FARMING FAMILY MOVES TO TEXAS TO PRESERVE THEIR LEGACY Today, December 26, Lincoln Forry, a California walnut farmer will transplant his family's century-old farming legacy to a new state. Despite a healthy 650-acre walnut orchard, loyal employees and top-of-the-line equipment, this farming operation can no longer...
Who: Vernon Peterson, President of Abundant Harvest Organics and Peterson Family Farms. [caption id="attachment_497" align="alignright" width="222"] Vernon Peterson shown with fresh peaches from his peach orchards. The peaches were packed into the Community Supported Agriculture boxes that he sells through Abundant Harvest Organics.[/caption] Farms: Raises chickens and grows peaches,...
(Pictured above, from left: Vernon Peterson, his daughter, Heather, and granddaughter Skylee.) The tiny, impoverished communities in Tulare County of Traver and London -- that sit just 10 miles south and east -- are very important places to Vernon Peterson, a Kingsburg-based grower. Vernon sees hope and...
When Doug Hemly, a Delta farmer, bends down to grab a handful of soil from his farmland he thinks about his family's legacy. Four generations came before him -- each leaving an imprint on the family farm. With this history in mind, Doug’s philosophy is...
Who: Brad Gleason, President of West Hills Farm Services, Inc. (Fresno, CA), President of Montage for Ag (Fresno, CA) and Partner in Nature's Joy, Inc. (Fresno, CA). Farms: 13,000 acres of pistachios and almonds. Farming start: Brad grew up with an appreciation of farming. As a kid, he frequently visited...
When Brad Gleason started farming in the 1980s, he never could have imagined how the decision would ultimately lead him to create his own software company some 30 years later. His inquisitive nature and willingness to take risks has led Brad to create several businesses and partnerships...
IN THE FIELD Working in the field for the first 25 years of one's life would push most people to seek comfort -- a job indoors and free from the elements of the seasons. For Harold McClarty, this start in life led him to seek honest...
Who: Wayne Brandt, Corporate President of Brandt Farms, Inc., and a fourth generation grower. Wayne is a marketing entrepreneur of a vertically-integrated farming operation in Reedley, CA. Community advocate through leadership and volunteer service with the Reedley Lions Club. He also served on the Board and...
For Wayne Brandt, his farming story is unique because of his family history, role in the farming business and ability to recover from financial hard times. Wayne lives in Reedley, CA, a small farming community that skirts along the Kings River about 35 miles southeast of...
Tucked away against the foothills in Southern San Joaquin Valley there are mile-long rows of kiwi vines and citrus groves producing sweet fruit that eventually ends up for sale in grocery stores across the nation. In this geographic section of the San Joaquin Valley, Doug...