I see the word “agvocate” thrown around a lot these days on social media — usually by a younger generation of relative newcomers to the agriculture industry, given that longtime farmers and ag suppliers don’t usually label what they’ve been doing every day for decades.
They just do it, with little thought or fanfare.
Holloway President Vard Terry was an agvocate five decades before the term existed, and I’m not sure there’s a better advocate of the industry today, as he walks away from the only company and industry he’s ever known.
When Terry announced he was retiring from his post as president at Holloway, I figured it had to be some kind of joke. Terry has been a staple in the Central California agriculture industry, working for Kern County-based Holloway for 50 years.
And his last day with the company was scheduled for April 1, which led to further skepticism. But, as it turns out, Terry — who has probably forgotten more about local agriculture than most of us will ever know — is officially retiring from agriculture.
Terry started at the Holloway Lost Hills Gypsum mine back on Dec. 18, 1971, long before most of his co-workers were even born.
He’s seen truckloads of changes in the industry firsthand, watching Holloway grow from a gypsum mining operation to a multifaceted company that provides products and services to not only the agriculture industry, but the environmental and logistics industries, as well. But more important than company growth and his unrivaled knowledge of soil heath and Central Valley ag best practices, Terry built a vast network of relationships with some of the best farmers California has seen.
Walk through an ag conference with Terry and expect to be stopped every couple minutes by a local grower or vendor who can’t wait to shake his hand and see how the family is. Because with the Terrys, Holloway has always been a family operation. Terry’s father, Vard Terry Sr., also worked 50 years with the company. Altogether, the Terry family, with three generations of employees, has worked for a combined 200-plus years with the company.
In fact, on April 1, it was the first time since the 1940s that a Vard Terry did not work for the company.
That said, Vard’s son, Daniel, will continue to keep the Terry tradition alive as vice president of products with the company. And with Vard Terry remaining close to the team as a senior advisor, that history, the relationships and knowledge base of soil science will all remain intact. A good thing, as, in agriculture, local knowledge of the area’s crops, soil and general history of farming practices are everything.
As a writer and self-proclaimed “agvocate” myself, my biggest concern with the current generation and trend in agriculture is that we’re losing that “business with a handshake” approach of Terry’s day. Family operations are giving way to bigger corporations, farming is being replaced by sensors and overwhelming amounts of data, and ranch managers are turning into budget-slashing bean counters thanks to the soaring costs of inputs and labor.
But as the next generation of agvocates, it’s our job to continue the legacy of the true influencers before us. We need to continue to put people first, treat them with respect and stive for excellence with our products, services and customer support.
Farming isn’t what it used to be. But if Terry has proven anything over the past five decades, it’s that we can trust our farm suppliers and grow sustainably with the right, soils-first approach.
It takes time, and it takes trust. And that trust isn’t built over night via Zoom or at an ag-tech conference podium or webinar. Trust in this industry is built in the field, on the side of a dirt road, on the tailgate of a dusty pickup truck.
Thank you, Terry, for passing on that experience and trust to the next 50 years of agvocates in the business.
Milne is vice president and director of marketing and communications for Holloway.
