Agri-Tourism fun for the whole family ...

Farmer Ganyard's cotton field is just like those cotton fields back home! Children can walk through a real cotton field, and pick a boll or a bagful to keep for their very own; it's a rare experience these days!! Explain to them the cotton clothes they wear begin at this very stage; picking the cotton bolls. Be sure to read the instructional information below to share with the children; it's a great opportunity for them to learn!

You'll have an opportunity to see, touch and pick a bagful of cotton from the cotton plant to take home. (Look for crafting ideas in What's Clucking?!.) Stay in the cotton field as long as you like. Be sure to pick up a copy of the Cotton Fact Sheet or download it from Teaching Resources. It's another cotton pickin' good time at Ganyard Hill Farm!!

"Jump Down, Turn Around, Pick a Bale of Cotton; Jump Down, Turn Around, Pick a Bale a Day! Come on Now, Let's Pick a Bale of Cotton, Come on Now, Let's Pick a Bale a Day!" "Pick a Bale" is an old African American folk song that has been classed as a 'work song', but it also was used frequently as a dance tune or reel.

About Cotton Production... Today, the long process of producing cotton fabric begins with the harvesting of the raw cotton with a mechanical cotton picker. The next step is the ginning process which separates the seeds from the lint. The lint is then sent to a mill to be spun into cotton thread. Finally, the thread is woven on a loom producing the actual cotton cloth. The cloth is marketed, and then made into clothing. Cotton is a wonderful cloth because it is cool to wear and dries quickly when wet. It's great for hot summers in North Carolina!