Name: Malazzo, John S.
Title: Owner and Operator of Malazzo Farms
Texas A&M Class: 1978
Induction: 2019
John S. Malazzo grew up in the Brazos River bottom between Bryan and Caldwell, Texas. A 1974 graduate of Caldwell High, he participated in FFA, serving as Area III president. He achieved STAR Greenhand, STAR Chapter Farmer, and received the American Farmer degree.
Malazzo graduated from Texas A&M University in 1978 with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics, specializing in Farm and Ranch Management. While in college, he began a small 200-acre farm and ranch operation in the Brazos River bottom. Today, Malazzo Farms consists of irrigated cotton, corn, and cattle production, covering over 7,000 acres in Burleson, Brazos, and Milam counties. Malazzo also owns a purebred herd of grey Brahman cows that are used to produce F-1 Hereford/Brahman replacement heifers.
In 1994, Malazzo started the Burleson County 4-H and FFA Commercial Heifer Show and Sale, serving as Chairman of the heifer committee until 2004. In 1996, Malazzo was recognized as the, “Conservation Rancher of the Year” for Region III by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Texas for his use of sustainable production practices on Malazzo Farms. He was a director for the Heart of Texas Production Credit Association through its merger with Capital Farm Credit in 2001. He has served as a director of the Texas Cotton Growers Cooperative Association – Taylor Compress, as well as director and agricultural representative of the Post Oak Savannah Underground Water Conservation District. In 2016, the Texas Brahman Association honored Malazzo Farms for his promotion and marketing of F-1 Brahman cattle. Malazzo Farms exhibited the grand champion pairs at the American Brahman Breeders National F-1 Show and Sale in 2016 and 2017. Most recently, Malazzo Farms exhibited the champion F-1 Braford open heifers at the San Antonio Livestock Commercial Heifer Show as well as the champion open F-1 heifers at the Houston Livestock Show Commercial Heifer Show and Sale.
He serves as Chairman of the Board of Capital Farm Credit, the largest agricultural lending cooperative in the 10th Farm Credit District. He is also a board member and Vice-Chair of Producer’s Co-op of Bryan, a large regional agricultural cooperative that provides products, goods, and services to farmers and ranchers over several counties in central Texas. He continues to support the TAMU Agricultural Economics Department through agricultural research and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture Development Council.
John and his wife Donna reside in Caldwell and they have two children. Jason Marion Malazzo graduated from Texas A&M University in 2006 with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics, and farms with John in the Brazos Bottom. Daughter Jill Stolz works at an agricultural commodity marketing company in the Brazos Bottom specializing in risk management. John’s hobbies are hunting, fishing, Aggie football, and showing cattle with his family at various stock shows throughout the state.