A young Alex pictured with his family.
was her salary that gave them the lifeline they needed to keep the farm and their family afloat.” For farming families, resilience is less a choice than a necessity, and for the Jacks, this period of hardship did more than test their tenacity. It defined Earl’s leadership skills and deepened his sense of responsibility to others in the industry. He would serve on the Western Growers Board from 1948– 1953 following this tumultuous time, solidifying the Jacks as contributing leaders. Earl eventually passed the torch to his son, Neal, who brought both military discipline and innovation to the Jack Bros. operation. “My father served in World War II under Gen. George S. Patton, working closely with tanks and infantry,” said Alex. “He learned it was far easier to communicate with car-to-car radios than by hauling someone in a trap wagon behind a truck. It saved a lot of time.” Continuing to grow and build Jack Bros. as a close partner with Western Growers, Neal served on the Board twice in the 80s. As Alex eventually took over, he would follow in the footsteps of the other Jack men by serving in a leadership role. “I enjoyed my time on the Western Growers Board immensely; it was an experience of a lifetime,” said Alex. “I’m just so extremely proud of my father, my grandfather, my great uncle and our history with the organization.” Just like when his grandpa Earl led the company, Alex also faced an unprecedented crisis, when COVID-19 disrupted supply chains and upended normal operations across the agricultural industry in March 2020. Alex said Western Growers played a critical role in addressing the strict regulations that were preventing food from being harvested.
“All it took was a phone call or two from Western Growers to make lawmakers realize how unworkable some of the regulations impacting food production really were.” For Alex, the experience reaffirmed a truth his grandfather understood decades earlier: our strength is found in unity. From railcar disputes in the 1920s to regulatory battles during a global pandemic, the challenges have changed but this principle has not. What began as a fight for fair freight rates has expanded into advocacy on water policy, labor reform, food safety standards, trade negotiations and technological innovation. The Jack family’s journey reflects that same arc of transformation in many ways. Through economic collapse, war, shifting markets and generational transition, they adapted while remaining grounded in the values that brought them together in the first place. Their continued involvement with Western Growers speaks not only to family legacy but also exemplifies the remarkable dedication that sets our members apart. Though the road ahead presents increasing complexities for growers, shippers and producers, Alex says one constant remains: Western Growers stands ready to support its members. “Western Growers always seems to come through, whatever the fight or concern. They just put their A-team on it and get things done.” A century ago, a small group of shippers united to solve a shared problem. One hundred years later, that same resolve lives on in members like Jack Bros. and in the collective voice of Western Growers. As the organization enters its next chapter, the mission remains clear—to defend, uplift and strengthen the people who grow our food, today and for the next hundred years and beyond.
39 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com April – June 2026
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