Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Hill County presented its annual First Bale Award to D&L Gerik Farms Monday, November 8. The award recognizes a cotton producer having the first ginned bale of cotton grown in Hill County. This year, the honor went to Paul Gerik, owner of D&L Gerik Farms. The cotton making up Gerik’s winning bale was harvested from a field planted with NexGen® 3729 and was ginned at G&P Seed in Aquilla on September 3. A total of 1,400 pounds of machine-harvested seed cotton produced the 495-pound bale of lint, along with 650 pounds of seed. Producers receiving the award designate the $500 donation to a charity, service organization or non-profit of their choice. D&L Gerik Farms has chosen to designate the donation to Hill County Go Texan Scholarship Fund. Pictured (l to r) are: Hill County Extension Agent Zach Davis, Curtis Lesley, D&L Gerik Farms employee, Paul Gerik, owner of D&L Gerik Farms, Frankie Karlik, G&P Gin Superintendent, Tyler Mays, Hill/McLennan County Extension Agent – IPM, Karen Shelton, G&P Gin Office Manager, and Jacob Gerik, G&P Gin Manager.
The Lakelander 