Regular readers are aware that the plant is setting new records on a daily basis, minute by minute. We surpassed seventy-thousand bales during the night Tuesday, January 11. Estimates are for another fifteen to seventeen thousand bales. When we get to eighty-five thousand bales we will have ginned 42,500,000 pounds of lint cotton for processing into clothes, towel, sheets and other items. I came across a National Cotton Council release the other day and thought it would be interesting to include it in my blog with products for a single bale and extension for 85,000 bales. The extensions are if every bale were made into the stated product.

Women's products, 1 bale yield- 85,000 bale yield

Handkerchiefs, 21,960- 1,866,600,000

dresses, 274- 23,290,000
bras, 6,460- 549,100,000
panties, 6,436- 555,560,000
jeans, 249- 21,165,000
skirts, 409- 34,765,000
socks, 4,321- 367,285,000
blouses, 773- 65,705,000
sweaters, 379- 32,215,000
nightgowns, 780- 66,300,000
slacks, 415- 35,275,000
shorts, 733- 62,305,000

Men's products,
handkerchiefs, 8,437- 709,495,000
dress shirts, 765- 65,025,000
sport shirts, 906- 77,010,000
work shirts, 543- 46,155,000
boxer shorts, 2,104- 178,840,000
briefs, 2,419- 205,615,000
sleeveless undershirts, 1,943- 165,155,000
t-shirts, 1,217- 103,445,000
slacks, 484- 41,140,000
work trousers, 374- 57,290,000
work gloves, 1,918- 163,030,000
socks, 3,557- 302,345,000
jeans, 215- 18,275,000

home items
diapers, 3,085- 262,225,000
sheets, 249- 21,165,000
pillow cases, 1,256- 106,760,000
terry bath towels, 690- 58,650,000

$100 bills, 313,600- 26,656,000,000

From one five hundred pound bale a farmer will realize approximately $300.00. 85,000 bales will generate $24,500,000. The middle man is greedy!

The American Farmer, nobody does it better!

Everyone is becoming blah out here. Numb, lethargic. Most of the seasonal help is becoming anxious to go home. With the exception of the three day break at Christmas, most of these guys have been on site! The office is no different. To liven things up we have started a pool trying to predict the day the plant is turned off due to lack of cotton. This is not when we are through, there is speculation we will clear the yard and then a small amount of cotton will be harvested from areas that have remained too wet to complete, then we will start the plant again and finish up. Actually, the Plant Super and I began this last week and then we included the girls in the office and just yesterday the General Manager finally asked what all the sticky notes with names and dates were? (We have them on the backside of the customer counter). Turns out he thought it was funny and he made his official guess and had his sticky note posted. Five dollar entree fee, winner take all, must not surpass date, closest without surpassing wins, must not be present to win (yeah, right!). Before the GM submitted his guess he had all the office resources working on it. He pulled up past history, module lists, average per module, divided, multiplied, factored, speculated, spoofed and then he finally guessed. When the GM made his guess he also raised his estimate on the number of bales he expects to gin. 90,000. Wow!

Praise GOD from whom all blessings flow! FATHER, thank YOU for the productive season. I pray for continued safety as we take it to completion. I continue to petition your intervention of behalf of all those needed YOUR healing. Bless them, comfort them, heal them. I pray for spiritual healing for all of us in need. I pray for the victims of the disasters and for the relief efforts for them. I pray for our spiritual family and for our leaders. Fill us with YOUR goodness!