MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The National Cotton Council’s (NCC) 2026 Mid-South Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) Tour, will take place from July 26 – 31. This immersive program will bring together U.S. cotton producers from across the belt to Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas to explore innovative farming practices and foster invaluable knowledge exchange. This year’s Mid-South P.I.E. Tour will offer participants a comprehensive look at diverse agricultural operations, highlighting innovative approaches to cotton production and other key regional crops. The tour will begin with infrastructure and commerce presentations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a research-focused tour of the West Tennessee AgResearch & Education Center,
Throughout the week, participants will explore various local farming and agribusiness operations. These include tours of Hill Farms and Hurt Seed Company, to learn about seed cleaning; Moore’s Melons, to study melon production, packaging, and distribution; and a comprehensive tour of the Delta Peanut buying point and shelling facility. Growers will also examine crop diversity through visits to Eagle Seeds for rice, soybean, and wildlife seed production; Busch Agricultural Resources for a rice mill tour; and White-Flye Farms for cotton, rice, and peanut production. The itinerary also highlights cutting-edge research at the Judd Hill Research Facility, with a focus on cotton research, breeding programs, and hydrology. The tour concludes with key farm visits to McClendon Mann Farms and Reed
Farms before wrapping up with a look at regional water infrastructure at the W.G. Huxtable Pumping Station.
Sponsored by BASF through a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the P.I.E. program is designed to equip U.S. cotton producers with new perspectives. It achieves this by:
- Fostering new insights into practices such as land preparation, planting, nutrient management, irrigation, and harvesting.
- Facilitating direct interaction with host farmers, organizations, and regional peers to build a strong industry network.
The 2026 Mid-South P.I.E. program participants include: James Avent of Cameron, SC; Brendan Babb of Windsor, VA; Deborah Bagnall of Coolidge, AZ; Jatsy Bagnall of Valley Farms, AZ; Wesley Barefoot of Dunn, NC; Elisha Ellis of Coolidge, AZ; Karrie Ellis of Coolidge, AZ; Amy Hatley of Mesa, AZ; James Lanham of Eastover, SC; Kaitlyn Lloyd of Raleigh, NC; Wesley Parks of Mount Olive, NC; Mason Roberts of Sylvester, GA; and Justin Smith of Rocky Ford, GA.