2022 Cotton Farmer Of The Year

JONESBORO, ARKANSAS

   Jonathan S. “Shane” Isbell, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, has been named the 2022 Cotton Farmer of the Year at the 25th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference, Southern Corn & Soybean Conference, Southern Precision Ag Conference and the Delta States Irrigation Conference.

   Isbell is a fifth-generation cotton farmer in Alabama where he has an established corn-cotton rotation. He was an early adopter of precision agricultural technologies and was one of the first in his region to implement autosteer systems on his tractors and freely shared his experiences in collaboration with the Auburn University extension service.

   Isbell has been a regular attendee of the Cotton and Rice conferences and always provides valuable insights during the precision ag roundtable. He is tracking the latest in agricultural automation and sees a future where robotics could play a role in cotton, particularly materials handling. In observing manufacturing robotics being used by a flooring company, he commented that robotics won’t just be a labor-saving device but will be able to increase efficiency by “thinking” into the future. For example, an autonomous forklift could be thinking about the next 15 loads as it moves around bales to meet the current order, not just the order it is currently filling.

   In addition to precision technologies, Isbell has a long-term commitment to no-till farming and has a goal to continue to improve soil health on the farm. Isbell has observed an increase in soil organic matter due to reduced tillage. A particularly good example of Isbell’s innovation is work he has done to capture nutrients from a nearby fertilizer manufacturer. He receives water from the plant and then carefully determines the nutrient levels in the water and meets most of his crop’s fertilizer needs from this water source. This allows him to not only save on fertilizer costs, but also have a significant source of irrigation water. He has also optimized his operation by using skip row planting pattern in his operation. 

   Technology allows Isbell to cut costs on the front end and boost income on the back end. He said, “we used to waste a lot of fertilizer, a lot of seed and a lot of chemicals. We don’t do that anymore.”

   Not only is he an innovator in his farming operation, but Isbell is also a leader in the cotton industry, currently serving on both the boards of Cotton Incorporated and Southern Cotton Growers. At Cotton Incorporated, Isbell, has taken the added responsibility of chairing the boards Global Supply Chain and Marketing Committee. He is challenging us all to do a better job of connecting the retailer to the farmer and using that as a marketing advantage for U.S. Cotton. ∆