It's no secret that cotton's share of the textile and apparel market took a hit when cotton prices rose to $2 a pound in 2011 and 2012. Rather than sitting back and hoping for better days, Cotton Incorporated's researchers, technicians and marketing specialists have been working overtime to try to win back the markets that were invaded by much cheaper polyester fabrics.

A group of 62 producers and their wives got to see first hand what "the company," as CI President and CEO Berrye Worsham calls it, is doing to help restore profitability to U.S. cotton farms. They toured the Cotton Incorporated's facilities in Cary, N.C., and visited Frontier Mills, a yarn spinning manufacturer that uses a significant amount of cotton.