What: Cotton and its history in the United States is the subject of the next Culture Series at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. Ed Hughes, who worked in the cotton industry from 1976 until his retirement in 2017, will cover the history of cotton ginning and production in the U.S. from the earliest days on the East Coast to its migration to New Mexico and beyond. Admission is free.
Who: Ed Hughes, a longtime lead researcher for the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Lab near New Mexico State University, is the speaker. Hughes was born in Quay County New Mexico and grew up on a small cattle ranch near Nara Visa, N.M. He received his bachelor’s degree from NMSU in 1972 and a master’s degree in agriculture engineering from Ohio State University. Hughes and his wife, Patricia, moved back to Las Cruces in 1976 when he went to work for the USDA’s Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Lab. The Culture Series presentations are organized and hosted by the Friends of the Museum.
When: The presentation is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 9.
Where: In the theater at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces, N.M.
Why: The Friends of the Museum host these monthly Culture Series presentations to spark interest in New Mexico history and other various subjects. Ed Hughes will talk about the importance of cotton over the history of its production.
