During a visit to the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, USDA Under Secretary of Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey made a stop at Spearman, Texas, home to one of the largest cotton gins in the United States — the Adobe Walls Gin, which ginned a record 283,198 bales this season.
Prior to touring the nine-stand cotton gin, Northey congratulated the families of the farming operation whose cotton was the 1 millionth bale ginned at Adobe Walls since its inception in 2006. The cotton in the landmark bale belongs to County Line Farms: Bobby Williams and his wife Linda Williams, who partner with their children Linda Williams, Justin Garrett and his wife Lori Garrett and Bryce Williams and his wife Misty Williams.
Bobby Williams and his brother Billy Williams, who grew up on a cotton farm near Plainview, Texas, were also two of the original investors in the gin. “I knew cotton could grow up here,” Bobby says, as he walked through the gin. “I never thought I would be a part of this. The first four gins (stands) that we built — that was the biggest gin I had ever see in my life.” They expanded the gin in 2017, adding five additional stands, with two more scheduled to be added in 2018.
Following Northey’s gin tour, he met privately with producers and commodity leaders to hear their praises and concerns regarding USDA programs, agricultural trade and the farm bill.
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