Experience Local Cotton at Elora Gin & Warehouse

It’s possible most people do not think about cotton very much. But for just a moment, think about it.

Without cotton, there would be no fluffy towels, no warm flannel shirts, no fabulous cotton summer dresses, no seersucker summer suits, no “paper” money, no absorbent dish towels, no 100% cotton t-shirts (is there any other kind?), and no blue jeans. That’s right, there would not exist America’s favorite casual wear - jeans and a t-shirt.

Cotton might not be essential to life, but it’s essential to a comfy life. 

That’s why we are taking a minute to offer our thanks to a group of new friends we recently met who work 24/7 to make sure our local cotton from Murfreesboro, TN to Limestone County, AL is ginned. 

In 1972 Mr Randall Owens opened a cotton gin on his farm in Elora, TN. Randall’s son Jimmy, together with his children; Nichole, Erin, David and Kristie, are carrying on the business. The Elora Gin and Warehouse is the only family owned and operated gin in Middle Tennessee. They grow 3500 acres in cotton on their farm, and together with other farmers, around 18,000 acres are grown from Murfreesboro to Limestone County Alabama. 

Those round bales you see wrapped in the fields weigh between 5000 to 5500 pounds each. This impressive facility receives the large round bales to process. Ginning cotton is actually removing the seeds. This mechanicalized process is thanks to Eli Whitney who invented the cotton gin in 1793. 

Wire teeth pull the cotton through small grates to separate the seeds. The cotton is then packed into 500 pound square bales, which are stored while graded. This gin runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week during ginning season, with 24 employees, only shutting it down at shift change to clean and check the equipment. Elora Gin produces 45 bales an hour. 

A 500 lb bale can make 36,000 one hundred dollar bills, or produce 720 pairs of jeans. The next time you see those brightly colored round bales in the fields, think of all the items they will produce.

Elora Gin and Warehouse is a no waste facility. The seeds become feed for dairy cattle. Seeds from cotton contain 24% protein and 24% fat, making it the perfect feed for dairy cattle. The remainder of waste is composted. 

All cotton is closely monitored by the USDA, with classing offices in Memphis. The Elora cotton is also monitored by the family’s four-legged best friends Bob and Smokey, who keep a close watch on the operation and bark approval regularly.

Hey Y’all wants to thank the men and women who are working non-stop this ginning season. We were very impressed with their massive operation, the time they spent showing us around was greatly appreciated. 

Don’t just Travel Tennessee….EXPERIENCE TENNESSEE!