Welcome to the June 6, 2025 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.
New Collaboration Featuring Cotton Incorporated, LoveShackFancy and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Photo courtesy of LoveShackFancy and Cotton Incorporated.
Cotton Incorporated is joining forces with globally recognized fashion brand, LoveShackFancy, and America’s Sweethearts, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders to put cotton front and center on the national stage in a bold and creative collaboration. This consumer-facing campaign builds cultural relevance, brand recognition, and demand for cotton at exactly the right time.
The “America’s Sweetheart Cotton Collection,” a curated line of cotton-rich clothing items, is the latest extension of Cotton Incorporated and LoveShackFancy’s “American Icons” fashion campaign. Created with inspiration from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, this limited-edition capsule collection features dresses, tops, accessories, and more—all made from soft, breathable cotton. The campaign’s launch was strategically timed to align with the return of the Netflix reality series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: America’s Sweethearts, ensuring maximum visibility and cultural relevance.
“This collaboration is about much more than fashion – it’s about reinforcing cotton’s position as a fabric that represents strength, tradition, and modern American style,” said Kim Kitchings, Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing at Cotton Incorporated. “By aligning with cultural icons like the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and LoveShackFancy, we’re connecting cotton with the next generation of consumers in a way that’s emotional, meaningful, and memorable.”
For cotton producers, this effort is part of a broader strategy funded by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program to keep cotton top-of-mind for consumers. It reinforces the value of cotton in an increasingly competitive fiber marketplace. “This is a great example of how collaboration and new approaches can be used to share cotton with today’s consumers,” said Akiko Inui, Chair of The Cotton Board.
As published in a recent WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) article about the iconic collaboration, LoveShackFancy Founder and Creative Director, Rebecca Hessel Cohen said, “We love cotton, and it is our favorite fabric.” Earning that level of enthusiasm from such an influential voice in the fashion industry is already a significant win for cotton.
The Cotton x LoveShackFancy America’s Sweetheart Capsule Collection will be available to shop starting June 10th at loveshackfancy.com and in all LoveShackFancy boutiques nationwide. In addition to online sales and promotions in LoveShackFancy boutiques, Cotton Incorporated will help host a tailgate-themed event at LoveShackFancy’s Dallas boutique on June 21st, complete with a meet-and-greet with at least two members of the cheerleader’s team and the Cowboys’ mascot, Rowdy. Follow @DiscoverCotton on Instagram to see more on this iconic collaboration for cotton.
FSA Provides Update on Average Gross Income
Originally written and published by Paul Neiffer with Farm CPA Report
FSA yesterday released FSA notice PL-313.
This notice provides updated guidance for calculating average gross income for purposes of meeting the more than 75% farm average gross income requirements under the ECAP program to allow for an increased payment limit.
These guidelines will likely be incorporated into Handbook 6-PL soon.
Some of the key items from the update are as follows:
- Instead of relying on certain lines from tax forms, it provides guidance on what income is farm or not farm income and how to calculate gross income. For example, on Schedule F you would add back expenses to arrive at gross income.
- If you show a hedging loss on Schedule F, that will reduce gross income.
- The cost of livestock or other farm products purchased on line 1b will reduce farm income.
- Leasing of ground to renewable energy companies is not farm income. Only income from direct production of renewable energy by the farm operation is farm income. This would also be true for the regular calculation of farm income for adjusted gross income purposes too.
- If a farmer invests in an entity that processes, transports, stores, etc. farm commodities, that likely is not farm income unless the farmer’s commodities are processed directly by that entity and ownership is material. For example, a cotton producer who owns 5% of a cotton gin LLC and has some of his production processed by that gin, that gross income is not farm income. However, if that farmer owns 75% of that gin LLC and all of his cotton is processed by this gin, that would likely be farm income.
- You are still required to meet the 66.66% test for equipment gains, custom services and sale of farm inputs.
- Wages and dividends from a family farm corporation will be farm income. Owners of a farm corporation are required to also verify if their farm income exceeds 75%. This is required to determine if the corporate extra payment will be reduced due to the owner already being allocated a full extra payment outside of the corporation, etc.
- Remember that payments are attributed down to four layers of ownership and an individual can only be allocated one payment (plus the extra payment if applicable). This means that if the individual already has been allocated a full extra payment, their ownership share in the corporation would be reduced.
- Example, assume that Sue owns 100% of ABC Farm Corporation. The corporation qualifies for $300,000 of ECAP payments. She also has her own Schedule F farm operation that qualified for $300,000 of payment too. She is a farmer, but between her and the corporation they can in total only receive $250,000 of payments due to attribution.
- LLCs, LLPs, LPs, LLLPs, are treated similar to corporations. This is why FSA will ask all of the owners to verify their average gross income, etc.
Again, it is much easier for farmers to meet the more than 75% test for average gross income versus adjusted gross income and the updated guidance will help us calculate AGI.