Savannah Reams, , ECB Publishing, Inc.
Local farmer, Ernest Fulford, was chosen as a representative for Florida farmers, to attend the National Cotton Council's 2018 Producer Information Exchange Program (P.I.E.) the week of Aug. 13. This week-long event was held in California's San Joaquin Valley and served as an opportunity for cotton farmers from the Southeast region to become educated on production practices in a Cotton Belt region different from their own.
The National Cotton Council of America asserts that their program aims to help cotton producer participants boost their farming efficiency by gaining new perspectives in land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and 
harvesting; observing the unique ways other farmers are using technology; and having the opportunity to ask questions of producers in the California area, as well as other farmers in the Southeast region.
Fulford was exposed to all sorts of interesting farming methods. In California, farmers use subsurface drip irrigation, which Fulford learned can be very beneficial to crops such as peanuts, corn and cotton. Drip irrigation allows for precise management of water near the crops' roots, preventing water loss due to evaporation. California farmers use this method due to the water restrictions in their region. Water is scarce and farmers can only use a certain amount from the snow melts collected in canals for irrigation purposes. In drip irrigation, drip tubing is placed in the soil at approximately three to four inches deep and water is released directly at the plant's roots. Fulford hopes to use this method on his own farm.
Ernest Fulford is a third-generation farmer in Monticello. He is married to Sarah Fulford and, combined, they have six children: Clay, Kayla, Michaela, Katie, Meghan and Noah.
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