamble, associate professor of soil science at Auburn University, works with cotton growers to fine-tune their farm management to build their soil’s health and prepare it for productivity now and many years in the future.

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  • Johannes Roellgen

    Brookstead, Queensland, Australia

    Johannes and Scarlett Roellgen are regarded among the best cotton growers in Australia because of their pest management, water use efficiency and on-farm practices.

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  • Dr. Katie Lewis

    Lubbock, TX, USA

    Dr. Katie Lewis has dedicated her career to helping cotton growers — including her family — increase their resilience and sustain their farming operations far into the future.

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  • Ben Witham

    Coleambally, New South Wales, Australia

    Biodiversity is important for cotton farmers. In Southern NSW, one farmer has connected his paddocks to a reserve and state forest with biodiversity corridors, providing a natural habitat for wildlife to live and travel.

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  • Jeff Palmer

    Wee Waa, New South Wales, Australia

    The noise is unbelievable, and its near impossible to find a tree that a whistling duck hasn’t claimed – but it’s a long-standing biodiversity project this cotton farming family are proud of.

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  • Andrew Burleson

    Richfield, NC, USA

    Soil conservation benefits both crops and the environment in a myriad of ways. Hear from Andrew Burleson about his experiences adopting sustainable agricultural practices.

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  • Scott McCalman

    Mullaley, New South Wales, Australia

    A cover cropping program has resulted in improved soil health, yield and reduced input costs for NSW cotton farmer Scott McCalman.

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  • Nick Gillingham

    Moree, NSW, Australia

    Leading the operation is farm manager Nick Gillingham, who oversees “Keytah” at Sundown Pastoral.

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  • Scott Hogan

    Coleambally, New South Wales, Australia

    Why are these farmers standing in a huge puddle of water? They’ve irrigated a natural wetland to help save the endangered Southern Bell Frog.

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  • Ashley Geldard

    Miles, Queensland

    On the Western Downs in Queensland, Ashley Geldard has converted his previously rainfed farming operation to irrigated thanks to a constant supply of treated wastewater from a nearby coal seam gas plant.

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  • Tony Quigley

    Macquarie Valley, NSW, Australia

    The Quigley Family in the Macquarie Valley NSW have been awarded Australian Cotton Grower of the Year for their production that covers all aspects of farming for a sustainable future.

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