Kody Beavers is the winner of the 2023 High Cotton Award from the Delta region. He farms about 3,000 acres in Tensas and Franklin Parishes, La., with his wife, Melanie, and partner Jack Dailey.

“I love growing cotton. I would have the whole farm in it if it made sense,” he said. 

"Cotton in comparison to grains is more of an art form. It's a challenge and you can have some fumbles and recover from it.”

The past season was tough on the crop in Northeast Louisiana, with a drouthy June and July, followed by ten days of rain in August.

"Cotton and soybean yields in northeast Louisiana took a huge hit," he said. "We probably had one of the better crops we've ever grown going into August. But we got right to the end and unfortunately had circumstances that were out of our hands. It caused the year to be not so much fun."

But it won’t dissuade him from growing cotton in 2023. His forward approach to the crop with an eye on sustainability and technology give him a distinct advantage.