Next-Generation Farmers

How One Kansas Family is Cultivating a New Legacy by Diversifying their Farm

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:13:51 GMT

In a state where wheat, cattle and corn fill the fields of Kansas, broccoli doesn’t typically make the list of farm favorites. But it’s Jacob Thomas’, the co-owner of Jet Produce and Meats , favorite food to grow. His family’s farm started as a livestock operation in the 1950s. Today, it’s making a way for the next generation by diversifying the operation and connecting to the personal side of producing food.

“When I pick a head of broccoli, I know exactly ... what’s going to happen to it. Somebody’s going to buy that to eat for dinner,” Thomas said. His passion for produce began at age 14 when he asked his dad if he could plant a garden. “I think the draw to it for me was that a lot of farms are growing corn, soybeans and even raising livestock. How does that actually feed a person?”

Jacob and his wife Jennifer, started their farm and business while Thomas was a junior in college at Iowa State University. Their venture began on a quarter of an acre. “It was like, wow, there really is something to this. People will stop on the side of the road and buy vegetables. This is interesting.”

The following year, their business model grew to selling food at the farmers markets. Today, the operation, spans nearly 17 acres, includes eight greenhouses, and operates its own storefront on the family farm. Jet Produce also sells its products to farmers markets in the Kansas City area.

(Jet Produce and Meats Facebook Page)

Jet Produce grows most vegetables, pumpkins, popcorn and flowers. Thomas said flowers account for nearly 20% of their sales and help them manage risk throughout the year. Jacob notes that the direct connection to the consumer changes the experience of farming.

“That’s something that’s just really nice for me,” he said. "[To] have all that positive interaction with customers that are just so thankful for the food.”

Back to the Roots

Jacob and Jennifer have help from their daughters Lisa and Sarah, ages 7 and 5. Jacob’s parents are also active in the operation. Dale Thomas, Jacob’s dad, can be found managing the storefront. He wasn’t originally sure about Jacob’s interest in horticulture, but he now sees the value of adding produce to their operation.

“It’s a lot more personable than the farming I ever did,” he said. Dale’s primary role on the farm is taking care of the livestock and hay. It’s a job that brought the family back to its roots. “The Leavenworth Farmers Market, just basically said to Jacob one day, ‘you know there’s nobody here selling beef, why don’t you grow beef or sell beef?’”

Now, Jet Produce sells beef, pork, chickens, and lamb directly to customers. But the family isn’t just building consumer connections; their focus is also at home.

“My girls were at that age where they just want to hang out with me all day and they want to learn,” Jacob said. “Every opportunity I can get to have them help me plant something, help me sorting, anything that they can do.”

Jacob, Jennifer, Lisa and Sarah Thomas.

(Credits: Jet Produce and Meats Facebook)

Overall, Jacob said the wide variety of crops and livestock has gained the respect of other farmers in the area, even if it started as a different model of farming. “They realize now that what I’m doing isn’t just like a really big backyard garden. That it is farming,” he said. “It’s just different farming.”

A New Era for California Avocados: Meet CAC’s First Female Board Chair

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:21:25 GMT

Leaders, strategists, stewards of the land. Women are playing an increasingly crucial role in California’s avocado industry — women like Rachael Kimball Laenen, a fourth-generation avocado farmer and the first female board chair for the California Avocado Commission, whose family farm has literally risen from the ashes to build a stronger future for the next generation.

“Her role reflects the growing influence and contributions of women across our industry and the many ways women are helping to contribute to the future of California avocado farming,” says Ken Melban, CAC president.

Kimball Ranches-El Hogar planted its first avocado trees in 1920. Nearly 100 years later, it was a victim of the devastating Thomas Fire that damaged some 70% of its orchards. Today, Laenen is focused on continual improvement, embracing change and the hard work that will preserve family farming for the next generation.

To learn more about Laenen’s vision for the future, The Packer recently connected with the industry leader on what it means to be a changemaker in the California avocado industry today.

(Editor’s Note: The following has been edited for length and clarity.)

You are the first woman to hold the position of board chair for the California Avocado Commission. What does that mean to you personally and professionally, and what do you hope to achieve on the board?

Laenen: I was elected chair of the California Avocado Commission in early December 2025. What I value most is the trust that my fellow board members and growers have put in me to lead them. I have been on the board since 2020 and have been deeply involved in a number of committees and task forces during my tenure. I’m grateful my colleagues recognize the organizational understanding, perspective and experience I could bring as chair.

I see my role as chair to ensure the board maintains a strong understanding of grower perspectives while facilitating productive discussions that lead to thoughtful decisions. Ultimately, I hope to help bring growers together with a unified voice because we are stronger when working together.

California avocado growers face many challenges from rising input costs to a tight labor market to water shortages to pests to competition from lower-priced imports and more. How does Kimball Ranches navigate these challenges? Is there a secret to your success?

There really is no secret to our success. It’s rooted in hard work, adaptability and continuously striving to improve. My father and I are committed to constantly learning and trying to do things better and more efficiently every day. While the office work can dominate our time, we try to spend as much time in the orchard as possible.

We talk a lot about our current practices and how we can improve. We attend as many seminars, meetings and opportunities to learn as we can. We’re always evaluating new technologies and if they are right for our operation.

Like most California avocado growers, we’re also paying close attention to broader industry dynamics, such as water costs, labor challenges and market conditions, because all of these factors can influence our ability to operate successfully.

Given these challenges, what are California avocado growers doing to ensure they receive economic relief from a new farm bill/the USDA’s recently announced specialty crop assistance?

The commission is always at the forefront of advocating for California avocado growers. CAC leadership works closely with federal policymakers, USDA officials and members of Congress to ensure California avocado growers are included in federal programs and policy discussions. This includes advocating for specialty crop assistance, disaster relief programs and policies that support grower viability.

Our president, Ken Melban, regularly engages with USDA and other federal agencies to ensure avocados are top of mind in conversations ranging from phytosanitary inspection practices to economic relief programs for growers. Ensuring that avocado producers have access to these resources is a critical part of supporting the long-term sustainability of our industry.

You’re a sixth-generation farmer and the fourth generation in your family to grow avocados. What do you hope your legacy will be to future generations at Kimball Ranches?

We have been farming in Ventura County since the 1860s, so we have seen a lot of change. I believe we are only stewarding the land for future generations, and my goal is to ensure my children are able to farm, if they wish.

The key to remaining a viable family farming operation is being willing to embrace change. We have adapted many times over the generations. We have grown lima beans, sugar beets, walnuts and tomatoes. While avocados are what we are growing now, we are always thinking about the future, the challenges, restrictions, climate change and what that might mean for our operation.

My favorite days at work are when my 3-year-old son comes to the ranch with me and we experience the joys and wonder of being in the orchard together. Moments like that remind me why preserving family farming for the next generation matters so much.

Kimball Ranches experienced a devastating wildfire in 2017. How is replanting progressing and are there plans for expansion?

We did experience devastating damage in the Thomas Fire in 2017. We lost our house, barn, ranch office, all our farming equipment and sustained damage to over 70% of our orchard.

We focused immediately on recovery of the orchard because without trees in the ground, there was no way we would survive financially. The fire gave us an incredible opportunity to evaluate everything in our operation, from planting density to rootstock to what variety of avocado we should be growing.

Eight years later, the recovery effort is ongoing. We have replanted about 115 acres at a higher density with clonal rootstocks. Our earliest replanting blocks are now coming into production, and it’s finally starting to feel like we are fully back in the avocado business again.

We are hoping to rebuild the barn this year and the house in the next three years. We have also been able to expand our operation through the acquisition of two additional ranches, including what was my great-grandfather’s original ranch. If the right opportunity arises, we may add additional acreage, but for the moment we are focused on growing strong and healthy trees that will produce great avocados.

You’ve shared your perspective on smaller avocado farms in California and the increasing need to scale. Is there a sweet spot of acreage that allows you to be most profitable?

With the ever-increasing cost of regulation on farming operations, as well as rising input costs, it is just not possible to support a family on a small farm anymore. In my grandparents’ generation, people were able to support themselves on 40 acres, but looking at our financials, that wouldn’t be possible anymore. We are now farming 190 acres, and having more acreage has definitely helped to spread the overhead costs.

Research has shown just how significant regulatory pressures have become. A recent Cal Poly study found that regulatory compliance costs have risen more than 1,300% over the past 18 years. That includes everything from food safety to water quality monitoring to nitrogen reporting. I spend a lot of time in the office ensuring we maintain compliance with all of those regulations, and that’s time I’m not in the orchard, observing our trees, speaking with our employees — doing actual farming.

Through the Kimball Avocados website, you also sell direct to consumer. What percentage of your business is retail versus DTC? Do you see growth opportunity with DTC?

Our direct-to-consumer business is less than 1% of our overall operations. All the rest of our fruit is packed commercially with a local packer-shipper.

Our DTC business was born out of people saying, “This is the best avocado I have ever had!” after we shared fruit with them. We pick and ship the fruit on the same day, which means the fruit is allowed to ripen naturally, free from the cold storage used by commercial distributors. Such storage, which is necessary for the mass market, interrupts ripening and can mute some of the fruit’s full flavor. However, it does mean our customers have to be patient, because it can take anywhere from a week to 10 days for the fruit to ripen.

Our customers are located all across the U.S., but we do have a surprising number here in California too. We have not expanded internationally — yet. I do think there would be demand there, but I haven’t had the time to fully explore what that would require. We may grow the DTC a little bit, but with everything we have going on at the ranch and in the industry, my focus is better spent elsewhere.

The Illinois Farm Family Who Inspired Lay’s ‘Last Harvest’ Super Bowl Commercial

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 19:51:34 GMT

It was a one-minute spot that captured hearts on Super Bowl Sunday. Lay’s “Last Harvest” commercial told the story of a farm family passing the torch from one generation to the next, rooted in memories, hard work and the bond between parent and child.

While the story in the Super Bowl ad was fictional, it was inspired by the real-life experiences of third-generation potato producer Tom Neumiller and his daughter Katie Floming, the fourth generation working alongside him at Neumiller Farms in Savanna, Ill.

A Story That Hits Home

Floming, operations manager at Neumiller Farms, recalls watching the commercial for the first time.

“I was so touched. It really hit home for me,” she says. “Growing up, if I wanted to see my parents, I had to go to the farm because they were always working. That’s where we spent our family time, quick meals, then back to work. I loved it. There are no complaints there. Being present at the farm was everything.”

The commercial’s depiction of a young girl chasing her parents through potato fields and learning the ropes mirrored Katie’s own childhood experiences. She laughs as she recalls one particular scene.

“When she came outside wearing white tennis shoes to work, that hit home. I remember showing up in sandals, and my dad would just shake his head. I had to go home and change,” Floming says..

For Neumiller, seeing their family’s life portrayed on such a massive stage was humbling.

“Farmers don’t usually end up in Super Bowl commercials, but this is very nice,” he says. “For that one-minute ad, they captured a farm family and our legacy all in one. It was just amazing.”

Floming adds that the story resonated with many viewers beyond their family.

“It’s very relatable. People would come up at the Super Bowl and say, ‘My grandfather was in that situation’ or ‘My family didn’t have the option to pass it on.’ It’s a story that connects with most people,” she says.

Farming in Northern Illinois: Unique Challenges

Neumiller Farms isn’t a typical potato operation. Neumiller explains growing potatoes in northern Illinois requires creativity, considering they are the lone family growing potatoes in northern Illinois.

“We’re the only ones in the area,” Neumiller says. “You need good water and light, sandy soil. Illinois has pockets of sand, so we’ve become a very mobile farm. We have one farm 150 miles away, another 30 miles south and another 15 miles north. It allows us to manage the light soils and adequate water we need.”

Floming now manages daily operations, but Neumiller remains deeply involved.

“I’m old school. I want to be involved in everything,” he says. “I talk to the managers every day. I get here early and stay around, maybe too long, but I stay involved in everything.”

The family works side by side, literally.

Floming says: “Our desks are right next to each other. We’re constantly feeding off each other, and we always know what’s going on.”

Neumiller smiles, adding: “My wife’s on the other side, and we’ve been married 54 years. She’s been involved in the business from way back.”

“He doesn’t get a break,” Floming quips.

Passing the Torch

Though Neumiller hopes for a few more harvests, Floming embraces the responsibility of continuing the family legacy.

“I’m very thankful to still be farming alongside my dad,” she says. “He’s grown the farm, but it’s my responsibility to keep it going, for our family, our employees and our community. I want to do the best I can to preserve our foundation while building for the future.”

A plaque on the wall of Neumiller Farms signifies seven decades of producing potatoes for Frito-Lay, a partnership that made their story perfect for Lay’s Super Bowl spotlight.

Neumiller reflects on the broader significance: “All of us farmers, we’re not usually in the spotlight. But it’s an honor to show the connection between soil, farming and the food we produce. Sustainability, passing on the farm, doing the job right — it all matters. Our story continues, and that’s what I hope to pass on.”

A Last Harvest That Connected Us All

As Lay’s “Last Harvest” reminded viewers on Super Bowl Sunday, the foods we enjoy come from real families working the land, generation after generation. For the Neumillers, that legacy is alive and thriving, one potato at a time, creating a story that connected us all.

If you thought the 60-second commercial was memorable, watch the full three-minute version on Lay’s YouTube page .

Farm Journal Announces 2026 Top Producer Award Finalists

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:31:04 GMT

Farm Journal has announced three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Top Producer of the Year Award, honoring some of the most progressive and successful farm operations in the country. The winner and finalists will be formally recognized at the 2026 Top Producer Summit , agriculture’s premier executive-level conference for elite farmers and ranchers, which is set for Feb. 9-11 in Nashville, Tenn. Also presented at the event will be the Next Generation Award and Women in Agriculture Award.

“The Top Producer Awards celebrate operations that are building resilient, innovative and future-focused businesses,” said Margy Eckelkamp, brand leader of Top Producer. “These finalists and award winners represent the very best of modern agriculture: strong family leadership, diversification, technology adoption and an unwavering commitment to excellence.”

2026 Top Producer of the Year Award Finalists:

Alsum Farms, Friesland, Wis. – A multigenerational family operation producing potatoes, pumpkins, hay, alfalfa and other rotational crops across more than 3,600 acres. The business is fully vertically integrated, overseeing production, packing and marketing. Leadership spans generations with the founder serving as CEO since 1981 now working alongside his two daughters who hold leadership roles in the business.

Dalton Farms, Wakeman, Ohio – A seventh-generation family farm led by Rebecca and Edward Dalton. The operation includes 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans, a 400-head cattle herd with direct-to-consumer beef sales and a growing on-farm market offering locally-sourced chicken, pork and maple syrup. Their story reflects both diversification and successful generational transition following a family split in the 1990s.

Splitter Farms, Sterling, Kan. – Led by Matt and Janna Splitter, this Kansas row-crop operation spans 1,400 owned acres with nearly 18,500 acres farmed annually through cash rent and custom work. After the sudden passing of Matt’s father in 2010, the couple returned to the farm and scaled the business using data-driven decision-making, strong landowner relationships and disciplined business management. Notably, this marks the first time a previous Next Generation Award winner has advanced to a Top Producer of the Year finalist.

The 2026 Top Producer of the Year award is sponsored by BASF and Fendt.

2026 Next Generation Award Winner

Tim Nuss, El Dorado Hills/Lodi, Calif., is the 2026 Next Gen Award winner. Nuss farms garlic, tomatoes, peppers, melons, herbs, pumpkins, cucumbers and grains with his father and brother while also building a powerful off-farm ag influencing business. He serves as CFO of Nuss Farms. He’s also head of business development at Polaris Energy Services, an ag tech irrigation company, hosts the “Modern Acre” podcast, and recently co-launched AgList, an online biologicals review and ratings platform designed to bring transparency to the ag inputs marketplace.

The 2026 Next Generation Award is sponsored by Pioneer and Fendt.

2026 Women in Agriculture Award Winner

Helle Ruddenklau, Amity, Ore., is the 2026 Women in Ag Award winner. Ruddenklau Farms in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, growing grass seed, wheat, vegetables, peas and hazelnuts. Originally from Denmark, she immigrated to the U.S. at age 15, later meeting her husband, Bruce, while on an exchange program in New Zealand. In addition to serving as CFO of their farming operation, she is deeply involved in ag advocacy and economic development, working through organizations such as Oregon AgriWomen, AgLaunch and SEDCOR to strengthen regional agriculture through supplier and industry partnerships.

The 2026 Women in Agriculture Award is sponsored by Pro Farmer.

All finalists and award winners will be recognized on stage for their excellence in the business of farming at the 2026 Top Producer Summit, where the nation’s best producers gather to advance leadership, management, technology adoption and succession planning in agriculture. Learn more about Top Producer Summit and Top Producer of the Year awards at tpsummit.com.

Where Hope Takes Root: The Grit That Saved a 90-Year-Old Family Farm

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 22:21:31 GMT

In the rolling hills of Napa Valley’s Los Carneros region, the scene often looks idyllic. Morning fog drapes the vineyards, and the quiet hum of farm life feels timeless. But behind the postcard-perfect setting stands a family that has survived nearly 90 years of grit, risk and reinvention — and a fourth-generation farmer who refused to let 2024 be the end of their story.

“I am the fourth generation carrying on this family legacy,” says grape grower Jennifer Thomson, walking the same ground her great-grandmother once chose with remarkable instinct.

A Legacy Born From the Dust Bowl

Long before Napa Valley became synonymous with world-class wine, the Thomson family put down roots here in 1938. Thomson’s great-grandmother, Jenny Ophelia Barnum Thomson — a descendant of the famed Barnum circus family — had the courage to pursue opportunity when most would have turned back.

“It was the Great Dust Bowl and the Great Depression driving many families west for new opportunity,” Thomson says. “As migration was happening toward the West Coast for better economic opportunities, they moved here and were able to purchase this land.”

What she bought wasn’t just acreage. It was a vibrant Carneros hub complete with orchards, worker housing and a blacksmith shop. Women couldn’t legally own land at the time, but the deed was placed in her name for only a day, a testament to the trailblazer she was. Then, the land deed was moved into her husband’s name. But the vision, Thomson says, was her great-grandmother’s.

“For her to have that foresight to take that risk and purchase land here — you think about that today,” Thomson says. “She was doing what any family does: contributing to the family. There was water in the Carneros Creek, there were prunes, pears and apples already planted, and they had the ingenuity and engineering to successfully farm. Sometimes you just have to lead with your intuition, and I think that’s what she was doing.”

A Daughter Returns Home — and a New Fight Begins

Four generations later, that same intuition runs deep. In 2009, Thomson left her job in San Francisco and came home to take over the ranch from her father, George.

“Did I ever think Jen would be the one to take over?” George says with a small laugh. “No. I am surprised. I am thankful.”

When she arrived, the wine industry was in the middle of the 2008–2009 recession.

“When I took over in 2009, my father says to me, ‘You picked the absolute worst time to get into farming,’” Thomson recalls. “And then 2024 and 2025 happened. Farmers ask one another, ‘Is this as bad as 2008 or 2009? Is it better? Worse? Did we just forget?’ Because I took over so young, I already was prepared more than my peers.”

But today’s pressures, she says, feel heavier.

“There are not as many channels for sales, not as many stable partners to work with. If I’m a betting woman, I do think 2025 and going into 2026 will be more of a struggle than ever before for the California wine industry.”

Read More: Grape Growers Desperately Need You to Drink More Wine as They Grapple With a Glut of Uncontracted Grapes

So, why is it so challenging for grape growers today? It’s complex. Not only has demand dwindled, with a Gallup poll showing alcohol consumption is at a 90-year low, but an abundant supply the past few years has suffocated the grape growing region. As more vineyards take vines out, that will help the supply situation, but it’s coming at a cost. The other issue is the sellers, like Thomson, and buyers, as in wineries, haven’t always come to the table to find a solution. Cheap imports have flooded the market, and it’s at a much cheaper price than what it costs to grow grapes in California.

Thomson’s father agrees with her, saying the California grape and wine industry is facing one of its most challenging chapters yet.

“It is very challenging,” George says. “The market is sort of against us. Tastes are changing. There are more government regulations on what you can do with your property to make a living.”

Still, he keeps believing.

“Do I think we’ll get out of this? I have my fingers crossed. With people like Jennifer, I believe they’ll keep working at it. They won’t give in easily,” George says.

The Year the Grapes Had No Home

But nothing prepared the family for what came in 2024.

“This home ranch produces a little over 300 tons of grapes annually,” Jennifer says. “And in 2024, nearly all of those 300 tons are dropped on the ground and go unharvested.”

All of them?

“All of them,” she says quietly.

Demand had plummeted. Oversupply strangled the region. And for the first time in the ranch’s nine-decade history, not a single cluster had a home.

It was a moment when most growers would consider walking away. But Jennifer didn’t.

Refusal to Quit

But this is where the story gets good, and where you’re reminded you can’t underestimate the determination of a family farmer, especially Thomson. After all, grit is woven into this family’s DNA. And she leaned on every ounce of it.

“In 2025, I make a true farmer with good ingenuity,” she says. “I make sure I shake hands. I talk with previous clients. I source new clients. I put a lot of hustle into exploring new relationships and cultivating the ones we already have. And we are fortunate this year to sell all of our grapes.”

Her father says the same drive is what transformed the ranch the moment she took over 15 years ago.

“We were able to make a living at it, at least pay the taxes,” George says. “But the property really never makes money until Jennifer says, ‘I think I can do that.’ I hand her the keys and the checkbook.”

George says he always had an off-farm job, but for this first time in his memory, Thomson’s keen business sense and intuition turned the family vineyard into one that could finally support itself.

“Jennifer turns it around for the first time in my life that the property actually supports itself,” he says, emotion thick in his voice. “How proud am I? Extremely proud. She has the foresight, the hunger, the passion. The intelligence. She had all the parts. She has them now.”

One of the Last Family Farmers Standing

In a region rapidly shifting toward corporate ownership, Jennifer is part of a shrinking group — farmers who still drive their own tractors, repair their own equipment and deliver their own fruit.

“I feel more of a pull to the land than I ever predicted when I first took over,” she says. “I took over to help my family and retain this ranch for future generations. But working alongside our crew for 15 years, working with winery partners who value our family legacy and this 90-year-old ranch — I certainly feel much more drawn to the land than I ever think I would.”

Some estimates point to less than 25% of the growers left in the region are true family farmers, a dwindling group that is fighting to remain rooted here.

Gratitude Amid the Hardship

Despite the hardships, Thomson carries deep gratitude — especially this Thanksgiving season.

“I’m really grateful my great-grandmother has the foresight in 1938 to buy a wonderful piece of land with wonderful water availability,” she says. “I have a great-grandfather and grandfather who worked with the Federal Soil Conservation Department and built an on-stream reservoir. It allows us to irrigate our crops and keeps our vines healthier.”

She is thankful for her community, too.

“I’m thankful for that core group of family farmers. We band together. We support one another. We share our successes and we share our failures. That camaraderie can’t be duplicated.”

A Story Still Being Written

The Thomsons’ story, once born out of Dust Bowl desperation, endures because each generation chooses resilience over retreat. And in 2024 — after a year when every grape fell to the ground — it was Jennifer’s resolve that carried the legacy forward.

Every grape has a home again in 2025. And because of her, the family’s story isn’t just continuing, it’s growing stronger.

North Carolina’s Altar Cross Farms Expands Organic Blueberry Production by 63%

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 13:01:19 GMT

For Altar Cross Farms, a family-run organic blueberry farm in Ivanhoe, N.C., the time was right to expand. Driven by growing demand from both national and local retailers for its organic berries, the family expanded production by 63% this year and is now harvesting from 65 certified organic acres.

“We own 40 acres of organic blueberries, but this is our first year with expanded acreage,” says Roy Sykes, owner of Altar Cross Farms. “We had the opportunity to lease 65 acres from a neighboring organic farm, which was a huge blessing. To be able to grow that much in such a short amount of time, and right when demand was picking up, just felt like the right thing falling into place at the right time.”

This season marked the most productive blueberry crop Altar Cross Farms has had in five years, says Sykes, who co-owns the farm with his wife, Donna Sykes, and operates it with their daughters.

Altar Cross Farms grows organic blueberries.

(Photo courtesy of Happy Dirt)

“Several factors helped with the crop this year, like a really cold winter and no hard spring freezes,” says Sykes. “The early rain hurt some of our early varieties a bit, but it didn’t put a dent in overall production. Honestly, our blueberry crop on our personal 40 acres alone would’ve been extremely robust with the weather we had, so with 65 acres, you can only imagine how strong the season has been.”

The farm’s location in eastern North Carolina is also prime for blueberry production, says Sykes.

“One of the main reasons North Carolina, especially eastern North Carolina, is such a good place to grow blueberries is the soil,” he says. “We’ve got sandy, acidic soil here — exactly what blueberries like. You don’t see a whole lot of blueberries grown farther west because the soil just isn’t right for it. You can amend the soil and make it work, sure, but that adds cost. Then you’re competing with folks who can just stick plants in the ground and let them go, while you’re out there trying to fix the soil first.”

Altar Cross Farms’ expansion was also bolstered by an investment in mechanical upgrades that contributed to its success this season.

Altar Cross Farms has made investments in equipment.

(Photo courtesy of Happy Dirt)

“We’ve made a lot of upgrades to our packing line over the last couple of years that have really helped us work more efficiently,” says Morgan Sykes, Altar Cross Farms sales and packing manager and Roy Sykes’ daughter. “In 2022, we invested in a color sorter that pulls out anything that’s not the right shade for a ripe blueberry, which has made grading so much simpler. We also added an automatic clamshell filler and a labeler, and both have cut down a lot on the time and cost it used to take to pack and hand-label everything.”

Happy Dirt Helps Expand Network

Happy Dirt, a North Carolina-based organic produce grower and distributor, handles the majority of Altar Cross Farms’ sales, helping the Sykes family bring their organic berries to a wide network of wholesale and retail partners across the Southeast.

“In 2024, we saw a noticeable uptick in demand specifically for North Carolina–grown organic blueberries, which mirrors the national trend toward increased interest in organic berries overall,” says Alex Borst, Happy Dirt purchasing manager. “You can find Happy Dirt organic blueberries, grown by Altar Cross Farms, up and down the East Coast.

“We’re always working to develop new customer outlets because we know demand will continue to rise,” Borst continues. “From May through August, we’re proud to meet that need with blueberries from farmer-partners like Altar Cross, especially when the crop looks as good as it does this year.”

Altar Cross Farms is planted with a diverse varietal mix, including O’Neal, Duke, Legacy, New Hanover and Powder Blue to supports a harvest window stretching from mid-May through August.

Fair Food Certification

Altar Cross Farms also recently became Fair Food Program certified. The Fair Food Program is a partnership among farmers, farmworkers and retail companies that seeks to ensure humane wages and working conditions.

“When Happy Dirt brought it up to us, it just sounded like a really good fit,” says Morgan Sykes of the program. “It’s mostly just our family working here, but we have other folks who help out as well. And the whole idea behind Fair Food Certification, which is treating your workers right and making sure folks are taken care of, that’s already how we do things. So, it just made sense. It felt like a natural step for us, especially as we continue to grow.”

But despite the operation’s growth, Morgan Sykes says the family remains rooted in its founding values.

“We’re still mostly family doing this,” she says. “We’ve built the infrastructure to scale but kept our values the same.”

Next-Gen Cherry Grower on the Making of ‘World Famous’ Fruit

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 11:22:22 GMT

Fifth-generation Washington farmer Tate Mathison and his father, Kyle Mathison, are bringing new meaning to the term “cherry picking.”

For over a decade, the Mathisons have grown and sourced ultra-premium cherries for Stemilt Growers under the Kyle’s Pick brand. But what began as a “pet project” has evolved into something much more, says the younger Mathison of his father’s namesake cherries. Now backed by science and empirical data, the family says it’s bringing consistently “world famous” cherries to market each season.

For Tate Mathison, who grew up working alongside his father on his family’s Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Hill cherry orchards, knowing where to find the best fruit has long been second nature, but how best to communicate that knowledge to his retail customers was a question that needed an answer.

“I remember thinking, ‘these cherries are so amazing, but how do I really communicate to my customer that these are super-duper?’ You can do it by size, but that doesn’t ensure that the cherries are the best, because you can get big cherries that just taste OK — but some taste amazing,” he says. “So, we wanted to ensure that … and to communicate to the end consumer that Kyle’s Pick are the cherries we’d be looking for if we were shopping for cherries.”

What began as cherry picking the best of the best by instinct is now a data-driven and highly selective quality control process that aims to deliver fruit that meets ultra-premium standards for size, firmness, color and flavor.

“The essence of Kyle’s Pick was that, as a fifth-generation cherry grower, I can go on any orchard and tell you if there’s going to be good cherries, and then if there is, I’ll know exactly where to get them on every single tree,” says Mathison. “That was the spirit of the program and we’ve gotten better and better at it over the years to where now we feel we have coupled the passion of what my dad’s been doing as a fourth-generation cherry grower with the science and the empirical data of the fruit.

“Today, it’s now a huge, multidepartment process,” he continues. “Dozens of people are involved in the selection process itself, and there’s a huge amount of effort to ensure that Kyle’s Pick delivers that same eating experience every time.”

Premium Picking

Mathison says varieties are the foundation of a premium cherry program.

“With cherries you’re going to pick that tree one time and when it’s picked, it’s done,” he says. “And specific cherry varieties are grown in locations to extend the season from the first week of May to the first week of September. You have all these varieties staggered throughout the season and some varieties can be excellent and some can be pretty good at their best.

“What Kyle’s Pick does is take only certain varieties that can be ultra-premium — [bing, sweetheart, skeena and Staccato] — that’s the first thing, and that baseline is based off our generations of cherry growing and scouring the globe for varieties,” says Mathison. “We set the bar at these varieties for Kyle’s Pick, and then once the varieties are chosen, we map out when those varieties will pick and where.”

From here, Mathison says the field staff team comes in to identify the growers “doing the right stuff” to cultivate ultra-premium varieties.

“The top level narrows down by the grower and how good they are,” he says. “Because it takes no skill to pick a cherry early, but it takes all the skill in the world — and all of the hutzpah — to pick it when it’s ripe, because all the risk now belongs to the grower.

“You pick a cherry five or six days early, sure it’s red. It tastes OK. It’s going to make it through the packing process, but it’s not going to delight consumers with excellence,” he says. “It’s just going to be a cherry.”

The field team then passes the baton to the R&D team, who collect data from the orchards that show premium potential. Each lot undergoes a rigorous quantitative analysis and is given a score based on Kyle’s Pick proprietary scoring system. Only cherries that earn a 90 or higher make the grade.

“They’re out there scouting ahead and pulling samples as harvest is starting to come along, and then it gets passed off to our QA (quality assurance) team,” says Mathison. “As the grower goes into harvest the fruit, we take multiple field samples throughout the day. One grower lot might get six to 10 field samples done by our team and they run the full gamut — size, color, firmness, sugar, defect, stem quality, etc. — throughout the day. So, we have a very good understanding of the fruit as it’s getting picked.”

Once the data on each grower lot is uploaded to the system, the team ranks them.

“It’s just like March Madness,” says Mathison. “All those growers get ranked, and we’re looking at the qualities and the varieties, and then we have notes from the R&D team, and we have this cherry meeting that we love. Then we start to qualify the grower lots of what will be Kyle’s Pick.”

Kyle’s Pick cherries are a family affair for the Mathisons.

(Photo courtesy of Stemilt)

Limited-Time Offer

Mathison says while Kyle’s Pick aims to deliver on a promise to the consumer with every bite, time is of the essence with a seasonal fruit like cherries.

“You have May, June, July and August — four months,” says Mathison. “And in those four months, how many times are they going to the store? How many times are we going to be on promotion with a lot of volume? How many times are we going to be able to delight someone with something they’ve never experienced before?

“Because cherries have that ability,” he continues. “There’s only a handful of fruit that really can do it, and that’s really what we’re trying to do with Kyle’s Pick — to give someone a taste of something that’s just like, ‘Wow.’”

Because of these rigorous standards, there may be pauses in supply of Kyle’s Pick to its retail customers, says Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s marketing director, who adds “it’s all part of keeping the bar high.”

But having cultivated and selected cherries for the Kyle’s Pick program since 2013, Mathison says his family continues to build on volume and quality.

“You have to have a large block of premium fruit to start with before you can even attempt something like Kyle’s Pick,” he says. “That’s why it’s taken 10 years to really get to the point where we feel like, hey, we’ve got the world’s best cherries; we’ve got to tell the universe.”

But the volume is limited, says Mathison, who on June 20 when he spoke with The Packer, was packing only a couple hundred boxes of Kyle’s Pick a day out of about 70,000 boxes packed a day.

“It’s a pretty small amount now, however, my dad starts to pick next week and my brother is picking now, so in about seven or eight days, we’ll be harvesting two or three varieties that are really superior.”

And the market demand for a premium fruit experience is strong, he says.

“We found that the marketplace desires something like Kyle’s Pick. Retailers want to have something special to give to their guests. And the end consumer is super hungry for it as well,” he says. “If you have a customer that actually puts cherries on the list, it’s a pretty well-informed customer already and they’re probably willing to pay a little bit more for an experience that is mind blowing.”

A 1-pound clamshell of Kyle’s Pick cherries retail for between $3.99 and $5.99, depending on the market, says Shales.

Mathison expects they’ll ship around 200,000 boxes of Kyle’s Pick this season out of a total of 3.5 million to 4 million boxes of Washington cherries.

Generations in the Making

What does it mean to bring a cherry named for your father to market and how do you plan to carry the legacy forward as a fifth-generation cherry grower?

“It’s very humbling, because what we’re doing is not built in one lifetime,” says Mathison. “You can look within Stemilt the company and in the farms we have and you can see that the fingerprints of generations past.”

From his great-great-grandfather, who first homesteaded on the property, to his grandfather, who applied for and received the last point of diversion off the Columbia River in 1978, allowing his ancestors to irrigate the orchards, Mathison says he and his brother have been set up for success.

“It’s like they put us on the 10-yard line to score and to be successful,” he says. “They did most of the work, and now it’s just up to me to give my best effort to the next point of the legacy, to hopefully improve it — to hopefully grow it in a way that’s helpful to our community and to the folks who are part of our company.”

Mathison says the sixth generation — his and his brother’s children — are already involved in the family business and excited to be a part of it.

“My kids see what my dad is doing, and they’re like, ‘I want to be like that. I want to do that. That looks fun.’ You know what? It looks fun to me too,” he says.

Next Generation Apple Grower Talks About Impact of Labor

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:32:54 GMT

Katie Vargas and her husband, Manuel, are sixth-generation apple growers at Joe Rasch Orchards in Sparta, Mich. Katie Vargas and her family have used the H-2A program for 11 seasons.

A team comes from February to November for orchard tasks and harvest, and a team comes from August till May or June of the next year for packing apples.

And this need for H-2A workers comes from a lack of domestic workers.

Three years ago the Department of Labor released new regulations for the H-2A program — around 1,600 pages — which Katie Vargas said was a challenge to understand and then implement, especially for a small management team.

“Sometimes it feels a little bit like they were written without like the actual like farm in mind of how things operate, the seasonality of things and how fast things change,” she said.

Another significant challenge, she said, is a continued rise in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate.

“Keep in mind the housing and all that goes into the extra costs — the transportation, electricity, everything,” Manuel Vargas said.

About 95% of workers return year after year, and while it might be easy to think crews are unaffected or don’t understand what’s happening on the farm, he said crews see the impacts of rising labor costs.

“They always get worried about if you’re going be able to keep them coming back because of the wages [rising],” he said. “They see that the value of an apple doesn’t go up but the cost of labor, the cost of maintaining the houses and everything goes up.”

Katie Vargas said crews working in the orchards and in the packinghouse are often family, and they communicate about packouts and what they’re seeing come off the packing line.

“I think it really helps them have that full circle perspective,” she said. “There’s so much more beyond just putting it in the box and just like sending it to the store. If they bruise an apple, like that’s not worth anything. If the apples have leaves on it, [there’s] the extra work it takes to take that off.”

And Manuel Vargas said crews care about the work they do and its impact on the farm.

“It’s a good crew,” he said. “They care about the farm, and they always try to put in their best because they want the family to stay in farming.”

To help understand the true cost of farming, Katie Vargas said her family has started to keep track of everything from the cost of inputs, orchard tasks and more.

“We’re keeping track of all the time that’s going into those blocks, all the applications that are going on in certain blocks, and we’re looking at how much has this cost,” she said. “When we get to harvest time, we’re doing our best to guess what the market looks like, and especially for processing the last couple of years, whether or not we go back and do a second pick on something with labor being the biggest expense for us.”

Katie Vargas said this is a big change from her childhood.

“Growing up, I remember going to the packinghouse with my dad and talking about the different apples and where they were getting sorted to,” she said. “When I saw the processed apples come off, I asked if they were going to waste it or just thrown away, and he said, ‘Every single apple has a home here,’ and that was the way it was. Every apple had a place to go, and now they don’t. And if you pick it and it doesn’t have somewhere to go, you’ve just expensed more.”

And Katie Vargas said her family has worked with the crews at harvest to emphasize picking for quality.

“We didn’t want anything that was going to go across the line that was going to cost us for that time at the packing shed and everything for it to just end up being wasted or go to processing when we weren’t getting the return on it,” she said. “Our quality standards last year were really high too. That goes back to having a great crew and them understanding everything that they did and doing a really nice job with it.”

Manuel Vargas said that meant having a lot of conversations with the crews about what the market wants and what the crews need to pick.

In terms of the current state of agricultural labor, Katie Vargas said her family isn’t getting domestic workers to apply for open jobs; H-2A becoming harder to navigate and rising pay rates and AEWR make it a challenge for family farms to stay afloat.

“Who are we hurting in all this if farms go out of business?” she said. “The workers are really committed to this. It makes a huge difference for then. They make here at harvest what they’d make in a whole year back home, and they’re able to start businesses and send kids to different schools. I think they have a lot of pride in what they do, too.”

Manuel Vargas said workers want to learn more about the horticultural side of fruit growing and take on more responsibilities on the farm.

“They just want to have a nice place, consistent and a stable job for a long time,” he said.

And Katie Vargas said that, as a business owner, it’s hard to budget and understand exactly how the year will shape up when the Department of Labor sets the AEWR for the state. And that makes budgeting and understanding costs a challenge.

“I think that’s something that I think a lot of people don’t realize that we don’t have, as farmers, that we can’t budget,” she said. “We are told what our biggest expense is going to be, and we have to go with it.”

GoVerden Debuts Premium Homestyle Guacamole at Sam’s Club

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 20:57:21 GMT

Established in 2018 by second-generation avocado growers, GoVerden is a guacamole company with over 30 years of experience and access to more than 6,000 acres of avocado groves.

“Our shareholders have deep roots in the avocado industry,” the company says. “They began with avocado farming and gradually expanded their vision by building a guacamole facility, driven by a passion to share their love for avocados and guacamole with the world. Every recipe is crafted to deliver a little taste of Mexico in every bite.”

GoVerden is owned by three of the largest avocado growers in Michoacán, Mexico. The family farming operations date back more than three decades, boasting a rich history of producing avocados for both the fresh and processed markets, according to a news release. The inception of the brand started in 2018 when the passion for creating a ready-to-enjoy guacamole brand united the like-minded growers.

GoVerden says it sets itself apart with its unexpectedly fresh flavor, crafting guacamole exclusively with non-GMO Certified fruits and vegetables, maintaining a 100% natural product. The brand uses a high-pressure pasteurization process that eliminates pathogens and extends shelf life, without the use of artificial preservatives.

GoVerden is owned by three of the largest avocado growers in Michoacán, Mexico.

(Photo courtesy of GoVerden)

With the launch of its all-natural, ready-made Homestyle Guacamole, the product is now available exclusively at Sam’s Club, offering consumers an unparalleled guacamole experience that replicates the homemade taste and texture they crave, featuring larger chunks of fresh avocados and vegetables, the release says.

As the demand for guacamole continues to soar across all generations, GoVerden’s says its commitment to quality and authenticity has never been more relevant. According to recent market research, ready-to-eat guacamole products account for 30% of the guacamole market, with millennials and Gen Z leading the charge in seeking out fresh, natural and convenient food options, the release says.

GoVerden says its Premium Homestyle Guacamole is meticulously crafted using only the finest ingredients. Large chunks of ripe avocados are combined with sizable pieces of fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeno, pepper and lime juice, creating a rich and flavorful guacamole that satisfies both the convenience of ready-made guacamole and the taste of homemade. Five 6-ounce trays of guacamole will be sold together as a pack.

“We are excited to partner with Sam’s Club to bring our Premium Homestyle Guacamole to their customers,” says Rosalia Miranda, key accounts and exports for GoVerden. “Our third-generation avocado farmers have poured their expertise and passion into creating a product that truly captures the essence of homemade guacamole. We believe that Sam’s Club members will appreciate the authenticity and quality of our newest offering.”

Sam’s Club, known for its dedication to providing members with unique product offerings, is proud to be the first retailer to offer GoVerden’s Premium Homestyle Guacamole, the release says, adding that this partnership underscores Sam’s Club’s commitment to delivering exceptional products that meet the evolving tastes and preferences of their customers.

GoVerden’s Premium Homestyle Guacamole is now available at Sam’s Club locations across the West, Midwest and Southern territories. Starting in July, GoVerden will also release a 12-ounce Homestyle Guacamole option nationwide. Whether enjoyed as a dip, spread or ingredient in various dishes, this guacamole promises to elevate any meal with its fresh, authentic flavor, the release says.

Gardopia Gardens Grows Resilient Communities Through School Gardens and Urban Ag

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 21:00:36 GMT

Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing “Sowing Change” series about urban farming.

In the face of rising temperatures, food insecurity and dwindling green space, Stephen Lucke is planting more than just seeds in urban San Antonio, he’s planting solutions.

As the founder of Gardopia Gardens , an urban agriculture nonprofit, Lucke is transforming homes and businesses into thriving gardens, and classrooms into living laboratories. His team not only grows food for local residents but also educates more than 75,000 students through garden-based learning programs that have improved test scores and sparked curiosity in sustainability.

With support from a USDA grant, Gardopia is expanding its impact beyond San Antonio, showing how the next generation of growers can be nurtured from the ground up. The nonprofit recently received a United Way grant to improve fifth and seventh grade math scores through a curriculum called “math in the garden.”

The goal, Lucke said, is to preserve farmland, educate young farmers and create a sustainable local food system.

The Packer: What was your original inspiration behind Gardopia Gardens and how has that mission changed since you founded it?

Lucke: My sophomore summer, I took an introduction to nutrition course and learned about the health epidemics impacting San Antonio, how it is one of the least healthy cities in the nation, and how childhood diabetes and obesity was leading Generation Z to have a lower life expectancy than their parents.

If the health care system was not the solution, because if it was, we’d be healthy already, right? With that, and then coming to graduation and not going to medical school, I had to decide what I was going to do with a degree in biochemistry and understanding that food is medicine.

Hippocrates, the founder of Western medicine, [is quoted as saying], ‘Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.’ So I thought, if the guy who started Western allopathic medicine is saying that food will heal us, then I need to learn more about nutrition.

[And I realized] the best nutritionist would actually be a farmer, so I needed to learn how to grow food. That’s what took me down this wormhole of garden-based learning and urban agriculture.

You train community members in drought resistant and heat tolerant growing methods, which obviously would be vital in South Texas. How do you tailor your programs to address the specific climate challenges that you have there?

I’m a certified organic farmer, so we use 100% natural processes.

You need to have healthy soil, and healthy soil retains moisture. It allows for the dissipation of heat. It reduces evaporation. There are so many benefits of healthy soil, and so that’s what we teach everybody that we work with — adding compost, adding organic matter.

From there we do drip line irrigation, which is 90% efficient and is the most efficient way to water spaces that are maybe an acre. So if you have 100 acres, they’re doing overhead and flood irrigation a lot of times. But for what we’re doing in urban agriculture and community gardens and farms, drip line is super effective.

And the last thing is mulching. So, we do a lot of mulching, protecting the soil, protecting the drip line, so that all of that moisture is able to stay in those zero-to-12 inches where most of our fruits and vegetables are growing with their flesh roots. We also collect rainwater. That’s a really good way to reduce your water use, while at the same time improving the quality of your water because of the nitrogen, and it doesn’t have things like chlorine or calcium that build up in a lot of our hard water.

Then there are shade structures, like hoop houses that can really help in the summer, reduce some of the UV rays.

What sort of feedback or results have you seen from the students and the schools involved in your garden-based curriculum?

We have had great feedback and support from the community since we began. It’s very natural for us to put our hands in the dirt; kids just want to be dirty, right? And so as we become adults, more and more, we get away from that, because we weren’t built in or raised in a society that connected us to our food — and the farms, a lot of times, are on the periphery.

If you don’t grow up on a farm, rural or in the country, then you’re not necessarily going to be exposed to that. It’s almost innate in humans to want to be connected to nature, and food is nature.

The kids love going outside, getting out of the classroom; it’s almost like a second recess for them, where they get to go learn and harvest fresh food, Lucke says.

(Photo courtesy of Gardopia Gardens)

The kids love going outside, getting out of the classroom because they’re underneath the fluorescent lights for multiple hours a day. It’s almost like a second recess for them, where they get to go learn and harvest fresh food. The chickens are always the most popular thing out there. Adults are eager for this information too because they can remember their grandma or their aunt or their uncle who kept a kitchen garden.

Because most people now have lawns, and concrete and subdivisions have taken over farmland, I would say the population aged 24 to 55 is just hungry to learn how to grow their own food and reconnect to the land.

Tell us about the grants and how they’re going to help scale your work.

We received two USDA Farm to School grants. So we’re thankful for the USDA and their support. Unfortunately, with the change in administration, there will be no more Farm to School grants. That was one of the cuts, so we’re the last cohort for a while. The current USDA Farm to School grant is around edu-tainment and making videos of our curriculum. So we have slide shows and worksheets, and we’ll be turning those into fun, learning, engaging videos.

The one that we’re currently working on, which should be ready in the fall, is going to be a video series that can be distributed statewide in Texas and eventually, hopefully nationwide. Right now, we’re aligning it to TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills).

Prior to that, we started a farm program at the Young Women’s Leadership Academy: Primary, that includes about a two-acre garden and farm with chickens, row crops, greenhouse irrigation, rain garden, rainwater collection, all that type of stuff.

Those were our two USDA Farm to School grants.

We recently received a United Way grant from the United Way of San Antonio in Bexar County, and we received a successful students grant to improve fifth and seventh grade math scores, working with the students here at Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

You’re using farming to teach math?

Yes, the National Science Foundation helps create a curriculum called math in the garden. It’s applying arithmetic to learning, from weighing to counting to measuring. How much soil do I need? How many eggs have been harvested? What’s the cost of those eggs? What type of packaging? It goes on and on and on because you can use math in so many ways in farming.

Moving forward, what is your onward vision and purpose?

We want to see the preservation of land. We want to see farmland stay farmland. In this city, it’s hard to get even an acre. To get 10 acres, that’s even crazier. One hundred acres probably doesn’t exist. But San Antonio and Texas, we’re in a good situation. There’s a lot of land, and that’s one of the reasons a lot of people are moving to Central Texas and South Texas, because of how much land we have. So we want to connect young farmers and aspiring farmers to education, resources and land.

The average age of a farmer is between like 58 to 62, depending on the source, but to be able to create a younger generation of farmers who are using sustainable, regenerative practices that take care of the land, produce food, create jobs … that is our hope, to show that San Antonio can be essentially a flagship city for what urban agriculture can look like, and then the region of Texas and Central Texas can be a flagship of what a local and regional food system looks like.

There’s an opportunity for Texas to become more self-sufficient and essentially insulate ourselves from natural or man-made disasters. And I don’t like to talk about gloom and doom, but with climate change and increasing temperatures, we’re going to have less arable land. Texas just shut down our last sugar cane farm because we’re running out of water here in Texas, and so many people are moving in, and the drought is really tough on the Rio Grande River.

So I want people to be healthy, and I want them to be sustainable. I think about the year 2100 and wonder what is our planet going to look like? What are our communities going to look like? We all eat; food is tied to everybody, and it doesn’t matter if you’re Black, you’re white, you’re rich, you’re poor, everybody eats food. And that can bring us to the table, literally and figuratively, so bringing communities together to break down some barriers. And again, it starts with education, because kids need to know from the time they hit elementary school.

And it’s going to take land preservation, so we can start establishing these micro and small farms in these regions — because there’s not a ton of small farmers, and a lot of the smaller farms have gotten eaten up. Because we do have land access, I think we can reestablish small farming as a viable career for people.

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Sustainability and Succession: A California Avocado Grower Eyes the Future

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 12:03:14 GMT

What does sustainability mean to the multigenerational avocado and citrus farmers of Camlam Farms in Camarillo, Calif.?

“It means you’re making a profit,” said John Lamb, president of Camlam Farms.

The Lamb family has been farming in what is now Ventura County, Calif., since Juan Camarillo, John Lamb’s great-great-grandfather, purchased a 10,000-acre Spanish land grant in 1876. The town of Camarillo was named by Lamb’s great-grandfather Adolfo Camarillo, who inherited the land from his father Juan Camarillo.

Today, the family, led by John Lamb and his brothers Bert and David Lamb, still own a few thousand of those acres, 1,000 of which are planted predominantly to avocados, with lemons and mandarins playing a supporting role.

On a recent media and influencer tour of Camlam Farms organized by the California Avocado Commission, Bert Lamb said their father, Robert, first planted avocados on the farm in the 1950s, and now some 70 years later, it remains the family’s core business.

“When our parents passed, this is what we had to work with, and you try to make the best you can out of it and make a living and keep it going better than you found it,” he said.

It’s a mission that can test a farming family’s strategic vision and resiliency daily. Given the challenges, has there ever been a time the Lamb family thought about leaving the farm?

“Like right now,” said a half-joking Bert Lamb addressing the tour group. “It’s tough when your markets are poor and with the water allocations up in the valley. Every place you go [farmers] have their own individual challenges, but one of them for us is that we’re in both lemons and avocados. Avocados are pretty good this year, but our lemons are absolutely horrible, so a good part of the ranch is losing money. It has been for a few years now, and it cuts into reserves and makes it challenging.”

He said that while California lemons used to command $24 a carton, the current price has plummeted to around $11.

John Lamb leads a tour of his family’s avocado and citrus ranch.

(Photo by Jennifer Strailey)

California’s water woes and complex regulations also can be burdensome for farmers.

“From the regulations aspect, things just keep tightening,” said John Lamb. “Right now, we’re under what’s called an ‘agricultural order’ with a regional water quality control board. And it’s a constant. Now, we’re going to move from this phase into a TMGL phase, and you’ve got to do testing on your water, and you’ve got to have nutrient management plans. And that’s not a big problem. We do tissue analysis every year, and that’s how we decide how to fertilize our trees.

“But it’s just this constant, one more thing, one more thing, one more thing,” he continued. “And you get that from five different [directions].”

Maureen Cottingham with her uncles and father are proud to cultivate California avocados at Camlam Farms.

(Photo courtesy of California Avocado Commission)

Return of the Next Gen

The daily demands of running the family farm eventually led the older Lamb generation to question its future.

“We actually had a family meeting a couple years ago because Bert and I and our other brother David were all getting, you know, long in the tooth,” said John Lamb. “We said, ‘Do you guys want this?’ Because it’s not for everybody, and maybe you don’t. Everybody in the next generation said, ‘Yes, this is something we want to maintain.’”

A succession plan was born with Maureen Cottingham, Bert Lamb’s daughter, as the heir apparent.

Cottingham, who studied ag business at California Polytechnic State University in San, Luis Obispo, Calif., had served as the executive director of the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance for 17 years, when she returned to her family’s farm in 2021 as assistant manager.

“In the wine industry, my role would be Cellar Rat — I do anything and everything,” she said. “As in any family business, you wear many hats. So, it just depends on the day.”

The mother of three is now rearing her children on the same land that was her childhood stomping grounds.

“Farming in California is very special because we have incredible climate, incredible soils and we are able to grow a lot of things that the rest of the world can’t,” she said.

Lamb hass and GEM avocados thrive at Camlam Farms.

(Photo by Jennifer Strailey)

Camlam Farms has some 500 acres planted to avocados and lemons and 10 acres devoted to mandarins. Among the avocados varieties cultivated on the farm is the family’s namesake Lamb hass avocados. In the late 80s, the Lamb family participated in university trials of different avocado varieties, including GEM avocados and what would become known as Lamb hass, both varieties of which flourish at Camlam Farms today.

“I just feel so blessed and honored to be able to follow the footsteps of my family and our legacy here and our farming tradition — to be part of that and continue, hopefully for our next generations after me, my siblings and my cousins. It’s truly an honor,” Cottingham said.

When it comes to the family farming legacy, Cottingham is taking a page from her father and uncles’ playbook.

“As far as preserving that tradition and the legacy for our family and next generations, to quote my dad and my uncles, I think you’re working on it every single day, and while it sounds very romantic to say that there’s a tradition, our tradition is we do tomorrow what we did today. And just continuing that.

“The biggest thing is that the business has to be profitable, otherwise you can’t afford the tradition,” she continued. “It has to be profitable to stay in existence. Dad always says, ‘We put beans on our table with what our ranch makes, and so every day we have to turn a profit.’”

For Cottingham, part of staying profitable means taking a science-based approach to fertilization, irrigation strategies and daily farming practices.

“We focus on a sustainable agricultural model, which is really important,” she said. “We prioritize on a daily basis with our crew, practices that grow the best quality, which we think results in delicious fruit that’s consistent in taste and texture when it hits the marketplace.”

Adolfo Camarillo opens a well on the family farm in Southern California.

(Photo courtesy of Camlam Farms)

Setting the Next Gen Up for Success

Cottingham also credits her father and uncles with making decisions for the family farm with future generations in mind.

“They look to the future and are careful not to put things in place where they’re going to be ruling from the grave,” she said. “They always say, ‘We don’t know what you guys are going to be facing in 30, 40 or 50 years.’ So, they’re really careful in their decisions for the next generation.”

What’s an example of decision-making from the grave?

“There are a lot of preservation groups in California that do a lot of great work in preserving the open space and our agriculture and so forth,” Cottingham explained. “But sometimes farmers want to preserve their land so much so that they sell their developmental rights to keep their properties in ag or in cattle ranches, and then that does not allow their future generations to make decisions — to expand, to shrink or to continue their businesses — in a way that that reflects the current day.”

She said the family has made a conscious decision to avoid the limitations of land preservation and focus instead on continuing to make sustainable decisions from a business standpoint with the goal of keeping the ranch for next generations.

Citrus Struggles

Your father called the lemon situation “absolutely horrible.” Where do you see Camlam Farms’ future with citrus headed?

“It is not revenue generating right now and hasn’t been for the last couple of years,” she said. “It’s even scarier looking at this year and the next couple years as far as the lemon industry goes. We’re hoping there’s going to be a big enough shakeout in the industry that guys that are growing the best quality citrus will be able to hang in there, and that potentially, if the industry shrinks enough that it will bring the guys that are still standing back into profitability.”

Cottingham said that a market flooded with lower priced lemon imports has created a tenuous situation.

“It’s such a shame because Ventura County is the lemon capital of the world, and so it’s really sort of a sad situation that a lot of our colleagues and family farmers here in Ventura County are facing,” she said.

Cottingham said while the vision has always been crop diversity on the farm, the family could turn to more avocados and fewer lemons moving forward.

Loyal Labor

Beyond the family members tending to the future of Camlam Farms, the ranch has 15 farmworkers on its payroll, 10 of whom live on the ranch with their families. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement that offers safe, family-friendly housing to the farmworker team, who are then on the scene when there’s a night frost or something else that needs immediate attention. The family attributes this perk to their ability to keep a full-time staff on the farm.

“We treat our employees well, and we’re very, very blessed to have good people,” Cottingham said. “We try to give to them, and in turn, they’re loyal to us. At the end of the day, we treat our employees well, and we provide full-time work so there’s not any question or uncertainty as to whether or not they’re going to have their jobs tomorrow or next week.

“Whether you’re growing avocados or almonds or asparagus or broccoli, it comes down to regulatory conditions and challenges, water and labor. But I think right now it’s also markets,” she said. “It goes back to making that commitment to a sustainable approach, making certain you’re dedicated to quality, treating your employees well and making the right decisions for generations to come.”

Next-Gen Farmer Ashley Brooks Cultivates Community, Agritourism in Tennessee

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 22:00:39 GMT

Ruby’s Happy Farm , situated 30 minutes north of Nashville, is a vibrant community hub built upon generations of resilience, says Ashley Brooks, president of Ruby’s Happy Farm.

“Our family’s agriculture journey began with our grandparents during the era of sharecropping,” Brooks says. “Despite the challenges with sharecropping, they persevered, ultimately achieving a significant milestone in 1958 by purchasing an 11-acre farm for $1,530. This pivotal moment, 66 years ago, laid the groundwork for the thriving farm we operate today.”

In 2019, Brooks transformed the farm into an agritourism destination, blending public health with agriculture where the farm hosts events like the Feel Good Festival, which educates on Juneteenth and agriculture, and the Happy Camper Farm Fest for teenagers. They also organize the She Grows event for women in agriculture.

“When I decided to turn the farm into an agritourism destination, I combined my background in public health with a love of farming and education,” Brooks says. “I kind of merged the two disciplines when I reimagined the farm, and here we are today.”

Events are a core draw for visitors to Ruby’s Happy Farm.

(Photo courtesy of Ruby’s Happy Farm)

Building on this rich agricultural heritage, Brooks says the farm’s mission is to enrich lives through education, wellness and meaningful connections, saying they achieve this through:

Chemical-free crops: Ensuring the health and safety of our community and the environment.
Engaging in-person events: Fostering community interaction and creating memorable experiences.
Education: Promoting a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle through knowledge and practical skills.

On the micro farm, Brooks grows on six acres, growing vegetables and flowers throughout the year with the help of about 15 volunteers. This year’s crops include sunflowers, summer squash, beans as well as buckwheat. Cover crops are important, she says, because they don’t use chemicals.

Despite challenges from droughts and wildlife, the farm grows various crops and uses regenerative techniques.

“Our grandparents produced tobacco and corn. They also raised cows and pigs (the small pond on the farm today was built for the cows),” Brooks says. “Our family used natural fertilizer techniques such as spreading cow and pig manure on the crops. However, they used artificial chemicals to control pests. Today, we add amendments to the soil such as worm castings; companion plants such as buckwheat are sown, which helps to control pests.”

Brooks says she honors her farm roots by working the land today while expanding its offerings on the farm such as a space for learning, events and community.

Upcoming events include the Feel Good Festival in honor of Juneteenth, a Happy Camper Farm Fest on July 11 for teenagers, to train the next generation of farmers, then in September, the farm hosts Women in Ag for women interested in agricultural careers or wanting to learn how to grow their own food. Interested visitors can view the Ruby’s Happy Farm events page for a listing of upcoming festivals and workshops.

It's Time To Lead: Strong Succession Won't Happen By Accident

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 12:14:58 GMT

Succession planning isn’t just a checklist item — it’s a defining leadership moment. As a farm or ranch owner, it’s time to stop waiting for the “right moment” and start leading with purpose. You’re not just passing on assets; you’re shaping the future of your operation. That means stepping into the role of leader with clarity, courage and commitment.

First, take a hard look at what kind of leader your farm needs. Are you focused on daily operations or vision and growth? Are you modeling strong financial discipline and decision-making? Are you addressing conflicts head-on and keeping your family aligned? Leadership requires more than technical skill; it demands the courage to tackle tough conversations, whether with partners, successors or family members. Great leaders don’t shy away from discomfort; they lean into it with the goal of building stronger relationships and a more resilient operation.

Communication is foundational. If your team doesn’t know what’s happening, how can they help move forward? Hold regular family meetings, define decision-making roles and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Avoiding conflict only leads to confusion. Structured, transparent communication builds trust and keeps succession planning on track. Communication is also how you build buy-in from the people who will carry your operation forward.

Leadership Isn’t Handed Over

Next, you must actively develop your future leaders. Don’t wait until you’re ready to retire to begin mentoring. Give your successors meaningful responsibilities now. Let them learn by managing projects, participating in financial discussions and handling day-to-day operations. Leadership isn’t handed over — it’s earned through real-world experience and demonstrated commitment. Every season serves as an opportunity to develop those skills and test readiness.

Set clear standards for advancement. Define what success looks like: required experience, education and financial knowledge. Make sure successors understand what it takes to lead and hold those leaders accountable. If someone isn’t ready or is unwilling to step up, be honest. Your farm’s legacy deserves strong, prepared leadership.

Succession planning is hard. Many families stall out due to fear, conflict or lack of clarity. But real leaders don’t quit when times get tough, they face challenges head on. If your planning has gone off track, reset. Re-engage your family, bring in outside support if necessary and commit to consistent action.

The future of your farm depends on your leadership today. Will you linger in uncertainty, or will you lead with confidence? Strong succession isn’t going to happen by accident. It’s driven by leaders who are willing to plan boldly, act decisively and invest in their next generation. Your family and your operation are counting on you. Be the leader they need.

Your Next Read — Quiet Crisis, Unfolding Rapidly: Big Questions Remain For Next Gen Farmers

Quiet Crisis, Unfolding Rapidly: Big Questions Remain For Next Gen Farmers

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 12:38:17 GMT

Florida fresh produce grower Jim Alderman says one thing is his biggest worry.

“Who is coming behind us? That’s the part that keeps me up at night. It’s not just about growing crops, it also passing down knowledge, discipline and our way of life,” he said during a recent congressional hearing on the aging workforce in agriculture.

Earlier this year, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) spearheaded a special committee report on America’s Aging Farm Workforce.

Four drivers were highlighted:

Aging demographics
Declining farm numbers
Barriers for new farmers
Regulatory and economic pressures

As a follow up, on June 4, the senate special committee he oversees had a hearing “America’s Vanishing Family Farms.”

“Unfortunately, the farming and agricultural workforce is aging and nearing retirement, and fewer and fewer young people are looking to take over their family’s farms or enter the agriculture industry,” Sen. Scott said. “We face significant challenges to agricultural production, rural community sustainability, and U.S. food security. Here’s why this matters: U.S. food security is national security.”

Recent stats he points to include:

1/3 of farmers and ranchers are over the age of 65
This same group owns more than 40% of U.S. farmland
More than 80% of farmers work a second job
Since 2007, 200,000 farms have disappeared
The 2022 census showed the loss of over 140,000 farms in 5 years. That’s an average of 77 farms per day. 
Since 2007, more than 40 million acres of farmland is now used for commercial, residential or industrial purposes
Farmland prices have increased 7% in three years

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) is ranking member on the special committee for aging and said, “To encourage younger generation to returning to Farmer we farming, we must invest in our rural communities.”

Witnesses shared testimony highlighting the pain points, overall trends and discussed potential policy solutions.

“As I travel the country and see farms across our great country, I see a lot of gray hair, and while the wisdom of older generations is critical, we must ensure that we make a way for young and beginning farmers to fill our boots,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

What are those policy provisions that could assist with the farm labor issues?

1. The Farm Bill
In his testimony, Duvall shared a getting a farm bill passed by congress is critical to signal stability and predictability in agriculture.

“We need a modernized 5 year farm bill,” he said. “Rising interest rates, higher energy prices, supply costs that have gone unchecked, farmers will plant the most expensive crop ever planted this year, and many have faced a tough decision of whether or not to even plant that crop. This is why the farm bill and its Title One safety net is so critical.”

2. Estate tax provisions

Duvall also highlighted the importance of the estate tax exemption for farmers for transitioning the farm business from one generation to the next. He applauded the House for its consideration of in the One Big Beautiful Bill it recently passed, and encouraged the senate to follow.

3. Farm worker programs, specifically H-2A

“It’s time to modernize our outdated system, and only Congress can meaningfully do that,” Duvall said.

Alderman uses H-2A labor and says reform is a must.

“We are now dependent on H-2A labor from Mexico,” he said. “Without them, we can’t harvest our crops.”

For Alderman in Florida, whereas minimum wage is $12.50/hour, H-2A labor is compensated at $26/hour plus the expense of housing, transportation and visas.

Duvall adds the federal government needs to revisit its wage structure for H-2A labor, citing the wage rates were set by a study done 60 years ago intended to calculate on-farm employment totals, not compensation.

“We’re going to price ourselves out of farming,” he says. Duvall is advocating for an updated program and one that includes year-round provisions for dairy farmers, and other parts of the industry that need full-time labor not just seasonal help.

“How can a young farmer come back to the farm and bring his expertise that he learned in college, expand that farm without having a labor force to do that. It’s one of the biggest limiting factors we have,” Duvall says.

4. Economic stability, risk management and trade.

“The incentive to make a profit isn’t there,” Alderman says. “If the farmer isn’t going to make money, he’s not able to expand his operation.”

Aaron Locker, Managing Director, Kincannon & Reed calls this a quietly unfolding crisis that is rapidly cutting across the agriculture.

“And the consequences for our food supply, our rural communities, and our national security are serious,” he said. “The 1980s farm crisis didn’t just damage balance sheets. It’s changed the interest of being involved in agriculture. That gap is being realized today in board rooms, field office, agronomy teams and more.”

The witnesses answered questions about President Trump’s trade policy and tariffs, with Duvall saying farmers have supported the president’s long-term vision to bring a “level playing field,” but he also says this fall will be a critical time for some progress when farmers are slated to harvest and sell commodities at low prices with high input costs.

5. Regulatory considerations.

Alderman says there are areas of his fresh produce business being over-regulated, which has put extra financial pressure when competing with imported crops. As an example, he points to multiple food safety inspections which could be replaced with a one-time inspection.

And in conjunction with the regulation on his business, he has seen how a lapse in regulatory authority over imported produce inspected at the borders has negatively effected the industry.

“For example, the citrus industry with citrus greening, it’s devastated the cirtrus industry. We have gone from 240 million boxes of oranges in production to around 40 million boxes today,” he said, and added Florida produce growers are introduced with a new thirp or weevil every growing season, which takes months to contain and identify proper controls.

6. Provide mental health resources

Christopher A. Wolf, Ph.D. from Cornell University says its New York FarmNet receives 700 calls a year. Financial stress include price uncertainty, labor cost and availability, capital costs, land access, and estate and succession planning. Family-related farm stressors include health insurance, childcare, eldercare, and drug and alcohol abuse.

“Male farmers have a suicide rate 3.5 times higher than the national,” he said. “Financial stress is one of the primary contributors to the depression and suicide rate. Additionally, mental health stigma and lack of access to care are major barriers.”

Next Generation Peach Farmer Cultivates a Legacy of Innovation at Pearson Farm

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 18:39:31 GMT

In the heart of Georgia peach country, Lawton Pearson is redefining what it means to carry on a family legacy.

A fifth-generation farmer at Pearson Farm in Fort Valley, Pearson left behind a career in law to return to the land he grew up on — bringing fresh perspective, technical insight and a deep respect for the rhythms of farming. Nicknamed the “peach whisperer” by colleagues, he’s not only stewarding one of Georgia’s oldest peach and pecan operations, he is also positioning it for long-term sustainability through smarter practices, innovation and a forward-thinking mindset.

A return to the land

After growing up on the family farm, Lawton says he attended law school as a backup plan but returned to the family farm in 2004 to join his father in continuing the family’s peach and pecan legacy.

“I grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, not necessarily a great time for peaches,” he said. “So I came into this with a lot of caution, knowing it could go sideways. Luckily, I had the time and opportunity to do something else first.”

With their son’s return, the family made the decision to divide operations so father and son could explore new directions while honoring the farm’s history.

“I like to think of the process as walking forward with your head to the side, looking back,” Pearson said. “We’re still growing some of the same peaches from 100 years ago — and they knew how to grow them back then. The fundamentals haven’t changed much.”

While peaches and pecans might be familiar, Pearson is always looking for smart, strategic updates to help the farm remain efficient, resilient and competitive.

“We’ve adopted a lot of technology, particularly in packaging. We used to hydro-cool with ice; now we use ammonia refrigeration and cold rooms,” he said. “Sorters have been a change — we grade peaches with machines now instead of by hand and eye. That’s huge.”

Digital food safety tracking, iPads for employees and infrastructure upgrades are just a few examples of how Pearson Farm is embracing progress without compromising its identity, Pearson says.

“My grandfather wouldn’t recognize a lot of what we do, but if he walked into one of our orchards, he’d know exactly what we were doing because by and large we’re doing the exact same thing we did 100 years ago,” he said.

Challenges and opportunities for next-generation farmers

When it comes to opportunities and challenges for the next generation of farmers, particularly those in specialty crops like peaches and pecans, Pearson sees both promise and complexity for the future of specialty crop farming.

One opportunity he says is through connectivity with customers through social media.

“We now know who eats our peaches — and we know when they don’t like them,” he said. “That connection brings opportunities for more specialization and vertical integration. We can pack in 2-pound bags, clamshells, new formats, but that’s also a huge challenge.”

What used to be packaged in large boxes now gets divided into consumer-friendly packaging, a shift that requires more labor, time and precision.

“Peaches don’t wait,” Pearson said. “They’re not industrialized. They’re delicate, seasonal and labor intensive. If you can make that model work, great. But it’s hard, and it keeps a lot of people out of this business.”

Labor remains one of the biggest concerns for specialty crop growers, he said.

“Securing seasonal labor for such an intense job is one of the hardest parts,” Pearson said. “It’s high skill, high speed work. That alone is a barrier to entry for many.”

Honoring the past doesn’t mean standing still, he said. At Pearson Farm, tradition and innovation grow side by side.

It's a Family Affair at North Shore Living Herbs and Greens

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 11:38:07 GMT

All this week at Farm Journal, we will be talking to and about the next generation of farmers, ranchers and growers.

It’s a critical time as the industry is poised to see 300 million acres change hands in the next 20 years.

Today we meet a California family making plans for the future.

Welcome to the Coachella Valley and the North Shore Living Herbs and Greens, where 30 years ago, Leo and Suzette Overgaag started their family farm.

“My husband’s a third-generation greenhouse grower, and he knows all this technology,” said Suzette Overgaag, vice president and CFO of North Shore Living Herbs and Greens. “And we started from nothing and we grew it to where we could afford to buy a full-blown automated greenhouse.”

They started by first growing cucumbers but eventually transitioned to fresh herbs in the mid-1990s.

“I would get home with my herbs, and I’d put them in the lower drawer, and I would forget about them,” Overgaag said. “So I was like, you know, there’s got to be a better product out there.”

The idea took off. Today, North Shore has more than 10 acres of hydroponic greenhouse space. Some herbs are potted, others are in a special plastic clamshell.

“Everything has the roots attached, and why that’s amazing is that when you get your product home from the grocery store it’s going to last longer,” said Brittany Bubb, creative director for North Shore Living Herbs and Greens. “It’s going to be an amazing product; the moment you need it you’re harvesting it.”

One of three siblings, Bubb is now the fourth-generation working as the creative director for a business that’s all about family. Bubb’s other siblings, Ashley Cullen-Carrol and Tony Overgaag, have also supported the company in different ways. Tony Overgaag works in IT and finance for the company.

“Food really is an experience, and that’s what we want to do here at North Shore is it’s all about gathering people at the table making moments, sharing time with your family,” Bubb said.

And together, their family has big dreams for sharing the idea and passion for living herbs with others.

“My dream is to see an instant herb garden in every kitchen across America. So I am really trying, along with my family, to come up with ways and, of course, all of our team here to make that happen,” Suzette Overgaag said.

Bubb added it’s something the family takes to heart.

“Food is so important, and I think it’s just really awesome that we have people here that are passionate about making good food and good products for consumers to have,” Bubb said.

As Peter Rabbit Farms Marks 75 Years, the Next Generation Looks to the Future

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 11:40:51 GMT

Peter Rabbit Farms has been a staple in the Coachella Valley of California since the 1940s. Now in its fourth generation, the company celebrates its 75^th anniversary this year. Colin Powell, farm manager for Peter Rabbit Farms, said longevity has been instilled in each generation that joins the family farm.

“Each generation has tried to take care of the business and make sure that they can hand it down properly to the next generation,” Colin said. “It’s been something deliberately done, not so much by accident, and it’s worked so far, and we’re really happy with it, and we hope to continue it.”

John and Steve Powell, sons of founder Palmer Powell, currently head the operation, with the third and fourth generations now working within the farm.

“We’re all in our 30s now and are just taking on different roles and responsibilities throughout the company and look forward to continuing the tradition on into the future,” said Garrett Powell, sales and operations manager for Peter Rabbit Farms.

Another remarkable thing, Garrett said, is some of the tenure of employees. The company’s general manager retired after 50 years, and there are employees who have worked for the company for 30 or 40 years.

“Our average tenure is probably up there at the 20-year mark right now,” Garrett said. “We have hired some young guns along with ourselves. And I think that the future looks really good.”

The Powells hope some of those tenured employees will help the company celebrate its 100^th anniversary in a few years.

Garrett said another strength to his family’s farm longevity is with the diversification of crops grown.

“We’re doing the red bell peppers, the green bell peppers, eggplant, carrots; we have lemons and all the wet veg crops as well as broccoli, celery, cauliflower, Medjool dates,” he said. “So, what we’ve done is really just diversified ourselves as much as we can.”

Colin said the diversification helps the farm weather bad crop years.

“The bad years aren’t as bad, because something will usually do all right, and that’s what gets you through to 75 years,” he said.

The Powells said their family has grown red bell peppers in the Coachella Valley for more than 40 years on one field, due to the availability of land and warm climate.

“We love it here because we get high temperatures, but not too high because of the Salton Sea moderating the high temperatures,” Colin said. “We get nice, cool nights, so we don’t get damaged fruit; it’s been a fantastic field for 40 years.”

He said another thing that sets Peter Rabbit Farms apart is its field sorting and packing.

“One of the more unusual things we do is field pack. The industry has moved more toward shed packing, but we’ve continued to do field packing out here,” he said. “We bring all the fruit from the field to this trailer and then we grade, sort and size all the fruit into our boxes from the lowest grade all the way to our No. 1 product. Traceback codes are applied for food safety, and then it’s palletized and then shipped to the cooler.”

Why it's Time to Think About Farm Transitions

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:40:59 GMT

Fourth-generation grower Chris Pawelski understands firsthand the struggles of transitioning his family’s farm from one generation to the next. Thankfully, Pawelski’s family made the tough decision to put the family farm in a trust. Pawelski returned to the “Tip of the Iceberg” to talk about why it’s so important for families to talk about succession plans before they’re needed.

Pawelski said his family chose New York FarmNet, a Cornell University-based program that offers support and assistance to farmers in the state, to help with the farm transition and protect his family’s assets. He said Pawelski and his family saw firsthand that family farms in the Hudson Valley cope with losing assets when a key family member could no longer run the family farm.

Pawelski said many farm families wait until it’s too late because talking about succession plans means having difficult conversations.

“People don’t like to think about it,” he said. “People don’t like to think about the fact that we grow old, and we die, and things move on. You have to plan for that, and it’s something you don’t want to think about because sometimes you’ll carry the illusion that if you don’t think about it can’t happen, but it is going to happen.”

But, as the Pawelskis created a farm trust, Chris said his father remained in charge and the law firm his family worked with enacted protections to ensure nothing changed in terms of decision-making. And Pawelski said his parents saw firsthand what happened when other farming families lost assets when the decision-maker or owner went on Medicaid, so he said his parents understood the objectives of transitioning the farm into a farm trust.

“My dad was in the driver’s seat and until the day he died, that didn’t change,” he said. “Even during his sickness, when he was diagnosed with cancer through those six months, he still made the decisions.”

And Pawelski said his mother was also diagnosed with dementia before his father died, and when the family eventually applied to Medicaid, the farm needed to already be in a farm trust.

“You have to get rid of a lot of your assets, and there’s a five-year look back,” he said. “You want to start working on [a farm transition] now because under the federal rules for us getting our Medicaid application, there’s a five-year look back.”

Which, Pawelski said, thankfully, the family had put the farm into a farm trust 13 years before the family needed to.

“It’s difficult, but it’s a conversation you have to have now. You have to start working on now, today,” he said. “The sooner the better. It costs some money and a lawyer to set it up and such, but it’s money well spent, and it’s very much worth it.”

As for the next generation hoping to take over family farms? Pawelski said it’s important that farming is profitable, otherwise the next generation won’t want to come back to the family farm. He said one of his children enjoyed working on the farm, but saw how much he and his wife struggled, especially in down years, and wanted to make a decent living in a career. If there were protections to support farmers better in from natural disasters and to help earn a decent living, more young people might want to make a career in farming.

“I think that’s a main reason why the next generation is not going into [farming],” he said. “Why would you go into something where you see how hard your family works and you know how much risk they take and sometimes losses they have and then have nothing to show for it at the end. It’s totally understandable why they wouldn’t want to go into it.”

An 11-Year Old's Idea Sparked An Idea That's Grown Into an Annual Toy Drive Giving Out 13,000 Toys Each Year

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 15:02:30 GMT

The season of giving for Reed Marcum doesn’t just happen during Christmas. For this 19-year, the season of giving is year-round.

“I came up with the idea back in 2016 when I realized that I wanted to help put another toy under someone’s tree that year,” says Marcum, who’s now a Pittsburg County, Oklahoma 4-H Ambassador.

At just 11 years-old, this 4-H member had an idea: Collect toys and give them out to children in his local community.

“He came home one day, he talked to me and his stepfather, and he said, ‘Mom, I want to help some kiddos in my class for Christmas,” remembers Angie Miller, Reed’s mother. “I said, ‘OK, what can we do?’ I told him he could do a little work, and he was like, ‘No, I want to give out toys.”

Reed Marcum at 11-Years-Old

(Angie Miller)

Started Out As a Small Idea
That first year, Reed’s small idea turned into a huge success, giving out around 5,000 toys at his stepfather’s law office. Little did this family know that was just the start of something grand.

“It was something we didn’t expect to do, especially have that much success and community reaction. They really loved it. We did not expect that,” Reed says.

J Michael Miller Toy Drive
What’s called the J Michael Miller Toy Drive has grown each year, even during COVID.

“What happened was COVID hit, and we had told Reed that it just can’t happen that year. And he said, ‘It can happen, Mom,’” Angie says.

And it did. With the help of the community, Reed moved the toy drive to Ragan’s Auto, a decision that helped this drive grow even more.

“He spoke with Mr. Ragan, and he told Reed we can do this. They moved all their cars out by noon that day. We moved in around 1:00, and we would set up all night long, and then we open the doors, they would start driving through,” Angie says.

The annual J. Michael Miller Toy Drive gave out 13,000 toys this year.

(SUNUP)

Within a couple years, they even outgrew that space. Last year, Reed moved his toy drive again, this time, to the McAlester Expo Center.

“We are orchestrating with the local Expo Center here in McAlester for people to come, and it’s just an amazing venue for what we’re doing here. And it’s an amazing process that we have to set up and do,” Reed says.

Biggest Toy Giveaway Yet
On Dec. 7,2024, Reed had his biggest giveaway yet.

“We collected a ton, but we were able to give out around 13,000 this year, that day,” Reed says.

What started as one small idea has brought generosity through toys that touched 13,000 lives this year alone.

“It’s a year-long process,” Angie says. “The entire year we’re looking for toys, collecting them and getting donations from people. But when the day gets near and close, it really starts to ramp up.”

Cars line up 3 to 4 miles long for the annual toy drive.

(Bryan Fuller)

Recipients Come From Surrounding States
Since 2016, this toy drive has given away more than 64,000 toys, an annual event that people wait in line for hours to receive. And as the event grows each year, lines of cars that now stretch three to four miles long, all with kids eager to receive toys that year.

“I was working the line this year, and we did see license plates from Texas and Arkansas. That’s normal,” says Greg Owen, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma 4-H educator. “I would ask the people in the line, ‘What was the experience like?’ And this year, I heard the comment ‘It was literally perfect.’”

Vital Volunteers
But for Reed, this wouldn’t be possible without volunteers, all 100 of them.

“They can help us move the toys from point A to point B when we’re holding them or in help, give the toys, help, walk the line, be dressed up in costumes to help entertain the kids, give out small items that go through the lines. The kids aren’t just sitting there bored,” Reed says.

Loss Turned Into Love
Reed’s toy drive has become a beloved experience attracting thousands of people from miles away. But this kid who has brought so much joy to others has also seen heartache along the way.

“He had the most difficult year of his life his junior year,” Angie says. “We were moving to Ragan’s that year, and on July 28, he lost his grandmother that he was extremely close to.”

Reed’s brother, Sergeant Miles Tarron

(SUNUP)

Not even four months later, Reed suffered another devastating loss, just weeks away from his toy drive in 2021.

“We were notified by soldiers that Reed’s brother had passed in the military,” Angie says. “I talked with Reed and I told him I didn’t think we can do the toy giveaway. And he said, ‘Mom, brother would want us to do the toy giveaway, so we’re going to do the toy giveaway.’”

And he did, with an entire community rallying around Reed as a way to give back to one of their own who had done so much.

“They helped us get it over to Ragan’s. We got it all set up. And then they just helped us all the way through it,” Angie says. “After that, Reed had already created the Hudson Strong Foundation for a little boy that had cancer. And they provided some help with the costs of the storage buildings. Then after his brother passed, Reed created the Sergeant Miles Tarron Foundation, and that supports his toy giveaway, his backpack giveaway and his silent auction. His brother always had a hand in supporting him and sending money. So, now the Sergeant Miles Tarron Foundation and the Hudson Strong Foundation support those storage buildings.”

Reed has nine storage buildings, all bursting with donated toys each year. But this success is also because of one lady Reed deeply admired: his 4-H leader, Miss Donna Curry.

“After he lost his brother, June 28, 2022, he lost Miss Donna Curry, who was like a second mother to him, who got him into 4-H, and she supported this project thoroughly,” Angie says.

Today, Reed doesn’t just give away toys. Miss Donna had another idea two years before she died: to give out pajamas, socks and undergarments to those in need.

“We named it Miss Donna’s Closet. And when they drive through the toy giveaway, they get the pajamas, they get socks, they get undergarments all through the toy line. They get snacks. And so when we lost Miss Donna, Reed promised at that point that he would carry her tradition on.”

Reed is Now Inspiring Others
Reed’s heart of service is always on display, and it’s now inspiring others.

“It’s literally the goal that we try to set for our 4-H members. We hope that they’ll develop a level of mastery in their project work, and for Reed, his project has been civic engagement,” Greg says. “And when they get to that point, we’ll hope we hope that they’ll utilize that to teach and impact others to follow in their footsteps, which is exactly what Reed has done.”

“That’s the best thing with 4-H; they always want you to strive to be the best version of yourself. And that’s something this project really does every year,” Reed says. “It’s not just staying the same or leveling out each year. It’s getting bigger and better than the last.”

True Gift of Giving
Reed’s one idea in 2016 continues to spread joy year-round, as it showcases the true gift of giving.

“Little 11-year-old Reed could never see such a thing happening, especially when I was so young and couldn’t even talk to a group of ten people, let alone do something like this. I never thought it would reach this,” Reed says.

“I always share this. That came from the idea of an 11-year-old child. That shows the impact of the 4-H program. That shows the impact of a student that wants to give, that wants to make a difference and wants to make a positive impact on their community,” Greg says.

Reed Accepts Donations Year-Round
In order to make the annual toy drive possible, Reed accepts donations year-round. If you’d like to contribute to the annual toy drive or Reed’s other service projects, you can donate here .

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