Farm & Ranch 2021 by Manteca Bulletin

1 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

Farm&Ranch

OCTOBER 27, 2021

A special publication of the

• Escalon Times • Manteca Bulletin • Oakdale Leader • Ripon Bulletin • The Riverbank News

2 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

Driving the Milk Truck By Anna Genasci Farm Bureau News Editor

hile most may consider Tuolumne County the land of timber and beef, in the early 1900s, Sonora was home to the Sylva’s Dairy. Bob Sylva’s grandparents purchased the dairy in 1902. “My grandfather, Antonne, bought the dairy. Back then it was shorthorns, no processing. You milked into a can and delivered to the homes that day. You had a quart bottle and measured out the milk at each house.” About twenty years later, Bob’s Grandfather took ill and his parents Alvin and Margret bought the dairy in 1924. As Bob explained, by that time they had already been some improvements to the dairy. “When my parents took over, there was refrigeration, a processing plant that pasteurized and bottling.” It was Bob’s dad Alvin, who transitioned the herd from shorthorns to guernseys. “My dad traveled to Wisconsin and bought a herd of guernsey cattle. They were shipped here in railroad cars and my dad rode home with them. When I was born, we were still doing home delivery routes, eventually that developed to wholesale routes, but we kept some of the retail customers.” As Bob said, with a sentimental smile, “I’ve

been here my whole life.” As a child, Bob’s brother would do the milking and Bob would help with the deliveries. “We would milk, deliver, and then head to school.” Bob explained that during World War II, his mother took over the Pinecrest route and Bob would ride in the milk truck with his mom.

Several times Bob got emotional talking about his family, his love for delivering milk and most of all his wife Mary, who he lost when she was just 55, and very recently his second, wife Enella, who he lost less than a year ago. It was clear that family is very important to Bob, and during the time of this interview, Bob received three phone calls from various grandchildren and great grandchildren, checking in on him or just calling to say hello. Bob has four children, three daughters and

This was the beginning of Bob’s career of milk delivery.

Bob’s dad was a World War I veteran and during World War II, Bob was about 12 and began driving the truck on his own to make deliveries.

“I was a distributor for Golden State then Crystal and finished up with Producers. I delivered milk my whole life,” said Bob.

Bob reminisced about how driving the truck was so much fun. “My wife Mary would ride the truck with me. I had a combo truck and we delivered milk and ice cream. Mary would take care of the ice cream, while I took care of the milk.” Bob talked about his customers with the same affection as he did his family. “I learned my ethics from my dad, the most important thing was how you treat your customers.” Bob lives in the same space where they used to house the dry cows when the dairy was still up and running. Bob shared with a smile, “I spent my life on that road between Twain Harte and Pinecrest.” It was clear that his home and the pool that he built for his wife Mary who loved to swim, continues to be where his family gathers and he spends his time caring for the five acres.

Bob shared that the customers loved the guernsey milk. “Back then people would buy milk based on the breed of the cattle, especially during World War II, they like the guernsey milk because of its high butterfat.”

Bob continued working for his parents until 1966, when his dad had a stroke and it was time to sell the cows. Bob’s love of delivering milk to his cherished customers did not end there.

he did take a couple of year to venture off to UC Davis. “I took some classes about testing milk so that we could have the best milk for our customers.”

Bob has been retired just a few years, taking the time to care for his wife before her recent passing. It was very obvious that Bob, who referred to himself as “just grandpa,” has a special place in his heart for his family members. one son. And five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. While delivering milk was Bob’s sole career,

Before parting, I asked Bob what is your favorite memory about delivering milk to your customers. With tears in his eyes he replied, “there’s just too many of them.”

3 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

Women and Ag: Falastine (Fill) Munoz By: Anna Genasci Farm Bureau News Editor

Fill is. She sparkles, and I don’t just mean her endearing grin and smiling eyes. Fill has a positive energy that you can feel and it’s no surprise that this energy has driven her success at not only Grizzly Nut, but her roles outside of work.

And each article reads the same, her experience, her background, her education, all that has led to her successful career. And for Fill Munoz, with Grizzly Nut, I could tell you the same story. Her years spent at Junior College, her time in retail that taught her to be organized and think on her feet, and the decision to take her chances and begin working in agriculture. But it would be remiss if I didn’t include that Fill is also a mom, a wife, a daughter, and a hardworking gal, who is also “killing it” in this industry.

Fill is a mother of three, Mason 12, Laila 11, and Chloe 5. Yes, I will get to the part about all that Fill has accomplished during her tenure with Grizzly Nut. However, her role at home is just as important. And not to wave the mom flag too hard, we gals know that when we’re doing a good job at home, it spills over to all of the other roles we play throughout the day.

o many times before, I’ve read an article highlighting an amazing, talented, strong S woman that is, frankly, “killing-it” in this industry.

When I set out to write a Women in Ag series for our Farm News, so many gals came to mind. And I am honored to have Fill be our first story. When I sat down with Fill to do her interview for this article, the first Women and Ag feature, in our largest paper of the year, our time spent together was not like my normal interview. Usually, the interview goes as you might imagine, I ask questions, the interviewee answers, copious notes taken, to then turn it into an article that gets printed every other week. Not this time. This interview was like having a coffee date with a girlfriend I’ve known for years. I think this sheds some light on the type of person

Fill spends her weekends attending football games and watching her daughters cheer, oh and did I mention, just popping into work at 5:00am to meet the USDA inspector to ensure a get loads out the following week. This is probably why Mike Staack, President of Grizzly Nut, refers to Fill as one of his “right hands.” Before Grizzly Nut, Fill worked in retail, which wasn’t a good fit for this mom. “I was working retail and managing three stores, I was never home in the evenings or weekends. My husband Miguel was taking kids to soccer games and I wasn’t there.” So, when Fill heard of an opening at Grizzly Nut with some hours that seemed a little more accommodating to having time with your family, she decided to make take the leap. “I knew nothing about the almond

industry, but I needed something that would allow me to also be a mom.” “Mike has always been supportive, it’s family first.” This was certainly true during COVID, when Fill was able to bring all three of her kids to work, as they tackled distance learning while Fill tackled harvest. Now it certainly needs to be mentioned, that during harvest season, it’s all hands-on deck and lots of hours, but as Fill mentioned, it’s the flexibility that is made Grizzly Nut her home for the last decade. Fill has certainly grown in her role at Grizzly Nut, with increasing responsibilities. “I feel like my opinion is valued here,” she shared. “I came to Grizzly Nut with retail management experience. I have strong organizational skills which helped me excel in my previous job and continued to push me further into my career at Grizzly Nut. Coming into a new family-owned business none of us (including owner Mike Staack) knew what was to come with Grizzly Nut’s growth. Lots of responsibilities expanding into Food Safety, HR, payroll, Shipping and Receiving. I had no background in Ag. Apart from growing up in the Central Valley, the only thing I knew about almonds was the beautiful bloom we get to experience every year. I knew quickly I had a lot to learn. Mike and his wife Christina were amazing. They both took the time to teach me about the industry.” This is the beauty of working for agriculture where family-owned operations are the norm.

Sitting in her office during the interview members of the Grizzly team popped in to ask a question or grab a clipboard with load information, and every time they were met with the patient and warm smile. Not once did I see Fill frazzled. Now I was there for a couple of hours and I’m sure thing can get crazy during harvest, we all have our moments, but it was clear that Fill knows the business, understands the moving pieces and is super organized and happy to help.

These days Fill is doing a little “teaching” herself.

Continued on Page 4

4 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021 Continued from Page 3 Grizzly Nut is unique. As an agricultural company, they employ a lot of women, and have women in multiple leadership roles. “We encourage our employees to move up, we want ladies on the lines to become forklift operators. They make more money doing that job and they’re more careful moving around the plant with so many trucks in and out during the season,” shared Fill. About two years ago, Fill decided to grow her leadership skills by participating and the Almond Board of California Leadership Program. “At the time I applied to Almond Leadership, I had been with the company for 8 years. I had learned so much from the processor’s standpoint. However, I didn’t spend anytime outside the walls of Grizzly Nut. When I heard about the experience with Almond Leadership, I decided to apply. Best decision I’ve made! I had the opportunity to learn in depth about not only what the Almond Board does, but I got to experience this industry even before there’s a tree. We toured Burchell Nursery and saw the work that went into planting the trees to provide to farmers.The leadership program provides insight into all aspects of the industry and

anyone considering the program, take my advice. Do it. You won’t regret it!” I think it’s important to mention here that while Fill was working full time, doing the leadership program, things at home didn’t stop. During some lighthearted banter, we chatted about our kiddos, and our attempt as moms to teach them to be self-sufficient little people. “They have chores, they help out,” smiled Fill. Now our conversation wasn’t always lighthearted. Recently, Fill lost her mom to a battle with cancer and with tears in her eyes she shared with me the heartbreak. Plus, how her family, including her young kiddos, stepped up to care, and take care, of things while Fill did what she needed to do. Take care of her mom. As I sat with Fill, just a mere month after her loss, you would have never guessed she’d just been through the trenches. It’s funny how when we write a feature story, we don’t spend a lot of time talking about what that person does other than their job in agriculture. But in the case of Fill, and so many other passionate working moms, we know that finding the balance between work and home can be challenging. It was refreshing to chat with Fill, a mom, a

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gal who’s passionate about agriculture, and discuss how there really is no balancing, it’s more of a coordinated juggle. And how it’s important for women with this passion for both agriculture and their kids to find that happy place where we get the opportunity to be great at both. Now as I mentioned, when Fill joined the Grizzly Nut team, she didn’t have a background in agriculture, but you wouldn’t know that today looking at the passion that she’s developed for this industry. “Not coming from an Ag family or background and coming into Grizzly Nut you realize how under informed people are when it comes to Agriculture and issues we face. Educating others about the problems facing not only the Almond Industry, but the Ag Industry as a whole is important to maintaining a secure, sustainable, safe, and reliable food source for America and the world.” Fill spoke passionately about having an employer who supports her, both in the workplace and at home. And about the time that Fill mention this, I noticed out her office window, a group of women jogging along the canal. So, I had to ask, what’s that about? Fill explained that a group of gals working

at Grizzly Nut take advantage of their lunch break to eat their meal and do a 15-minute jog. Here’s what I’m talking about, the juggle. Sometimes we get just 15 minutes to do something that rejuvenates us, clears our minds, and helps us tackle the rest of the day. So, what advice does Fill have for women entering the Ag world? “I highly recommend it. Most people are encouraged by seeing someone who looks like they do, succeeding at the thing they want to do. Recently, The Almond Alliance of California’s Elaine Trevino was nominated by the President as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the United States Trade Representative. Hearing this news was empowering in more ways than one. Not only because she’s frequented Grizzly Nut a time or two, but speaking with her you can feel her passion and commitment for Agriculture. Women inspiring women to use our voices for advocacy and growth in Agriculture is important.” Thank you Fill for an amazing interview, for the time to chat and laugh about the juggle. It means a lot to me and my guess, to a lot of other women working in this industry, to hear you share your passion about working for Grizzly Nut and your family.

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5 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

Go nuts for this cool-weather treat

any nuts get plenty of fanfare, from the almond to the walnut to the peanut — which isn’t even a nut at all! However, without the familiar holiday tune “The Christmas Song,” many folks may not even know about a relatively obscure nut that tends to only turn up around the holiday season. When Nat King Cole sings “chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” he’s referring to the starchy, sweet and flavorful chestnut, which is an edible nut from a tree native to the northern hemisphere. Chestnuts belong to the beech or Fagaceae family of trees, which are native to the mountainous forests of China, Japan, Europe, and North America. Chestnuts were once staples of North American diets because they

could be found quite readily along the Eastern seaboard, where many early settlers first landed their ships. Chestnuts were once were the most popular ingredient in 18th and 19th cuisine and became widely linked to Christmas dinner. Early American chestnuts were small and flavorful and were abundant in late fall. Chestnuts once had a sweet flavor when eaten raw. However, they took on a nutty essence when roasted. Chestnut street vendors could be found sending off wafting aromas of inviting chestnuts from corner to corner. Unfortunately, a chestnut tree blight in the early 20th century decimated nearly all American Chestnut trees, leading to the demise of the domestic chestnut industry — and perhaps

contributing to a declining interest in chestnuts with winter meals. Today, most chestnuts are imported from Korea, China and Italy. The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center reports that American chestnut production is less than 1 percent of total world production. The United States has 919 farms producing chestnuts on more than 3,700 acres. There may be hope for reviving interest in chestnuts as new research is worthy additions to a healthy diet. trying to prevent the Asian blight TF18C571 that wiped out trees long ago. Chestnuts traditionally pop up in stores during the holiday season. Unlike other nuts and seeds, they are relatively low in calories or fats, but are a rich source of minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber. They can be incorporated into many different meals and are

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6 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

Scotland Highland Cattle By: Anna Genasci Farm Bureau News Editor

f you have been down Patterson Road in Oakdale recently, you may have noticed some small, shaggy-looking cattle. No, these aren’t Herefords calves in need of a trim, these are LeeAna and Kera Brichetto’s Scotland Highland Cows. As the name suggests, this bred originated in Scotland as far back as the 6th century – one of the oldest breeds in the world according to the American Highland Cattle Association (AHCA). So, what are they doing in Oakdale? Well, according to LeeAna and Kera, this bred is becoming popular in the United States amongst homesteaders. “The bred is smaller framed, gentle, and docile. Homesteading seems to be more and more popular, people wanting to know where their food comes from and since COVID, feel secure in their food supply,” shared Kera. So, about a year ago, these cattlewomen decided to start a “fold” of their own. Although a group of cattle is generally called a herd, a group of Highland cattle is known as a “fold.” This is because in winter, in Scotland, the cattle were kept in open shelters made of stone called folds to protect them from the weather at night. “We noticed there was a lot of chatter about the bred on social media, so we started looking into them,” said LeeAna.

So, I had to ask, “what did your husbands say?” With large smiles, both LeeAna and Kera said, “quit bringing these animals home!” That was until they sold their first calf. Kera shared that Highland calves bring a premium, anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on the size. The smaller framed animals bring a higher price. “This really is a niche market,” said Kera. LeeAna explained that there is no real public market for these animals and most of their customers so far, have been newbies in the cattle business. “These cows are so gentle and docile, homesteaders and people with ranchettes like their demeanor – they can even be hand milked,” shared Kera. One might suspect that these animals are not built for our hot California summers. But their shaggy coats work as an insulator, keeping them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Plus, I must add, their appearance is rather endearing.

LeeAna and Kera took me out into the pasture to meet some of the soon-to-be mama cows, like Dottie and Stella. These small-framed girls let us walk up right next to them. “The kids love them. And if we are out here feeding, we get a lot of people who stop and ask about them,” said Kera. At one point, LeeAna likened their look to that of Mr. Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street – minus the trunk of course! No wonder the kids love them. And folks asking about their Highlands is exactly what Kera and LeeAna want. “There isn’t a ton of information about these cattle, especially in

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California. It is a fun and interesting hobby, and we hope to bring some knowledge to the area,” said LeeAna. While some exotic breeds of cattle are becoming popular in the Midwest, we are just starting to see that trend here in California. As we wrapped up our time together, it was clear that both Kera and LeeAna have a love for livestock. And I left the interview wanting more information about these cute cows. Here’s what I learned. According to the American Highland Cattle Association: The extremely harsh conditions of the rugged, remote Scottish Highlands created a process of natural selection, where only the fittest and most adaptable animals survived to carry on the breed. Originally there were two distinct classes; the slightly smaller and usually black Kyloe, whose primary domain was the islands off the west coast of northern Scotland. The other was a larger animal, generally reddish in color, whose territory was the Highlands. Today both of these strains are regarded as one breed – Highland. In addition to red and black, yellow, dun, white, brindle and silver are also traditional colors. The breed is characterized by traits of hardiness, self-sufficiency and longevity. They are excellent foragers and efficient at improving pastures and clearing woodlots. A testament of this ability was in an Oak Savanna Restoration Project in Wisconsin where the cattle and environment thrived. Their moderate frame is ideal for small and large farms alike in various climates and regions of the country. Highlands are found in all fifty states and acclimate well to the

environment. The double hair coat is a tremendous asset in adverse weather and is believed to be the reason why they have limited external fat cover. This means less to trim from carcasses and more value retained. The horns not only give them their majestic looks but are helpful with predator control. These cattle have strong maternal instincts and protect their young. In addition, Highland genetics are quite diverse from other breeds so they produce a highly productive cross.

7 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

Uncommonly Good Poultry By: Anna Genasci Farm Bureau News Editor

hat is uncommonly good poultry, well according to the Squab Producers of California (SPOC), it is squab. Now you may be wondering, what exactly is squab? Squab is young domestic pigeon and according to Dalton Rasmussen, the President at Squab Producers of California, who raises squab himself, with a little salt, pepper and olive oil, it is as good as a filet. Before we jump into what SPOC is up to these days, allow me to walk you through a bit of their history. • May 5th, 1943. John D. Smith organized members and formed the Squab Producers of California Cooperative. • March 1946. SPOC original capital stock shares issued to co-op members. • October 21, 1947. Membership meeting approves SPOC’s first processing plant.

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beginning in 2007, took over as President in 2013, explained that in 1940s most of the squab growers were from the Bay Area, places like San Francisco and Hayward. As time went on, producers moved out of the area and a processing plant in Modesto, that was twice the size as the previous plant, was needed. SPOC operates as a Co-op, so their producers are their members, about 65 members today. The squab is then marketed and sold through the Co-op. Prior to COVID most of the squab was sold to Asians markets and to high-end restaurants in San Francisco, Chicago and New York City. As Dalton explained, they used to send trucks to the Bay Area for delivery four days a week. About 75-80% of the squab sold went to restaurants – with 75% of that sold as fresh. COVID changed their business overnight. Before March of 2020, SPOC was selling $300,000 of squab a month. In April of 2020, they sold 15 birds! In addition to their fresh market, they had been sending 20 pallets of frozen inventory to Canada several months out of the year, that order dropped to two pallets. How did they survive? Well two decisions were made that have helped SPOC, its members, and processing plant survive.

8 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021 First, their Board made quick and hard decisions. They cut the price to growers in half, this reduced SPOC’s expenses, but guaranteed their members at least break-even prices. They encouraged the members to cull their birds and save the breeders. Because the restaurant business came to a screeching halt, Dalton secured cold storage space to send their inventory to the freezer. And, like they did in the early days, they took on custom processing jobs, like game birds, to help pay the bills. These decisions saved their processing plant and kept their members. Secondly, the Board hired Josh Taylor as SPOC’s Director of Business Development. “We knew we needed to be doing more marketing, and COVID helped push that change sooner,” Dalton. Josh has big goals for SPOC. “We are looking at grocery stores as a new market, we want to get the average home chef to cook squab,” shared Josh. Josh explained with a smile, that if he can get his kids to eat it for dinner, then anyone can! Squab is easy to cook. It is a healthy, all dark meat, with half the fat and twice the protein of other poultry – hence their new slogan “Uncommonly Good Poultry.” Recently, SPOC’s product is featured at Fina by John Surla, a restaurant in Ripon. “We are trying to work with chefs in different regions to get squab on the menu,” explained Josh. And, if you are the “average home chef” and concerned about how to cook your squab, the package comes equipped with a QR code that you can scan for recipes.

So, with things looking a little more “normal” at SPOC they are back to processing birds five days a week. Most of SPOC’s members raise squab and farm other commodities, only about five of their members do squab exclusively. The average grower has about 1500 pair. Fun fact about pigeons, they mate for life and both parents care for the young. Each week the grower delivers his birds to the plant for processing. The SPOC plant operate similarly to any other poultry processing facility with the exceptions of the chilling process. “Instead of an ice-bath, we use an air chilling system,” explained Dalton, “the chefs we work with like this process, it reduces extra moisture and you are just paying for the meat, not the water.” SPOC employees about 35 people, most of which work in the plant. In addition to the plant, SPOC has their own breeder farm, which started in 2015. As Dalton explained, by encouraging their members to buy SPOC’s breeders, the plant gets the type and size of birds that are in customer demand. As with all poultry facilities, SPOC follows a strict bio-security program. Since 2009, in SPOC and all of their members follow a bio-security, HACCP and animal welfare program that was developed in conjunction with California Poultry Federation, California Department of Food and Ag, USDA, and a state veterinarian consultant. As Dalton said with a smile, “it is always busy, and I never get bored.” If you are interested in trying out this “Uncommonly Good Poultry” check out these locations.

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9 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

More than Caring for Hooves By: Anna Genasci Farm Bureau News Editor

ust a year ago Travis and Joya McCarthy started their business, TJ Hoof Care. And, like many new business ventures it has transformed into more than they could imagine. Joya grew up on a dairy on Timbell Road in Waterford. Her Grandfather started the dairy in 1973, and today Joya’s dad runs the dairy. This is where her love of cattle first began. Joya was working on her degree in Dairy Science at Modesto Junior College and Ag Biology at Stanislaus State, where she met Travis, who would become her husband in 2017 when the two married. Travis had been working in the dairy construction business and then for Joya’s dad on the dairy for a couple of years. But ultimately the two knew they wanted to start their own business. Travis had taken some time to recover from a shoulder surgery, and had, as he put it, “a light bulb moment. We should start our own hoof trimming business.” With a little research, Travis and Joya found a 10-day-training hosted in Minnesota. This training equipped Travis with the basics and the tools to start the business. It wasn’t long before their business began to grow through word of mouth. Before they knew it, TJ Hoof Care was acquiring new clients. Now the TJ brand wasn’t new to Travis and Joya. “The TJ brand actually started from our wedding, where we had a ‘unity brand’, joining our initials to symbolize the two of us becoming one. This brand means so much to us that it was a no-brainer to use it as our business logo,” shared Joya. “We also had a calf as the ring bearer in our wedding, with a special ear tag that had our TJ brand on it. Cows are a very special part of our lives, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!” The darling couple have created a market for themselves by serving customers with smaller numbers of animals. The two explained how most hoof trimmers are very busy and often can’t make a service call to anyone with less than 10 animals.

This seemed like the perfect opportunity for a niche market and even providing hoof trimming services to not only dairy animals, but also beef cows. In fact, Travis spoke of a customer in San Jose, a homesteading type of situation, where a family relies on their one cow for their milk. Even that one cow needs a hoof trim occasionally. As the business has grown Joya takes care of the social media, invoicing, scheduling, and documentation, while Travis travels the Central Valley providing hoof care, “we make a good team, we’ve learned to go with the flow,” shared Travis. Still new to the hoof trimming industry, Travis and Joya quickly recognized that some of their “tools” needed updating. “We started looking at designing new templates to document cow health and set up a pricing structure that made it work for both the customer and us, even when they have few cows,” shared Joya. “We get to help cows, I love the travel, and I love meeting people who love their cows,” smiled Travis. But mastering the art and the science of hoof trimming, where millimeters matter, the two quickly found another opportunity to set their business apart.

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In addition to working for TJ Hoof Care, Joya had been working for a dairy genetics company. But when COVID hit Joya found herself laid off. Joya decided to put her energy into the business with Travis. “Initially we created a small app that helped Travis and I track cow health and schedule Travis’ stops, it even allowed us to take pictures of the cows’ hooves to help better monitor overall herd health. By establishing trends in the herd’s hoof health, it gives the dairymen information they need to make informed decisions,” shared Joya. Today, the couple is not far from launching an actual app, Hoof Hub. The new and improved application will be made available to other hoof trimmers through a subscription type model. The app will house features like, communicating and scheduling with the customer, tracking herd hoof health, the ability to upload timestamped photos tied to a specific cow to monitor a particular problem, and reporting features to track trends. As Joya put it, “we want dairyman to have the information, so they spend their money where it matters, taking care of the cows, we are trying to take the guess work out of it.” The couple mentioned, as the Dairy Industry moves towards more automation and robotics,

the hoof trimmer will be another set of eyes on the cows. The goal is to provide data that allows the dairyman to be proactive. And, because Travis and Joya have felt the crunch of rough months, the subscription will not be a flat monthly fee, but rather a fee per animal trimmed, giving the trimmer a little breathing room on months where it is tight. Right now, Joya’s brother and dad are testing the app, before they make the official launch. During our interview Travis got a call from Joya’s dad; he was asking about a cow with a bad abscess. Travis was able to pull that cow up in the app, and share the photo taken a week prior that showed she is healing. A great example of how the information can help dairymen make informed management decisions. With only a year under their belts, where will Travis and Joya be with their business next year? Here is what they had to say, “there is no timeline, we want to be working in the industry, trimming hooves, moving forward, and no more documentation on a piece of binder paper!”

Good luck to the duo at TJ Hoof Care! And welcome to the Farm Bureau Family!

10 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

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11 | Farm & Ranch • October 27, 2021

Turlock's Melon Connoisseurs Farm Bureau News Editor

of irrigation we see today.”

ummertime means outdoor BBQs with family, hamburgers, hotdogs and sliced fresh melon. This could not be any truer for those of us who live in Stanislaus County and enjoy the fruit basket of commodities that are produced here in the Central Valley. And this is definitely the case for Don Smith. Don and his family own and operate Turlock Fruit Company and have for over 100 years. It was Don’s dad, “James H. “Cantaloupe” Smith, who founded the Turlock Fruit Company in 1918. Formed as a melon packing and growing operation, the company remains today a family-owned and operated farming business run by Cantaloupe Smith’s son Don, his grandson Steve, his greatgrandson Alec and Steve’s son-in-law Neill Callis.” Don shared the story of his father working as a laborer and then a contractor since 1906. “He came here and worked for the OG Olsen Company. My mother and her family had moved here from Oregon and she was working for OG Olsen as the cook, that’s where they met.” Together they worked until 1918, when they decided to go into business for themselves. Originally in Denair, near the railroad tracks, is where they packed melons for five to six years before moving to the Turlock location they still have today. Don shared how in the beginning, prior to the mid-30s, lots of melons were grown in Stanislaus County. “Back then we used sub irrigation, but with trees going in, crops like peaches didn’t like that form of irrigation. So there was a shift to the type

Sidenote: Subirrigation also known as seepage irrigation, is a method of irrigation where water is delivered to the plant root zone. That change prompted the Turlock Fruit Company to move their growing operations to Gustine, Newman, Crowslanding and Wesley where they grew melons for another 25 years. Today most of their melons are grown in Fresno County just West of Firebaugh. The Turlock location is now used as a distribution center, a stopping point before shipping. Don is the second generation of cantaloupe connoisseurs, and currently 3 generations work for their family business. For four generations the Smith family has worked to provide the highest quality melons on the market. Don Smith has been involved in the growing and marketing of melons for over 70 years, and both Steve and Alec have grown up learning all aspects of the business. As you might imagine during Don’s tenure, he has seen many changes. One of the biggest changes is how melons are irrigated. “We used to do subirrigation, today we bury drip line that gives the melons the precise water they need to grow. We’ve hired an irrigation specialist and use things like tensiometers, we have improved our water consumption by almost 70%. Today we can plan our irrigation based on the tensiometer reading, evapotranspiration and with the help of our specialist, we give the melons the amount of water they need. It used to take crews of men to irrigate the acres of melons and now with the technologies we have installed, we have one man who runs it all.”

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Don explained how this type of irrigation has decreased the amount of tillage they have to do. “The drip line is good for practically three years, we can do all of our irrigation and fertilization through that system which means we don’t have to work the ground as often as we used to.” With all that Don has seen, COVID brought some changes to the melon industry as well. “Overnight cruise ships stopped, and the restaurant business came to a halt, we were lucky that we had a good export market.” According to Don honeydew and cantaloupe are big sellers internationally in Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea. After all these years, one thing we’ve learned is that there are no shortcuts to providing consistent quality. It requires attention to detail every day. And that’s what sets us apart from other melon shippers. Each member of the Smith family is involved in all aspects of the business. From the field to the cooler: from the packing line through the sales department and right off the shipping dock, Don, Steve, Alec and Neill are intimately involved with every detail of the process, ensuring that we provide you with the consistent, high-quality Turlock Fruit products you have come to expect. With three generations working side by side, it’s clear that Don is still in charge. Don shared with a smile, “they’re already telling me what to do, and sometimes I do it.” Born in 1929, and working since he was a boy after school, Don shared that he’s proud of his family and the industry and all they’ve accomplished in the last 100 years. With all the changes Don has seen in his career, he mentioned that the industry is facing challenges like he’s never seen. “The cost of water has gone up, everything has gone up, just this last year the cost of one pallet has tripled.”

And, as Don shared, the regulatory and environmental movement seems to be brewing and will most likely be the industry’s largest hurdle. It is likely that you have had a Turlock Fruit Company melon. Their cases and stickers proudly display a Peacock. Where did the Peacock come from you might wonder? In 1918 Don’s parents had a few as pets and decided that would be their brand. And in the market where California growers compete with Mexico’s fruit, Don said it’s the Peacock’s quality and consistency, sold as California fresh, that sets them apart. At almost 92, Don works five days a week and from June to October, melon season, he’s in every day, bright and early at 4:30am. Now it wasn’t Don who shared this information, but his family-like staff who obviously love the company they work for. So next time you’re in the supermarket planning your outdoor barbecue, look for that Peacock sticker, and enjoy a California fresh melon.

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