Arizona Family Keeps It
If the Palmers have any advantage, it is their willingness to be an efficient family operation that simultaneously espouses smart business practices and timely adoption of technology.
They trace their history back to 1883, and each generation since then has put an indelible stamp on the farm, which now consists of 2,600 cotton acres, 400 wheat acres and 100 acres of alfalfa hay.
The six partners in the operation are: Verle and wife Trelva, Dennis and wife Margaret and Matt and wife Kim.
Verle is 76. He and his wife began the business with only 75 acres. His son Dennis, 56, and wife Margaret joined the operation in 1976. And, not surprisingly, Dennis's son Matt, 31, and wife Kim joined in 2001.
"So far, we've been able to work together as a family on this farm," says Dennis. "This situation really works for us. Everybody has a different job. What makes it even better is that our families live close to each other here in the valley."
Dennis admits that he, Verle and Matt don't always agree on important farm management decisions. But they find a way to talk it over and then "we usually come to a consensus on how we should handle a certain project."
The entire Gila River Valley has about 35,000 acres of farmland, and at one time there were dairies and feed lots everywhere. Cotton, however, is the one crop that has consistently performed well through the years.
Switching To Upland
The Palmers once grew only Pima cotton, but that changed 12 years ago when they made the switch to transgenic upland varieties.
"We had problems with bugs on the Pima," says Dennis. "Plus, you had to usually pick the Pima twice. We're happy with growing transgenic upland cotton, and the biggest expenses we encounter now are input costs and water availability."
Verle, the "unofficial historian" of the family, agrees with that assessment and takes it one step further.
"The power costs are also going up, and that's a concern," he says. "Those costs have pretty much skyrocketed in the last few years."
Despite the high electrical costs, the Palmers meticulously manage their pumps so that tailwater runoff can be captured and recycled on many fields.
"That proves to be an advantage anytime we can catch that water and use it again," says Verle.
The Palmers receive half of their water from pumps and the other half from the river. A lot of factors influence their water supply, and it is always a concern if a shortfall occurs.
There is no dam upstream on the Gila River. A dam is located below the V.I.P. farm, and that supply is determined by how much water is stored for farmers in Coolidge, a town located many miles west of Thatcher.
source : cottonfarming
If the Palmers have any advantage, it is their willingness to be an efficient family operation that simultaneously espouses smart business practices and timely adoption of technology.
They trace their history back to 1883, and each generation since then has put an indelible stamp on the farm, which now consists of 2,600 cotton acres, 400 wheat acres and 100 acres of alfalfa hay.
The six partners in the operation are: Verle and wife Trelva, Dennis and wife Margaret and Matt and wife Kim.
Verle is 76. He and his wife began the business with only 75 acres. His son Dennis, 56, and wife Margaret joined the operation in 1976. And, not surprisingly, Dennis's son Matt, 31, and wife Kim joined in 2001.
"So far, we've been able to work together as a family on this farm," says Dennis. "This situation really works for us. Everybody has a different job. What makes it even better is that our families live close to each other here in the valley."
Dennis admits that he, Verle and Matt don't always agree on important farm management decisions. But they find a way to talk it over and then "we usually come to a consensus on how we should handle a certain project."
The entire Gila River Valley has about 35,000 acres of farmland, and at one time there were dairies and feed lots everywhere. Cotton, however, is the one crop that has consistently performed well through the years.
Switching To Upland
The Palmers once grew only Pima cotton, but that changed 12 years ago when they made the switch to transgenic upland varieties.
"We had problems with bugs on the Pima," says Dennis. "Plus, you had to usually pick the Pima twice. We're happy with growing transgenic upland cotton, and the biggest expenses we encounter now are input costs and water availability."
Verle, the "unofficial historian" of the family, agrees with that assessment and takes it one step further.
"The power costs are also going up, and that's a concern," he says. "Those costs have pretty much skyrocketed in the last few years."
Despite the high electrical costs, the Palmers meticulously manage their pumps so that tailwater runoff can be captured and recycled on many fields.
"That proves to be an advantage anytime we can catch that water and use it again," says Verle.
The Palmers receive half of their water from pumps and the other half from the river. A lot of factors influence their water supply, and it is always a concern if a shortfall occurs.
There is no dam upstream on the Gila River. A dam is located below the V.I.P. farm, and that supply is determined by how much water is stored for farmers in Coolidge, a town located many miles west of Thatcher.
source : cottonfarming
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