USA Rice extends condolences to the family and friends of Jacko Garrett, who passed away May 30, at the age of 80.
Jacko was a second-generation rice farmer from Danbury, a tiny farm town of 1,700 south of Houston in Brazoria County. He took the reins of his family’s cattle operation in 1966, and in 1983 started raising rice for seed, growing Foundation seed for the Texas A&M AgriLife Beaumont Research Center and hybrid seed exclusively for RiceTec, Inc., since 2008.
“Rice has been my life and I was born curious about every variety,” said Jacko. “For several years I grew a quarter-acre of every rice variety I could get my hands on from Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri. The purpose was to determine the characteristics of each variety, how each emerged, tillering, heading, yield, and disease issues.”
Rice breeder Dr. Steve Linscombe heartily agrees with Jacko’s self-assessment. “I’ve known rice farmers from all over the world and Jacko was the most innovative, inquisitive, and dedicated I ever met. After a growing season, he knew my new varieties better than I did! His farm was a ‘must-see’ stop when international visitors were touring U.S. rice country. But most importantly to me, he was a generous, kind, and caring man.”
Another endorsement of Jacko’s generosity comes from Dr. Michael “Mo” Way, an entomology professor at Texas A&M who retired in 2021: “Jacko was my mentor when I was hired by A&M. He taught me the importance of hard work and attention to detail. He was an innovator and a perfectionist, but he also had a heart of gold. He gave away a lot of his farm’s rice to the Houston Food Bank to help feed the poor and downtrodden.”
The Garrett family legacy of food aid began with the donation of a single truckload of rice to the Houston Food Bank in 1984 and grew into the Share the Harvest Foundation that helps feed families in eighteen counties in southeast Texas. Other farmers followed Jacko’s lead and their combined efforts provide enough rice for more than 11 million servings each year.
Over his long farming career, Jacko received many accolades and awards including the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 for his years of industry leadership. Fellow Texas rice farmer, Linda Raun, said, “When I think of leaders in the Texas rice industry, Jacko is one of the first names that comes to mind. He spent his life working for our betterment.”
Go
here for a special remembrance of Jacko provided by his family.
A visitation is scheduled this Saturday, June 3, from 1-3 p.m., at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Danbury, Texas, with the rosary to follow at 3 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be Sunday, June 4, at 1 p.m., also at St. Anthony Catholic Church. There will be a meal following at the church hall, followed by a private family burial. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Share The Harvest Foundation, PO Box 603, Danbury, TX 77534.