ODEM, Texas — The Edcot Coop Gin in Odem is bustling with activity as the cotton harvesting season comes to a close.
Right now, modules of cotton stretch as far as the eye can see at the facility, with different colors representing various farms from the region.
Bobby Nedbalek, who farms between Sinton and Mathis, initially had low expectations for this year's cotton yield.
"It started out as being probably one of the worst conditions to grow crops in this area, but as soon as we got the rain, it changed everything," Nedbalek said.
The crucial rainfall arrived in March, providing farmers a window of opportunity to salvage their season.
"We're in a race with Mother Nature to get the crop planted and to get it out of the field early and on time," Nedbalek said.
For Nedbalek and other local farmers, that race was decisively won this season.
"We're making more of these round bales per acre or per farm this year than any other year since I've been farming, so this is just a really good crop," Nedbalek said.
Before cotton can generate revenue, it must undergo processing at facilities like the Edcot Coop Gin, which transforms the raw material into a marketable product. Nedbalek is one of 81 cotton growers who send their modules to this cooperative facility.
Daniel Luehrs, who manages the co-op gin, demonstrated the entire operation. The critical ginning process separates lint from seed before packaging the cotton into bales.
The packaged cotton bales will be sent to Gulf Compress in Corpus Christi where it will be stored until it's ordered for delivery
