Delta Farm Press Logo

J.C. Banks was a well-respected cotton specialist across the Cotton Belt

Ron Smith 1, Senior Content Director

January 16, 2019

2 Min Read
J.C.-Banks.jpg
J.C. Banks promoted the benefits of no-till cotton.

J.C. Banks was one of my first  Southwest Farm Press interviews, several years before I moved to Texas to become editor. I was “between assignments” at the time and working across several regions.

Our long-time editor, Calvin Pigg, set me up with an interview with J.C., and J.C. set up several farmers to visit around Altus, Okla., where he served as state cotton specialist and resident director of the OSU Experiment Station.

I was saddened to learn of his passing in late December. He was 72.

I will remember J.C. as an avid supporter of agriculture, particularly of the advantages of no-till cotton production. On several occasions he drove me to research plots or farmer fields to demonstrate the advantage of having old crop residue or a cover crop in place to protect seedling cotton from sand, hail and other storm damage. The difference was stark.

I also fondly remember those pickup rides across southwest Oklahoma, visiting farms and chatting about farmers, bird dogs, trout fishing and Hank the Farm Dog.

He showed me his blacksmith shop and we talked about how that skill has changed since my grandfather’s day, when he ran a small shop in South Carolina. J.C.’s setup was fairly high-tech.

Farmer visits proved the depth of respect folks had for J.C. His recommendations found eager ears. He was widely respected as a good scientist and a knowledgeable Extension specialist, not just in Oklahoma but across the Cotton Belt. He was a fixture at the National Cotton Council’s annual Beltwide Cotton Conferences.

He was named “Consultant of the Year,” by Ag Consultant Magazine. He was also honored at the Beltwide Cotton Conference in 1998 as “Cotton Specialist of the Year.”

He preferred to put the spotlight on the farmers he worked with. J.C. helped identify Oklahoma cotton farmers who deserved recognition and was responsible for helping select several Farm Press/Cotton Foundation High Cotton Award winners.

Anytime I asked J.C. to help me locate a good farmer for an interview, he responded quickly and usually volunteered to drive me to their place, make introductions and smooth the way for me to do my job.

He proved a valuable source of information, himself, willing to weigh in on cotton technology, weather issues and farm bill politics.

He retired a decade or so back and moved to Creede, Colo., where he intended to spend time catching trout. He invited to come and fish with him. I regret that I did not.

J.C. was a valued resource, a reliable guide and good friend. He will be missed by many.

A service of remembrance will be held at Creede Baptist Church Feb. 16, 2019, at 10 a.m. The family requests in lieu of flowers, to consider a donation in J.C.’s memory to Creede Baptist Church, 600 La Garita St, Creede, CO 81130.

About the Author(s)

Ron Smith 1

Senior Content Director, Farm Press/Farm Progress

Ron Smith has spent more than 40 years covering Sunbelt agriculture. Ron began his career in agricultural journalism as an Experiment Station and Extension editor at Clemson University, where he earned a Masters Degree in English in 1975. He served as associate editor for Southeast Farm Press from 1978 through 1989. In 1990, Smith helped launch Southern Turf Management Magazine and served as editor. He also helped launch two other regional Turf and Landscape publications and launched and edited Florida Grove and Vegetable Management for the Farm Press Group. Within two years of launch, the turf magazines were well-respected, award-winning publications. Ron has received numerous awards for writing and photography in both agriculture and landscape journalism. He is past president of The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association and was chosen as the first media representative to the University of Georgia College of Agriculture Advisory Board. He was named Communicator of the Year for the Metropolitan Atlanta Agricultural Communicators Association. More recently, he was awarded the Norman Borlaug Lifetime Achievement Award by the Texas Plant Protection Association. Smith also worked in public relations, specializing in media relations for agricultural companies. Ron lives with his wife Pat in Johnson City, Tenn. They have two grown children, Stacey and Nick, and three grandsons, Aaron, Hunter and Walker.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like