Kater Hake, vice president of Agricultural and Environmental Research with Cotton Incorporated, plans to retire by the end of the year. Hake was honored for his many contributions to the cotton industry at the recent Southern Cotton Ginners Association summer meeting. 

“Kater has a keen intellect, a forward-looking perspective on what’s next for cotton, and a willingness to get his hands dirty and get out in the field and get the work done,” said John Lindamood, cotton farmer and ginner from Tiptonville, Tenn.  

“There’s no way I could enumerate all the projects and all the various things that Kater has had his hands on and the impact he has had on cotton,” Lindamood continued. “All I can do is say thank you for making a dramatic impact on my generation of cotton farmers. Kater's impact will be felt for generations to come.” 

Since 2007, Hake has led Cotton Incorporated’s cotton production and research program. Leading a team of eight scientists, Hake and his team have developed and supported innovative problem-solving research to increase the profitability and sustainability of cotton farming in the U.S. His research has been widely cited and respected by those in academia and agriculture. 

“I can’t speak highly enough of Kater and what he’s meant to this industry,” said David Blakemore, cotton ginner from Campbell, Mo. “I’m fairly confident Kater has read and memorized Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The fourth habit of a highly effective person is looking at things with a win-win attitude. Kater has always approached stakeholders with a win-win attitude. The fifth habit is ‘Seek first to understand, then be understood’. Kater has done a marvelous job of listening, figuring out how we can solve a problem from the grower side and the ginning side.” 

Cotton career 

Hake grew up far from the Cotton Belt, in a small town in Iowa. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in genetics and a Master of Science in agronomy from the University of California at Davis, and a Ph.D. in plant biology from the University of California at Riverside. 

An early job was as a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Kern County, Cailf. He later worked in West Texas as an Extension Cotton Specialist with Texas A & M, and also at the National Cotton Council where he developed the highly-respected Cotton Physiology Education Program and the newsletter Cotton Physiology Today. 

Later, he served as vice president for Technology Development for Delta and Pine Land Company. 

“His career in cotton has spanned all four production regions in the U.S.,” said Bernie Jordan, a ginner from Yazoo City, Miss. Jordan was serving on the Cotton Inc. board when Hake was hired in 2007.  

“When he came to Cotton Inc. in 2007, I was most impressed by Kater’s ability to listen — listen to the ginners, listen to the producers, listen to everybody in the industry and then act on those problems we all face every day. During his time at Cotton Incorporated, Kater built a really good team of research scientists that have done a wonderful job. The standard that he set, will continue long after his retirement.” 

Jordan also shared that Hake’s early agricultural training was in viticulture — the production of grapes for wine. 

“The wine industry’s loss was definitely the cotton industry’s gain,” he said. 

“A crop that ignites us” 

When it was Hake’s time to take to the podium, he thanked those in attendance for working with him across his 42-year career. He also reflected on the uniqueness of the cotton industry.  

“Cotton is a crop that ignites us. It sparks enthusiasm and innovation,” Hake said. “I had a chance to work in viticulture, but other crops have nothing close to what cotton has.” 

“Thank you for sharing cotton with a boy from Iowa and for allowing me to be a part of your cotton community for 42 years,” he added.