No Trip to China is Complete Without...

...a Cotton Visit!

   Anyone can go to the Great Wall, and we did. But, how many people visit cotton mills?

   Below is an operation run as a co-op by local farmers. They spin and weave their cotton making light weight summer quilts which are very popular in China. These guys get an 'A' in entrepreneurship. They actually started by coming together to develop cotton seed varieties for China. Another 'A'.

  My thanks to Ernie Schroeder, Jr. owner of Jess Smith and Co. who was my host in China. Ernie is a Road Warrior for American cotton. His regular visits to Asia help create markets for our products. It was interesting watching him work with his colleagues from Shanghai as we visited mills and merchants.

   Yes, the Chinese are our competitors. They work hard and they have learned the benefits of capitalism and globalization. The good news is they know we grow world class cotton in California.

                                          Just so you know I was at the great Wall.

   I'll make another report when I am a little less jet-lagged. [ I flew back from China last night, and boy are my arms tired. ;-D Ba dump bump.]

I hope you all have a great week.