(L-R): Clyde, Earl and Carol Jack
the men were better positioned to challenge railroad pricing, petitioning the ICC for fair freight rates and services. This couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time as Congress had recently ordered the ICC to investigate and review their freight-rate structure. In the following years, challenges far beyond railroad disputes would arise, ones that threatened the very survival of family farming operations, including the economic collapse of the Great Depression. “Once the Great Depression hit, my grandfather and great uncle went completely broke,” said Alex. “It was an extremely difficult time.” During this turbulent period, Western Growers championed policies that helped members like Jack Bros. stay viable. WGPA, as it would be known until 1942, was instrumental in securing federal protections for produce shippers, pushing for fair payment standards and helping lay the groundwork for the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act of 1930. The law introduced safeguards against unfair trading practices
and provided growers with greater stability in an increasingly volatile marketplace. At the same time, WGPA worked to protect operations from disruptions that threatened harvest and distribution. Jack Bros. played a pivotal role in these initiatives, with Alvin Jack serving on the Board of Directors for eight years, including as Chairman in 1929 (the fourth in the association's history). “While new challenges have always emerged, that first group bonded together and created something lasting. What Western Growers has done throughout the years is a testament to that foundation.” Though the Jack brothers managed to keep the business afloat through the greater part of the Great Depression, Alvin’s health took a turn for the worse in the later years, and that’s when Earl took the reins. With the economy still in shambles and the markets in upheaval, it was impossible to depend solely on the Jack Bros. income to survive. “Earl had to rely on his wife, Carol, my grandmother, to get through this unprecedented time. She was a school teacher, and it
A crew harvesting lettuce.
38 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com April – June 2026
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease