Locals and visitors got a chance to get an insight into how the cotton industry works at the annual Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association (CGA) 'An Evening of Cotton'.
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The tour kicked off with Beela Farm manager Johno Baxter discussing his experience in the cotton industry and what it's like to be a cotton farmer.
"It's an opportunity for our local cotton growers to showcase their industry to the broader community," Gwydir Valley CGA secretary said.
"It's a real significant contributer to the community here."
Visitors had a chance to see picking in action with the large cotton picker machines, as well as seeing the massive machines up close, as well as being able to see and feel the cotton grown.
On Mr Baxter's farm, they were able to harvest 13 bales per hectare, with the valley average being 12 per hectare, making it a good season, particularly in the midst of a tough drought.
He also discussed that with the picker machines there is less reliance on casual staff, which are mostly backpackers, putting more emphasis on employing locals and giving them extra job security.
Mr Baxter talked about his water use on the farm, outlining how many irrigations are needed depending on the rainfall, and making sure it all counts with no water running off the farm but always being caught in catchments.
He required around seven to nine irrigations this season, which was a slight increase compared to normal due to the lack of rain the region has been suffering from.
Ms Gall said there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the use of water on cotton farms so she believes these tours provide a great opportunity to provide a greater understanding of water use in the industry.
"We give people a better understanding of the way water is used in the industry," she said.
"Give an overview of the licensing processes and how our cotton growers utilise those licences."
Following the farm tour, visitors were then transported to Auscott Limited at Midkin to see the cotton ginning process where the cotton fibres are separated from the seeds.
The Auscott gin can produce around 90 bales per hour and was the first plant in Australia that was able to do so.
In a normal year, the plant would be ginning at all hours but it currently runs around 10 to 12 hours per day with a slower season.
While visitors were unfortunately unable to see the ginning process in action, this did provide them the opportunity to see the machines up close and were able to gain a greater understanding of how the Auscott plant operates.
It was a great afternoon for locals and visitors alike to gain a greater appreciation of the cotton industry and how it all works.
