Growing a Better Environment for the Future
WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2018
CRAIG A. READE, Chairman RONALD RATTO, Senior Vice Chair RYAN TALLEY, Vice Chair STEPHEN F. DANNA, Treasurer CAROL CHANDLER, Executive Secretary THOMAS A. NASSIF, President DIRECTORS – 2018 GEORGE J. ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California JOSEPH E. AIELLO Uesugi Farms, Inc., Gilroy, California KEVIN S. ANDREW Vanguard International, Bakersfield, California MIKE ANTLE Tanimura and Antle, Salinas, California ROBERT K. BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP,Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN J. BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BRIAN BERTELSEN Cove Ranch Management, Reedley, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California DON CAMERON Terranova Ranch, Helm, California EDWIN A. CAMP D. M. Camp & Sons, Bakersfield, California CAROL CHANDLER Chandler Farms LP, Selma, California LAWRENCEW. COX Coastline Family Farms, Salinas, California STEPHEN F. DANNA Danna Farms, Inc.,Yuba City, California JOHN C. D’ARRIGO D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, Salinas, California THOMAS DEARDORFF II Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California SAMUEL D. DUDA Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, California CATHERINE A. FANUCCHI Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California DAVID L. GILL Rio Farms, King City, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Irvine, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens,Thermal, California LORRI KOSTER Mann Packing Company, Inc., Salinas, California FRED P. LOBUE, JR. LoBue Bros., Inc., Lindsay, California FRANK MACONACHY Ramsay Highlander, Inc., Gonzales, California JOHN S. MANFRE Frank Capurro and Son, Moss Landing, California STEPHEN MARTORI III Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Arizona HAROLD MCCLARTY HMC Farms, Kingsburg, California JOHN MCPIKE California Giant, Inc., Santa Maria, California TOMMULHOLLAND Mulholland Citrus, Orange Cove, California KEVIN MURPHY Driscoll’s Inc.,Watsonville, California MARK NICKERSON PrimeTime International, Coachella, California THOMAS M. NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California KEVIN E. PASCOE Grimmway Enterprises Inc., Bakersfield, California GARY J. PASQUINELLI Pasquinelli Produce Company,Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN F. PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California RONALD A. RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG A. READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona WILL ROUSSEAU Rousseau Farming Company,Tolleson, Arizona VICTOR SMITH JV Smith Companies,Yuma, Arizona RYANTALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE C.TAYLOR Taylor Farms California, Salinas, California JACKVESSEY Vessey and Company Inc., Holtville, California STUARTWOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROBYRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California
By Leah Freeman F armers are the original environmentalists, stewards of the land and protectors of the open space. Those who tend to our crops understand the symbiotic relationship between healthy food, healthy soil and clean water and air. The overwhelming majority of farmers operate with a single overriding objective: to sustainably manage our land so it can be farmed for future generations, just as it has been farmed for generations before. As knowledge of the interplay between agriculture and the environment deepens, farming practices have evolved to not only grow more with fewer natural resources, but to farm in a way that enhances the environment. Terranova Ranch and Bowles Farming Company are two examples of farms growing a better environment for the future. Don Cameron of Terranova Ranch has been an innovator in on-farm groundwater recharge. During last year’s historic rains, with excess surface water that would have otherwise been shunted to the sea, Cameron began flooding his pistachio fields and grape vineyards—sometimes to a depth of a foot-and-a-half. He did this for several months straight to build up their groundwater stores. All of his trees and vines survived and continue to produce their expected yields. At full capacity, this project is able to recharge up to 1,000 acre-feet of groundwater per day, which will help immensely during drought periods to prevent setbacks with production. This year, Cameron is embarking on yet another innovative project on his farm—he is building a monarch and honey bee habitat in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). In a mutually beneficial endeavor, Cameron is using funding from the EDF to plant two varieties of milkweed, which is favored by monarchs, as well as a wild flower mix. In addition to providing habitat for native pollinators, which are critical to the crops at Terranova Ranch, the vegetation will help to prevent erosion of the levee that borders the farm. “We want to make mistakes now and learn from it so we can figure out what to do on a larger scale,” said Cameron. “Having the habitat will hopefully be beneficial long-term for us.” Because Terranova Ranch is only in the early stages of this process, Cameron knows it will be a learning year. Eventually, he would like to expand the project several more miles down the side of the levee. He also wants to add perennial flower plants to have additional habitat and flowering shrubs to attract bees year-round. His goal is to build up native pollinators but also see if he can make this location a successful habitat for monarchs. Monarch numbers have declined over the years and if this proves successful, then monarch butterflies will have a home to reproduce, feed and raise additional species. “We hope to improve relationships with the environmental community and show that farmers care about
the environment as much as other people do. We are willing to put time and money into developing habitat on the farm,” said Cameron. The diverse habitat at Terranova Ranch goes beyond monarchs and
10 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com JULY | AUGUST 2018
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