Cotton Tour Scheduled for October 13

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(Sept. 4, 2009) - Get a behind-the-scenes look at how California cotton growers are tackling the recession, drought and other challenges and reshaping the future of this important commodity during Cotton Tour 2009 on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

 Sponsored by the Davis-based Sustainable Cotton Project, the daylong tour offers a close-up look at the trends and practices in conventional cotton cultivation, SCP’s Cleaner Cotton (a registered trademark) program and organic production in Merced and Fresno counties.  The tour begins in the morning in Los Banos and then heads into the cotton fields, where participants can inspect the crop before harvest, and meet with farmers before visiting a cotton gin.

The event also highlights the successful efforts of SCP farmers, who follow sustainable agriculture and biointensive integrated pest management practices to reduce the application of the most toxic pesticides used in cotton production and create a greener fiber called Cleaner Cotton.  In the coming year, SCP will launch a major consumer marketing campaign to build brand recognition for Cleaner Cotton.

Founded in 1996, the Sustainable Cotton Project has worked with Central Valley to farmers to produce more than 1 million pounds of Cleaner Cotton.

The Sustainable Cotton Project is a program under the direction the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, the state’s leading advocate for small- and medium-sized family farmers and promoter of local sustainable agriculture.

To register or learn more about Cotton Tour 2009, contact SCP Program Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325 or Marcia@sustainablecotton.org.