and romaine serving as the core items. Those mainstays have been at the center of the company’s product list since that first crop was planted in the Santa Maria Valley 85 years ago. Today, with Betteravia Farms serving as the production entity and Bonipak Produce handling sales, cooling and shipping, the firm’s farming operations have expanded beyond Santa Maria to include a winter operation in Yuma, AZ. And Reade said the list of crops seemingly grows every year. The newest additions have been Brussel sprouts and artichokes along with a return to strawberry production. Cilantro, cabbage and leaf items are on the list and Betteravia Farms has also established an organic program over the last decade with the firm’s core crops being the foundation of that effort. Reade is well versed on the facts and figures of the firm he helps manage, but he is more interested in talking about the next generation in the family-owned business and how the technology of the future will solve today’s problems. “I really feel the next generation will play key roles in the way of advanced technologies that will get the right fix in place. Just in the past few years, I have personally witnessed great strides made in the way of automation. When looking for ways to improve through new technologies, it becomes very apparent that this new generation is the perfect fit. They get it and can take it even further with their innate understanding of hardware and software applications and the competitive challenge of advancement.” Reade said when he started a spiral notebook was used to keep track of what was going on in the field. Now smart phones and iPads have not only replaced the notebooks, but they are used to run the ranches and do analyses. He mentions that labor and water are major problems today but technology is being used to mitigate those issues. More efficient ways to irrigate, as well to plant and harvest the crops, are being developed at breakneck speed. For example, he mentioned an automatic lettuce thinner that Betteravia is now using. Four people can now do the work that previously needed a crew of 36. Reade is quick to point out that the company has a labor shortage so this new technology is not displacing workers. The workers doing this work can now move into more skilled positions and receive higher wages. “That’s a winner all the way around,” he says.
The Betteravia executive is also quick to point out that he is not minimizing the efforts of generations of leaders and employees that have made the firm what it is today. “When I mention the next generation, I am in no way discounting or ignoring the contributions previous generations have made to our company’s ongoing success. Since the early ‘30s, we have prided ourselves with the culture we have created which is all about and around our people. We fully understand that hiring the right person for the right job and then getting behind them with company resources and moral support is most important.” Reade is equally excited about his year at the helm of Western Growers. He believes the next generation is not only the key for success at Betteravia and Bonipak but also at Western Growers and throughout the industry. He points to WG’s Future Volunteer Leaders effort and the Center for Innovation and Technology as programs that will propel the industry into a better future. He believes more work needs to be done to attract young people to the industry. He said advanced technology will play a big role, but there will still need to be people to walk the fields and tend the crop and make decisions about which crop should be harvested when. Reade noted that many companies, including Betteravia, do have a potential gold mine in their fields. He said many laborers have the ambition, the knowledge and the work ethic to be long-term key employees.
“Don’t forget your pool of existing employees. You have a lot of real talent from within that you can develop.” On a personal front, Reade is doing what he can to add to the agricultural labor force. He and his wife, Christine, have four young adults in the fold, each of whom appears to be headed for a career in agriculture or a related field. “Anthony is the oldest and the first to graduate from Cal Poly and is now working indirectly for the family business through a collaborative strawberry growing project. My second child, Lindsay, is nearing completion of her master’s program at Boise State University in Health Sciences. Andrew will be graduating this spring from Cal Poly in crop science, while my youngest, Lauren, will be a junior at Cal Poly continuing her study’s in ag communications.” As they move toward empty nesting, Craig and Christine Reade have kept up an active life style. He credits WG Past Chairman Larry Cox and his wife, Tina, with introducing the pair to fly fishing. Craig also enjoys mountain biking. And he is very much looking forward to his year as Western Growers Chairman of the Board. “I feel honored and privileged to have been involved with the Western Growers Association for the past 15 years and to now serve as its chairman. It’s a big responsibility that I take very serious and look forward to working very closely with WG’s leadership, board of directors and its wonderful staff.”
Lauren, Lindsay, Anthony, and Andrew
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JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2018
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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