Celebrating West Side Agriculture 2020

Honoring West Side
Agriculture
A Special Supplement to the West Side Index & Gustine Press-Standard
Thursday, March 19, 2020

2 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
Attention to detail,
innovation in
Groefsema orchards
GUSTINE - A family
farming operation with
solid roots in the Gustine
area continues to thrive
today under the direction
of a third-generation member.
Clay Groefsema, who
grew up in the Lemoore
area, today manages
Groefsema Enterprises
orchards in the Gustine
and Waterford areas. He
also provides custom farm
management for clients
in the Stockton area and
operates a custom spray
business.
The company’s home
ranch on Orchard Road
has been in the family
since the late 1990s, when
his father Clay and grandfather
Ken purchased the
ground.
“This is the largest of all
our ranches. We keep all
of the equipment here and
move it around,” Groefsema
explained.
Water was a driving factor
in the family’s transition
northward.
As a child, Groefsema
said, his family grew
mainly row crops such as
cotton, corn, garlic and
tomatoes, among others.
Some walnuts and pistachios
were grown as well.
Supporting Agriculture
RECEIVE and UP TO Farm Families
$6,500
Across the Groefsema
In Energy Upgrade Rebates
almond orchards.
209-826-4807 www.youngsair.com 209-826-4807 209-826-4807 www.youngsair.com www.youngsair.com
But an uncertain water
supply prompted the family
to look elsewhere.
“It was some of the best
ground in the state, but
you weren’t sure if you
had water day to day. The
family left and re-invested
up here. We had more
water, cheaper water and
a little more certainty,”
Groefsema commented.
“I can’t imagine farming
with that uncertainty of
what your allocation would
basis.
A Certified
“I chased a football
Energy Audit will help you learn
dream after college for
where you are using and losing energy and ways to
years, but knew I wanted
to get back to farming
eventually,” said Groefsema,
reduce
who kept
those
a hand in
issues to make your home
the family operation but
worked in farm manage-
more efficient and save you money.
209-826-4807 www.youngsair.com
ment for other corporations
for 13 years before
Get
coming back to manage
RECEIVE
$
5,500
RECEIVE UP TO
the local
UP
orchards.
TO
RECEIVE UP TO
$6,500
His emphasis, Groefsema
shared, is on using the
$6,500 $6,500
latest practices and technology
to maximize qual-
UP TO
ity and production.
In Energy Upgrade See GROEFSEMA | Rebates
PAGE 3 In Energy In Upgrade In Energy Rebates Upgrade Young’s Rebates!
Air Conditioning is a HERO R
HERO is a Government sponsored pr
A Certified Energy Audit will help youAlearn
Certified Energy A Certified Audit will Energy help you Audit learn you
will
to
help
finance
you learn
certain home improve
where you are using Young’s and losing energy Air Conditioning where and ways you are to using where is and ayou HERO losing are using energy Registered and and losing ways Contractor.
provides
energy to low
and
fixed-interest
ways to
rates and
reduce those issues HERO to make is a your Government home reduce those sponsored issues reduce to make those program RECEIVE your issues home to
20 which UP make
years. TO your enables Contact
home
us to learn more.
more efficient
you
and
to
savefinance you money.
certain more efficient home improvements. and save you money. HERO
Wha
provides low fixed-interest rates and payment terms up to
20 years. Contact us to learn more.
be every year,” he added.
After the family initially
purchasing land in
a district with marginal
water supplies, he added,
his grandfather and uncle
purchased land in the Central
California Irrigation
District.
“It is gold,” he said of
the more reliable water
supply. “You can’t do anything
without good water.”
Enterprises operation, row
crops have given way to
Groefsema three years
ago rejoined the family
operation on a full-time
more efficient and save you money.
$6,500
Whatever It Takes ®
In Energy Upgrade Rebates
Young’s Air Conditioning is a HERO RegisteredYoung’s Contractor. Air Conditioning Young’s is aAir HERO Conditioning Registered is Contractor. a HERO Registered Contractor.
HERO is a Government sponsored program which HERO enables is a Government HERO sponsored is a Government programsponsored which enables program which enables
you to finance certain home improvements. HERO you to finance certain home improvements. HERO
provides low fixed-interest rates and payment terms provides up low to fixed-interest rates and payment terms up to
20 years. Contact us to learn more. 20 years. Contact us to learn more.
Whatever It Takes ®
$6,50
In Energy Upgrade
A Certified you to finance Energy certainAudit home improvements. will help you HEROlearn
provides low fixed-interest rates and payment terms up to
where you are using and losing energy and ways to
20 years. Contact us to learn more.
reduce those issues to make Whatever yourIthome
Whatever It Takes ® Takes ®
more efficient and save you money.
License #461520
RECEIVE UP TO
A Certified Energy Audit will he
where you are using and losing en
reduce those issues to make
more efficient and save yo
Clay Groefsema manages family almond orchards in the Gustine area.
License #461520
License #461520
License #461520

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 3
GROEFSEMA
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
Decisions are made
from a long-term perspective,
he added.
“Every year we evolve
and try to make things
better,” Groefsema explained.
“Being a farmer,
you have to learn that
from something you do today
you may not see (benefits
from) for the next
year or two.”
Groefsema said he has
implemented a number of
changes since rejoining
the family operation.
Many are aimed at improving
water penetration
and boosting fertility.
Groefsema said the almond
industry has seen a
number of fundamental
changes.
Water management
practices have evolved
significantly through the
years, he said, resulting in
much more precise watering.
“All of our systems have
soil moisture probes so we
can see exactly what is
going on when we apply
water,” Groefsema told
Mattos Newspapers. “We
know what our demand
should be, based on the
weather, the age of the
trees and the soil.”
Irrigation management
practices are also a component
of the pest control
program in the Groefsema
orchards.
Materials used in orchards
have also evolved,
he noted, creating targeted
pest control as opposed
to a shotgun approach that
kills everything, he explained.
Through such management
practices, Groefsema
said, “we can keep
beneficial insects in our
orchards.”
Even with more tools to
draw from and advances
in the industry, management
techniques and attention
to detail remain
essential to success.
“You can spend a lot of
money applying fertilizer
at the wrong time, and the
tree won’t take it up,” he
said by way of example.
The company also regularly
samples soils.
“Our pH was a little off
balance when I got here,
so we had to build that and
build our calcium levels,”
Groefsema stated.
Those steps are investments
in success that
would not be possible
through cutting corners.
“We can always get better.
We put in more inputs,
and you get out what you
put in,” he emphasized.
The company’s commitment
to quality includes
attention to detail and
placing a premium on taking
the time required to be
effective - without taking
too much time.
Whether it is harvesting
almonds or spraying
orchards, Groefsema remarked,
trying to be too
quick results in damage to
nuts or a spray application
that is not as effective as
it could be.
He is also an advocate
for the almond industry.
“They are high maintenance
but you can only
grow them in California,”
he reflected. “I think we
take a lot of pride in it.
A custom spraying business is part of the operation overseen by Clay Groefsema.
They are pretty trees, and
a healthy product when all
is said and done.”
Advancements have
changed farming capabilities
and management
practices through the
years, but the lessons
of childhood remain as
strongly ingrained as ever
for Groefsema as he goes
about his work.
“Growing up, my dad
would throw me into pruning
crews for the summer.
At the time I wasn’t a fan
of it, but you realize how
much hard work there is
in these labor crews and
what they do day in and
day out,” Groefsema said.
“My grandfather always
said hard work builds
character. You look back
and appreciate those hot
summers.”
PROUDLY SERVING YOU
FOR 70 YEARS!
We are proud to have generations in our family furniture business
serving Turlock and the surrounding towns.
We appreciate your business!
From the entire Woods family to your family we thank you for keeping
our doors open for 70 years.
Darryl Woods with Grandpa Thurman Woods
Original store at 433 E. Main St. (shown with Foster Freeze building)
4918 Taylor Court, Turlock
(corner of W. Taylor & Hwy 99)
www.WoodsFurniture.com • (209) 656-2392
Mon. - Fri. 10am - 7pm • Sat. 10am - 6pm
Mon. Sun. 11am - Sat. 10am - 5pm- 6pm • Sun. Noon - 5pm

4 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
Delgado’s
Welding Shop
has been
serving the
West Side ag
community
for nearly
three decades.
Arnie Delgado,
left, took the
operation over
from his father
Fidencio in
2013.
Welding, fabrication shop helps keep wheels of ag turning
CROWS LANDING -
Farmers and ranchers in
the San Joaquin Valley fuel
the local economy while
helping feed the world.
Behind one of the
world’s most prolific agricultural
producers, however,
is a network of businesses
and service providers
who help keep the
wheels of ag turning.
Among them is a small
Crows Landing welding
shop which traces its roots
back decades.
Delgado’s Welding Shop,
operated by second-generation
owner Arnie Delgado,
is part of that critical
support network serving
farmers and ag-related
processors.
Delgado took over the
operation from his father
Fidencio (who still works
part-time at the shop) in
2013 and has continued
providing the welding and
fabrication services on
which his clients rely.
Family ties to the business
stretch back decades,
to the years when longtime
owner Ken Tyler
had the shop. Fidencio
Delgado worked for Tyler
for about 30 years, his son
explained. The younger
Delgado grew up around
the shop, he related, and
during his youth was able
to try his hand at welding.
“”We used to come and
clean the shop, and (Tyler)
would let us use the welding
machine,” Delgado explained.
“We would make
toys.”
The shop sold to another
owner around 1990,
and then Fidencio Delgado
had the opportunity
to take over the business
two years later. A year or
two later Arnie, who had
been working previously
at Newman Flange, joined
his father in the welding
business.
Throughout the years,
Delgado said, the commitment
to serving the ag
community has continued.
The shop provides a variety
of fabrication services
for its customers as
well as welding, he noted.
“The welding is easy.
When you are fabricating
something you have to
have experience because
when you heat up metal
it tends to pull,” Delgado
explained. “You need to
know all those things.”
He and his father fabricate
parts for a variety of
equipment and machinery,
including tillage implements.
“Sometimes farmers
come in and have old
equipment that they can’t
find a part for. They will
bring it in and we will
make it for them. If they
need it, we make it,” Delgado
stated.
The custom blades
which bean growers attach
to tractors to cut their
bean plants for harvest are
a specialty at the shop.
“My dad is the only one
around here who does the
bean knives,” Delgado explained.
In addition to the shop
work, Delgado will travel
to weld in the field as
needed.
He is available for afterhours
and weekend work
as needed to keep his customers
up and running
- particularly during the
planting and harvest seasons
when farmers are at
their busiest.
“That is when they are
all in a hurry to beat the
weather,” Delgado remarked.
“You cannot compete
with the weather. It
controls everything.”
Delgado took over the
shop during tough times,
he recalled, and farmers
helped him through the
rough patches - sometimes
paying him in advance for
his work.
“All the farmers have
been very supportive,”
Delgado reflected. “I am
grateful for all the customers
we have.”
Michael Passarelli, Agent
Insurance Lic#: 0F22149
1404 Main Street
Newman, CA 95360
Bus: 209-862-3200
1601917
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
State Farm Indemnity Company
Bloomington, IL
State Farm County Mutual Insurance Company of Texas
Dallas, TX
He, in return, strives to
meet their needs.
Satisfied customers,
Delgado shared, are his
greatest reward.
“The thing that motivates
me is when the
farmer comes and you do
the work and they like it,”
he commented. “Helping
people is the motivation.”
Putting you
first made
us #1.
Making your our #1 priority is what’s
made State Farm ® #1* in auto
insurance. I’m here to listen to your
needs and to help life go right.
CALL ME TODAY.
*Based on written premium as reported by SNL Financial 2014.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 5
Walnuts the heart of Jensen farming, processing operation
GUSTINE - Walnuts
have been a staple crop
spanning generations for
one West Side family.
Today the Jensen family,
which traces its local
agricultural roots back to
the early 1900s, is involved
in not only the walnut production
(as well as some
almonds) but walnut hulling,
processing and marketing
as well.
Today, in addition to the
orchards operated by the
family, a state-of-the-art
huller stands on the family’s
original Jensen Road
ranch outside Gustine and
brothers Kirk and Mark
Jensen own Patterson Nut
Company, where walnuts
are taken for processing.
Kirk oversees orchard
production, the huller operation
and the processing
and marketing side of the
family enterprises at Patterson
Nut, while brother
Mark, who is an attorney,
looks after the business
details.
“We have a good partnership
and combination
of skills. I enjoy the production;
my brother covers
the business aspect,”
Kirk shared. “We would
not be able to do what we
do without the combination
that we have.”
Their father, Wilmar
Jensen, remains active
on the ranch and in the
management side of the
operation, and Kirk’s son
Andrew, who is an independent
pest control advisor,
is also involved in the
business.
Farming ties run deep in
the family, Kirk said.
His great-grandfather
settled on the Jensen Road
ranch in 1904, growing
row crops and raising cattle
and chickens.
His grandfather purchased
an adjacent ranch
off Whitworth Road in the
mid-1930s and planted a
small walnut orchard to
complement the row crops
and livestock.
“My grandfather always
had a small huller,”
Kirk related. “In his time,
you poured walnuts in to
the huller by the sack or
bucket.”
He said the family’s
first serious push into
walnuts came in the late
60s or early 1970s when
Wilmar, who is an attorney,
purchased 80 acres of
additional land adjacent to
the ranches purchased by
the prior generations.
“My dad always loved
farming,” Kirk shared.
“He went through college
at a young age and went
into the service at World
War II. When he came
home farming was at a
standstill. That was when
See JENSEN | PAGE 6
Pictured in the new hulling facility at the Jensen ranch are, from left, Kirk Jensen, Wilmar Jensen, Andrew Jensen and foreman Tyler Lemas.
Representing California’s
diverse & dynamic
poultry industry
Bill Mattos, President
Thomas F. DiMare
The DiMare Company
Newman
In Good Taste Catering
Bernadine Medeiros, Owner
Full Service Catering &
Event Planning
209.652.5223
berniem@inreach.com
fully licensed and insured

6 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
JENSEN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
he went to law school. As
soon as he could he bought
his first ranch, and still
loves it.”
The family has pushed
more deeply into trees in
the past 25 years, Kirk
said, and is now “probably
two-thirds walnuts and
one-third trees.”
Kirk introduced almonds
into the overall operation
after purchasing
property between Newman
and Gustine in 1996.
“I like almonds as well,”
he noted. “In these years
when things are a little
tougher you get some balance.”
Kirk Jensen has continued the growth and evolution of a family farming legacy which dates back to the early
1900s.
The only row crops now
grown are those planted
between trees for a few
years until they come into
production, he added.
Kirk said most of the
family’s farming operation
falls under J. Wilmar
Jensen, Inc. “I have some
of my own ranches, we all
have some together, I have
some with my brother,” he
explained.
In the 1990s, the Jensens
branched out by building a
huller on the original family
ranch.
“We kind of outgrew
(his grandfather’s huller)
and outsourced our hulling
through the early 90s. Walnuts
take a lot of care for
quality, and it was something
we wanted to be in
control of so we decided
to build our first huller,”
Kirk explained.
Patterson Nut was
founded in 2001 after Kirk
and Mark Jensen acquired
an existing walnut processing
facility.
“In the last 20 years we
have been pretty serious
about hulling,” Kirk said.
Through much of that
time, the Jensens ran their
crop through the home
ranch huller while using
their Patterson huller for
custom work.
As the industry evolved,
however, the need for a
new huller became evident.
Four years ago, the new
huller built by Kirk, Mark
and Wilmar came into production
- offering more
than twice the capacity
of the two previous, nowretired
hullers combined
while consolidating the operation.
Changing trends and increased
demand for hulling
services drove that
transition.
“There used to be probably
10 varieties of walnuts,
with harvest spread
out from September until
the end of October,” Kirk
explained. “Now there are
predominantly three, that
start Oct. 10 and finish at
the end of October. The
fields are bigger and the
harvesting is faster.
“You can’t pile walnuts
on the ground like almonds.
You have to take
them in and run them that
day,” Kirk told Mattos
Newspapers. “For quality,
there is a timeliness to it.
You can’t say that you will
get to it in a week.”
Walnuts coming into
the plant go through a
process which removes
debris such as leaves and
sticks, then a pre-cleaning
before going through the
huller which removes the
remaining green hull and
washes the nuts. The walnuts
then process through
a pneumatic process called
aspiration which removes
lighter nuts (which lack
fully-developed walnut
meats), are electronically
sorted for defects, undergo
inspection by employees
checking for any defects
not taken out in the
process and are dried for
eight to 24 hours to reach a
specific moisture content.
“As soon as they are
dried they are hauled out
to the processor. At Patterson
they are graded,
fumigated and put into
storage,” Kirk said.
Some will be marketed
as in-shell walnuts, while
others are cracked and
shelled.
“The shelling process
is delicate,” Kirk shared.
“Walnuts were not meant
to be cracked by a machine.
The goal is to get
two halves out of each one,
which is a challenge.”
Quality is emphasized at
every step in the process,
whether it involves walnuts
from the Jensen orchards
or those being processed
for other growers.
“I envisioned being a
neighborhood huller and
processor who people can
put a lot of confidence in,”
said Kirk. “As a farmer
you put a lot of trust in
your processor.”
The vertical integration
of the operation includes
a Jensen Ranch trucking
enterprise, he added.
While the operation has
evolved significantly, Kirk
said he does not see substantial
expansion on the
horizon.
“I don’t have a lot of
desire to be bigger,” he
commented. “I can still be
my own boss and have a
hands-on approach.”
FRANK B. MARKS & SON, INC.
Producers of Rock, Sand & Gravel Products
• NEWMAN •
862-2900
Supplying The
Area For Over
100 Years
Farmers…We Speak Your Language!
Genske,
Mulder & Co.
Certified Public Accountants
Saluting West Side Agriculture
2101 L Street, Newman
862-3760
GARTONTRACTOR.COM
Robert O. Burroughs
Janae Holt
Diane Kerckhove
u
Specializing in
Production Agriculture
4803 Sisk Road, Suite 201, Salida CA 95368
(209) 523-3573

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 7
We Take
OLM SCRIP
Complete Automotive Repair
Oil Change
$
42 75
Plus Tax &
Hazmat
Fee
NOW
SERVICING
ATVs &
Dirt Bikes
24 Point Inspection, Fluid Top Off, Tire Rotation,
Brake Inspection and Little Tree Air Freshener
1996 &
Newer
Smog Check
$
40 75
Plus Certificate
887 N Street (Highway 33) • Newman
(209) 862-2644
HOURS: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm • Saturday 8am-12pm (U-Haul Only)
FREE Wi-Fi & Coffee
While You Wait
Shuttle Service
Available
Fala-se Português
Se Habla Español

8 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
Lara hulling operation expands to meet demand
NEWMAN - A local
farming operation which
takes almonds from orchard
to shelled meats is
undergoing an extensive
renovation to increase capacity
of its rural Newman
processing facility.
The huller is part of
Richard Lara Farms, Inc.,
Paul Lara, left,
and his father
Mike Lara,
pictured at the
rural Newman
hulling
operation of
Richard Lara
Farms, Inc.
which also has about 700
acres of orchards primarily
in the Westley/Patterson
area.
Corporate President
Mike Lara, said he and
three sons also operate a
variety of West Side orchards
that, in addition to
almonds, produce walnuts
and cherries.
“They all farm on their
own as well as working for
me,” he explained.
The family farming
operation, which traces
its heritage back to Mike
Lara’s father Richard and
his brothers, once was
focused on row crops but
in more recent years almonds
have emerged as
the focal point of the operation.
Lara Farms Inc, the predecessor
to Richard Lara
Farms Inc., at one point
operated in Fresno County,
the Newman area and
Westley/Patterson.
The operation began
growing almonds in the
mid-1970s, Lara said, and
in the mid-1980s built the
Stuhr Road huller.
The brothers split into
three separation corporation
around 1993, he said,
and Richard Lara Farms
has owned the huller since.
Lara said he continued
to farm in Fresno County,
but left that area in 2000
due to lack of water, choosing
to concentrate instead
on the huller and farming
operations in the Westley/
Patterson area.
“It was a constant battle.
I couldn’t do it any more,”
he said of the challenging
water shortages in Fresno
County.
Now, he continues as a
grower and processor on
the West Side.
The huller processes
not only almonds grown
on the various Lara farms
but those from other area
producers.
Demand has grown
along with the state’s almond
acreage and production,
Lara told Mattos
Newspapers, and an extensive
renovation under
way this spring will significantly
increase capacity
and efficiency.
The renovation is the
latest chapter in the evolution
of the huller.
One of the biggest
changes to the operation
has been implementation
of digital product tracking.
Each load is issued a
bar code when it comes
across the scale, which allows
processor and grower
to track their product
throughout the process.
At the Lara operation,
the focus is on quickly processing
the product and
shipping it to the buyer.
“We try to store nothing
here. We only do one thing.
We take almonds from
the field product to clean
meats,” Lara commented.
“They are getting shelled
out all the way in one operation.
Ours was one of
the first plants to do it that
way. We will have the capacity
to do in-shell as well
but I am not going to push
for that. There are enough
guys doing in-shell.”
Once processed, the almond
meats are promptly
delivered.
“Ours go straight to
Blue Diamond. Some go
to Stewart & Jasper,” Lara
noted. “We try to deliver in
no more than two weeks.”
In the orchards, water
remains an ongoing challenge.
In response and anticipating
future drought,
See LARA | PAGE 9
John & Florie Nunes
office: 854.6325
mobile: 209.495.1964

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 9
LARA
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
Lara said, he has gone to
planting almonds on root
stock that better tolerates
the saltier water which
farmers must sometimes
turn to from their own
wells when that is the only
supply available.
Almond production
suffered during the last
drought because of the
high salinity water growers
were forced to use, he
pointed out.
“When we have good water
we have good (almond)
quality. When we have
bad water we have shrivel
and other problems,” Lara
stated. “Lower quality
products are much more
difficult to run.”
He strives to maximize
efficiency in his orchards,
relying on probes to monitor
moisture levels and
flying over with a drone to
get a birds-eye view of the
trees.
“You can see the dry
spots, and where the trees
are smaller,” Lara ex-
plained.
Farming is a family affair
for Lara, as three sons
hold management roles in
the operation. Paul Lara
oversees the huller operation.
Jarod Lara manages
the orchards, and Jason
Lara oversees the shop.
Each year, farmers operate
on no small measure
of faith and perseverance
with no promises of what
each harvest will bring in
terms of yield or market
price.
As he looks to 2020, Lara
acknowledges that water
is an ongoing problem but
also expressed optimism.
Weather during the pollination
period was close
to perfect, he said, and
while the market price
might not be at a premium
Lara is optimistic that
global demand will absorb
even a bumper crop.
The pollination period
has given way to spring,
and in a few short months
the huller will be humming
once again as the Lara
crew processes almonds
coming in by the truckload
from West Side orchards.
Workers at the Lara huller near Newman complete a number of projects in the off-season in preparation for the next crop coming in.
WE'RE YOUR TRUSTED INSURANCE SPECIALISTS!
Rico, Pfitzer, Pires
& Associates
Your Local Full-Service
INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENCY
“Committed to Service, Quality and You”
Agricultural &
Commercial Insurance
Worker’s Comp
and more!
Personal Lines
Automobile • Motorcycle
Life • Health
Home • RV, Boat & More
Agricultural • Commercial • Industrial • Business
Workers Compensation • Risk Management
Loss Prevention • OSHA Compliance
GUSTINE
207 5th Street
854-2000
Se Habla Español • Fala-se Português www.rppins.com
Lic. #0499798

10 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
Rose family farming operation evolved with shifting trends
NEWMAN - A local family
farming operation has
evolved with the industry,
shifting in response to new
trends while retaining diversity.
And, a new generation
has joined the operation
started by Mannie Rose, as
sons Brett and Justin have
roles to play as well.
Mannie, a 1978 Orestimba
High graduate, is
also a pest control advisor
who works for Mid-Valley
Agricultural Services in
addition to looking after
his family’s fields and orchards.
Brett came on board after
completing his studies
at Fresno State in 2018. In
addition to working on the
family farm, he operates a
custom spraying operation
which started while he was
in college.
“I always had the dream
of starting my own spray
business and coming back
and growing the family
farm,” Brett remarked.
Justin, who completed
his studies at Fresno State
in 2016, is currently an
agronomist with a bio-nutrient
company and is also
participating in the 2020
almond leadership program
sponsored by the Almond
Board of California.
Justin also helps out with
the overall direction and
management of the Rose
family operation, providing
recommendations on
matters ranging from fertilization
and pruning to
planting styles.
Mannie acknowledged
that his sons have introduced
new ideas and
practices to the farming
operation....”things that
weren’t taught 20 and 30
years ago that are now
common technology.”
Those advancements, he
added, include use of GPS,
See ROSE | PAGE 11
Pictured in their Upper Road almond orchard are, from left, Brett, Mannie and Justin Rose.
Pioneer
DRUG STORES
Your Hometown Pharmacy!
Easy Prescription Transfers and
Speedy, Friendly Service
NEWMAN
1261 Main Street
862-2955
2 Convenient
Locations to
Serve You!
GUSTINE
397 5th Street
854-1007
■ DELIVERY
■ MOST INSURANCE ACCEPTED
■ LARGE SELECTION OF GIFTS
■ UTILITY PAY STATION
Visit us at pioneerdrugrx.com and check out our new smartphone apps!

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 11
Merced County
crop values fall
slightly in ‘18
Merced County farmers
and ranchers produced
commodities valued at
$3.25 billion in 2018, continuing
a series of declines
which followed a record
year in 2014.
According to the 2018
county report on agriculture,
the most recent year
available, the decline reflected
softening prices
for ag commodities.
The value of the county’s
ag commodities skyrocketed
to $4.4 billion in 2014,
but has declined each year
since - most drastically in
2015, when the crop values
were placed at $3.6 billion.
Since that time, the crop
value has declined by approximately
$100 million
annually.
The report reflects
gross farm commodity
values and do not take into
account production costs.
Net income to the producer
is not reflected.
Milk continued to be
the driving force in the
county’s ag economy by a
wide margin. The value of
milk produced in Merced
County in 2018 was $991
million, more than double
the $453 million value of
almonds, the county’s second-leading
commodity.
The ranking of the top
six commodities remained
unchanged from 2017. Following
are the top 15 commodities,
their value and
their change in ranking
from 2017 to 2018.
1) Milk, $991 million (no
change)
2) Almonds, $453 million
(no change)
3) Chickens, $357 million
(no change)
4) Cattle and calves,
$250 million (no change)
5) Sweet potatoes, $215
million (no change)
6) Tomatoes, $118 million
(no change)
7) Corn silage, $111 million
(up one place)
8) Hay, $85 million
(down one place)
9) Eggs, $76 million (no
change)
10) Nursery products,
$72 million (no change)
11) Cotton, $68 million
(up two places)
12) Wine grapes, $51
million (no change)
13) Miscellaneous vegetables,
$47 million (down
two places)
14) Turkeys, $43 million
(no change)
15) Silage, $37 million
(up one place)
ROSE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
automated irrigation
systems and more.
“(Farming) is a lot
more efficient now,”
Mannie said.
Mannie was raised on
his family’s Upper Road
ranch. After graduating
Orestimba he went
on to study plant science
for two years at
Modesto Junior College,
got his pest control
advisor license upon
completion in 1980 and
went to work for Cerutti
Brothers. He worked
for Cerutti for 11 years,
and shifted over to Mid-
Valley Agricultural Services.
He also established
his own farming operation,
which his sons
grew up around.
“We started farming
in 1980, little fields here
and there,” Mannie explained.
Eight years later,
he purchased what is
now his home ranch on
Sanches Road as the
operation continued to
evolve.
Initially Rose grew
silage corn, alfalfa and
green beans.
Demand for green
beans dried up when
freezer plants closed,
he said, but the operation
stayed with silage
corn and alfalfa, growing
commodities needed
by the dairy industry.
The evolution continued,
and has now shifted
to include almonds
(which were put in six
years ago) and grain
corn as well as some alfalfa
and wheat.
Mannie said the family’s
almond acreage
will increase as another
block of land transitions
to orchards.
“A lot of row crops
are not economic to
grow any more,” he explained.
Through his work as
a pest control advisor,
he was already wellversed
in almond production
when planting
his own trees for the
first time.
“We had the opportunity
to get into it, and
so far it has been good,”
Mannie said.
While California agriculture
faces a number
of challenges, the Roses
said, they are optimistic
about the future of the
industry.
“There are so many
varieties of crops
(grown) here that other
places can’t,” Brett
said. “It seems like
there will always be a
need for agriculture in
California.”
J HEARTS FINANCIAL
940 Fresno St. & Main, Newman
Established 2010
Joanne Souza, Owner • CRTP/Notary Public
TAX, BOOKKEEPING
AND NOTARY
209.303.2150
Mon.-Fri. 10 am-6 pm / Sat.-Sun. by Appt.
Se Habla Español
940 Fresno St. & Main, Newman
Joanne Souza, Owner • CRTP/Notary Public
SCHUT INSURANCE SERVICES
Evan Schut • Collin Schut
Have Insurance Questions? We Have the Answers!
22 N. 3rd Street, Patterson
LICENSE # 0C01387
209-892-6226
VALLEY
Real Estate Sales, Inc.
For All Your Real Estate Needs!
Residential • Commerical • Agricultural • Property Management
209.854.1000 267 5th St. • Gustine, CA 95322

12 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
Stewart & Jasper
A family run business since 1948 and located in California’s
Central Valley, our philosophy is to give our customers the finest
quality products by controlling every aspect of production, from
the Orchard to the Marketplace - from the ground up.
We specialize in gourmet California almond products for
every occasion including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries,
corporate gifts, welcome bags, VIP gifts and so much more.
Stanislaus County ag values
fell 2 percent in 2018
Stanislaus County farmers
and ranchers produced
agricultural commodities
valued at $3.5 million in
2018, a decline of 2 percent
from the 2017 value
of $3.6 million.
The values of ag commodities
for 2018, the most
recent year for which data
was available, are outlined
in the annual report issued
by the county’s agricultural
commissioner.
A number of factors impacted
the report.
Poultry remained a
strong industry in Stanislaus
County, with chicken
values increasing $22
million. Almond values
climbed by $51 million -
gains which were largely
attributed to an additional
8,496 acres of the increasingly-popular
crop being
harvested.
Those increases, however,
were more than offset
by decreases in walnut
values attributed to global
competition, fewer nursery
products sold than
in the previous year, depressed
milk prices and
the fluctuation of turkey
production within the
county.
The overall number of
acres harvested in Stanislaus
County fell by
28,623 as a result of a
sharp reduction in silage
acres harvested. As dairies
close, the crop report
stated, many silage acres
are being planted in almonds
orchards which
have yet to bear crops.
The top 10 agricultural
commodities in Stanislaus
County were as follows.
1) Almonds, $1.1 billion
2) Milk, $636 million
3) Chickens, $276 million
4) Cattle and calves,
$237 million
5) Nursery products,
fruit/nut trees, $170 million
6) Silage, $136 million
7) Walnuts, $103 million
8) Almond pollination,
$76 million
9) Turkeys, $64 million
10) Peaches, $57 million
Classifieds
Get The Job Done!
Call 862-2222 To Place Your Ad Today!
Proudly Supporting West Side Agriculture
Proud to be a part of
the West Side’s rich
agricultural history
Newman Company Store
3500 Shiells Road
phone: 209-862-0555
1-877-ALMOND-8
Modesto Company Store
1700 McHenry Ave., Suite 58
phone: 209-577-NUTS (6887)
Patterson Company Store
2985 Renzo Lane, Suite D
phone: 209-895-9463
follow us on social media
Mello Trucking, Inc.
209.988.8178

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 13
Immigration, water issues at forefront for valley ag
As a third-generation
farmer and member of
Congress for the past 15
years, I work every day to
support California agriculture.
Our farmers, ranchers
and dairymen and
women do an incredible
job to create an abundance
of the healthiest food produced
in the world for
America’s dinner tables.
Ag and water issues are
their top priorities. Top
among them are creating a
steady, skilled workforce
and building a reliable
water supply. Let’s take a
closer look at the progress
we’ve made the past year.
Labor
In California, it is estimated
that nearly 60 percent
of our 420,000 farm
workers are undocumented.
The Farm Workforce
Modernization Act, which
I helped introduce last
year - and which has already
passed in the House
of Representatives with
JIM COSTA
strong bipartisan support
- will help these workers
gain legal status provided
they meet certain requirements.
It will also reform the
current H-2A guest worker
program to provide
more flexibility for employers,
while ensuring
critical protections for
workers. It also establishes
mandatory, nationwide
E-verify system for all
agricultural employment
with guaranteed due process
for authorized workers
who are incorrectly
rejected by the system.
The Farm Workforce Modernization
Act is one step
toward fixing a broken
immigration system and
will help build a legal and
reliable workforce, for
seasonal and permanent
farm workers. I am working
with my colleagues to
build a bipartisan coalition
in the U.S. Senate to finalize
this legislation so it can
be sent to the President.
If passed, it would be the
first immigration legislation
to become law since
the Immigration and Reform
Control Act of 1986.
This bill is good for farmers,
farm workers and
American agriculture. Not
only is it long overdue, it’s
the right thing to do.
Water
Fixing our aging water
infrastructure is no less
critical nor easy to do. Our
canals are decades old and
showing their age. We also
need to increase our water
supply by using all the
tools in our water toolbox.
Last month, I introduced
The Conveyance Capacity
Correction Act, a bill that
would provide $400 million
dollars to complete repairs
to the Delta-Mendota Canal
and the California Aqueduct.
Built in 1951 and
1963, both canals are vital
but aging pieces of infrastructure
responsible for
carrying water supplies
to residents and farming
communities of the central
San Joaquin Valley. This
bill works in tandem with
others I helped introduce
this year:
• The Move Water Now
Act, which helps fund necessary
repairs to the Friant-Kern
Canal. This canal
- and those mentioned
above - have been damaged
by dramatic sinking
ground levels and their capacity
to move water has
been greatly diminished.
These two bills will form
part of a financing package
along with state and
local resources to repair
these vital canals.
• The SAVE Water Resources
Act, which addresses
the ongoing challenges
our valley faces
in securing water for our
farmers. By implementing
competitive financing
programs and funding infrastructure
projects, this
legislation would lay important
groundwork for
further efforts to expand
our valley’s water supply.
Fourteen million dollars in
funding has already been
appropriated to help tackle
this issue.
• The Nutria Eradication
and Control Act, which
reauthorizes funding to
eradicate and control the
population growth of nutria
in California. Nutria
are an invasive species
that present significant issues
for our way of life in
the valley. They plague our
waterways by destroying
wetlands and undermining
our canals and levees, in
turn cause flooding that
can have devastating effects
for our farmers.
I have also been actively
working with state
and federal officials on a
deal that would create a
reliable water supply for
farmers and clean drinking
water for our communities.
The success of agriculture
operations in California
depends of hundreds of
thousands of skilled workers,
and the availability of
a clean and reliable supply
of water is the foundation
of our valley economy.
I will fight to see that all
four of these bills are
signed into law. We need
to invest in our water infrastructure
and fix our
broken immigration system
now! California’s future
depends on it
Jim Costa represents
California’s 16th District
in the United States House
of Representatives.
JOIN OUR TEAM
Saputo Dairy Foods in Gustine is hiring for multiple positions!
To view all open positions and apply, please visit
http://www.saputo.com/en/Careers

14 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
State government needs
to work with farmers,
not against them
Farmers have no end of
worries: Will it rain too little?
Will it rain too much?
What is ailing the bees?
Will the price of nuts be
high enough to cover my
costs?
State government can’t
do much to alleviate such
worries. But we shouldn’t
be increasing them by piling
more regulations and
reporting burdens onto the
backs of farmers.
Start with trucks. You’ll
find them on every farm.
Under a 2014 law, diesel
trucks made before 2010
are supposed to be removed
by 2023. Most of
the gross polluters are big
rigs used to haul goods
up and down California’s
highways. Since only a
relative few big trucks are
used in farming, farmers
were given limited exemptions.
A 2018 lawsuit forced
the state to alter its rules
for granting those exemptions.
Now, relatively small
diesel trucks – including
many pick-ups – fall under
the state’s stricter rules.
So a farmer who bought a
one-and-a-half-ton truck in
2009 to haul farm equipment
from one orchard to
the next will have to replace
it. Never mind that
she might use that truck
only six or seven times
a year or that it rarely
leaves the farm; it’s got to
go.
For keeping an infinitesimally
small amount of
carbon out of the air, the
small farmer will pay an
enormous cost - $80,000 to
$100,000.
That’s nothing compared
to the threat of lawsuits.
Farmers are not secretive,
especially with each other.
Sharing information about
what works (and what
doesn’t) is an essential
part of neighbors helping
neighbors. For example,
when farmers began applying
fertilizer through
ADAM GRAY
drip and micro-irrigation
systems – now it’s called
fertigation – they shared
their methods and now it’s
common practice.
Farmers are required
to share how much fertilizer,
like nitrogen, they
use with their local Farm
Bureau. Nitrogen helps
plants grow and increases
yields, but using too much
allows it to seep through
the root zone and into the
groundwater below. The
bureau compares yield
to use, and if a particular
farmer is using too much,
they are asked to explain.
Fertilizer is expensive, so
most farmers are amenable
to learning about better
methods.
In my district, farmers
meet annually to discuss
practices, problems
and solutions. Earlier this
month, some 3,000 farmers,
mostly from District
21, got together to share
information.
Now, other entities are
insisting this specific
farming data should be
public, making it available
to people who don’t
understand farming or
who don’t like it. Such
people could use that data
to sue individual farmers
for using more fertilizer
than they deem necessary.
Big, corporate farms -
still rare in my district -
have experts to deal with
all the regulations and reporting
requirements imposed
by the state. Small
farmers have only themselves.
Sadly, these requirements
are driving many
small farmers to sell out
and move on. Often, the
buyers of their farms are
large corporations.
As my friend Wayne
Zipser, executive director
of the Stanislaus County
Farm Bureau, told me,
“We’re seeing consolidation
of farms and dairies,
and a lot of it has to do
with regulations. The little
guy has to do all this reporting
and replacing of
equipment, but that little
guy needs to be out on a
tractor.”
Virtually everyone in
my district knows a farmer.
We trust them to farm
in safe and sustainable
ways. Why? Because it’s
in their best interest - and
ours.
Farmers in the Northern
San Joaquin Valley
produce food we can trust,
food we all want to eat.
Worries over water, bees
and fees are enough for
them to deal with.
At some point, piling
more regulations, rules
and reporting requirements
onto their proverbial
plates will mean taking
food off ours.
Adam Gray represents
the 21st Assembly District,
which includes all of Merced
and part of Stanislaus
counties.
Classifieds
Get The Job Done!
Call 862-2222 To Place Your Ad Today!
Walnut Grower, Huller and Processor
Serving the West Side with Quality and Integrity
Thanks to Our Growers for Your Continued Support
Contact Kirk Jensen for Information
16801 Highway 33
Patterson, CA 95363
209/892-3458 • 209/892-5036 FAX
kirk@pattersonnut.com
Superior
TRUCK LINES, INC.
Proud to be a part of the
West Side Ag Economy!
Main Office (209) 862-9430
Turlock Office/Yard (209) 669-6931
Lemoore Office/Yard (559) 924-6418
Tulare Office/Yard (559) 684-1969

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 15
Giving farmers a voice in Washington on critical issues
Anyone who eats food
should care about our
farmers. But not enough
do. People in Washington
can’t see beyond their dinner
plate and have no idea
where their food comes
from. Our farmers deserve
respect and support
from everyone – especially
our elected officials.
I fought to serve on the
Agriculture Committee in
Congress because farming
is the lifeblood of our
local economy here in the
Valley. It is also a key part
of who we are – and it has
been ever since my greatgreat-grandfather
came to
Manteca to farm peaches
in the 1850s.
My job is to be a megaphone
for our valley farmers’
concerns and a bulldog
for their interests. Not
enough is getting done out
there in Washington, but
I’m proud to have notched
several important accomplishments
on behalf of
the men and women who
grow food to feed America
You can’t talk about
agriculture in California
without talking about water.
Everyone knows we
just came off the worst
drought in the state’s history
– and with a recordlow
rainfall for most of
California in February,
it is more important than
ever that we grow and
secure our water supply.
JOSH HARDER
Enough with the fighting,
we need real results.
That’s why the very first
bill I introduced was a bipartisan
solution that is
already gaining traction
in Congress - even in the
midst of the partisan chaos
in D.C. The SAVE Water
Resources Act would
make key investments in
our water infrastructure
and support important scientific
advancements that
will help our farmers have
the water they need to do
their jobs.
My bill would increase
water storage here in the
valley and help farmers
prepare for the stringent
demands in the state’s
groundwater management
law. It would also invest
millions of dollars in our
aging water infrastructure
to help us prepare for
droughts. Finally, it would
provide incentives for the
development of privatesector
technology to cut
evaporation in our reservoirs
and help Southern
California develop desalination
technology so they
don’t have to steal our water.
My bill has support from
local elected officials of
both parties. And we even
had the Stanislaus County
Farm Bureau celebrating
the bill’s announcement
– next to representatives
from the Sierra Club. We
focused on projects and
policies that will help us
move forward without all
the fighting.
It also names four projects
here in the valley and
statewide that support
our water supply, the Del
Puerto Canyon Reservoir,
the North Valley Regional
Recycled Water Program,
Sites Reservoir, and Los
Vaqueros. It has already
received a hearing and has
broad bipartisan support. I
am proud we’ve worked to
bring the first new federal
funding to our area for a
water storage project in
50 years. We got $14 million
in the federal budget
for the four projects in my
bill. Combined, they will
increase our water storage
capacity by about two million
acre-feet. That’s how
much storage we’re short.
Droughts aren’t the only
threat to our water infrastructure.
Some farmers
have noticed a furry invader
who threatens our
levies and canals – the
nutria – a giant swamp
rat from South America.
Nutria were first spot-
ted in 2017 and since then
nearly 100,000 have been
removed from an area between
the Delta and Merced
County.
These things are a menace.
They threaten our
water infrastructure but
can also eat the roots of
almond trees and destroy
our native wetlands. I
worked with Louisiana Republican
Garret Graves to
pass a bipartisan bill that
will provide the federal
support California farmers
need to get rid of these
pests. The program we’re
bringing back worked
wonders for Maryland –
and we hope it can do the
same for our farmers in
California.
But water infrastructure
(and the critters threatening
it) aren’t the only
concern for our farmers.
I also hear from people
concerned about trade. I
was proud to support the
bipartisan United States-
Mexico-Canada Agreement
(USMCA) last year.
thank you farmers...
When some people balked
at the deal, I pushed for
it to be brought up for a
vote. My community needed
it, plain and simple.
The agreement will give
valley farmers access and
certainty when it comes to
selling their products to
our trade partners to the
north and south. This bipartisan
deal also protects
American workers from
having their jobs shipped
overseas. It should be the
template for how we do all
of our other trade deals
moving forward. Next,
we’re focused on trade
deals with China and India
especially.
The other major issue
I hear about is access to
labor – which is why I supported
the passage of the
first bipartisan immigration
bill the House of Representatives
has passed in
decades. The bill would
give our farmers the guaranteed
source of farm labor
they need to work the
fields. I heard way too often
about dairy farms that
were struggling because
they didn’t have the labor
they needed. This bill
would fix that.
My mission in Washington
is to work with folks
on both sides of the aisle
to get things done. And
it’s working. I also want to
hear your ideas for how we
can improve federal policy
to help your business. And
my office is always here
to help if you’re having an
issue with the USDA or
any other federal agency.
Give me a call in Modesto
at 209-579-5458 if you need
help.
Thank you to all our
farmers for feeding our
country. We couldn’t do
anything else without your
efforts.
Josh Harder represents
the 10th District of California
in the United States
House of Representatives.
Supporting Our West Side
Agricultural Community
1. Have something new to talk
about at the water cooler.
2. Unlike television, you won’t
miss a word.
3. Keep up on the local Sports
and School Districts.
4. Follow the City Government.
5. Get the 411 on the coming events
on the West Side.
Want more reasons? Visit our
website, and find countless other
reasons to read!
www.westsideconnect.com
mattos
newspapers, inc.
1021 Fresno Street - Newman 209.862.2222
For ALL of Your Mortgage Needs!
NEW! Rural Ag Hobby Loans, 5-160 Ac. with Residence
• Refinances and Purchases
• Buyers Agents/Sellers Agents:
Protect Your Transaction Safe
Guard Commitment with minimum
$15,000 assurance 15 day close
• Conventional & USDA: FICO as
low as 620
• FHA & VA: FICO as low as 580
• Down Payment Assistance:
7 programs to fit your needs.
Minimum FICO 620
• Self Employed: 12 month Bank
Statement Program
Susan “V” Faustino
Mortgage Loan Officer - NMLS ID 269245
Office: (209) 862-1717
Cell: (209) 678-2838
sfaustino@amerifirst.us
1300 Main Street • Newman
1560 Fulkerth Road • Turlock
907 6th Street • Los Banos
AmeriFirst Financial, Inc., 1550 E. McKellips Road, Suite 117, Mesa, AZ 85203 (NMLS # 145368). 1-877-276-1974. Copyright 2018. All Rights Reserved. This
is not an offer to enter into an agreement. Not all customers will qualify. Information, rates, and programs are subject to change without prior notice. All products
are subject to credit and property approval. Not all products are available in all states or for all loan amounts. Other restrictions and limitations apply. AZ: Arizona
Mortgage Banker License No. BK0013635; CA: Licensed by The Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; CO:
Regulated by the Division of Real Estate; GA: Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee; NJ: Licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance; WA:
Washington Consumer Loan Company License No. CL-145368.
your hard work and dedication bring fresh,
healthy foods to our tables all year long!
Manuel Canga, M.D.
general & Family Medicine
1248 Main Street, Suite D • Newman

®
16 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
Merced County Farm
Bureau continues proud
tradition of giving back
to community
Merced County Farm
Bureau has a proud history
of giving back to our
local communities through
various donations, participation
in local field days
and scholarship programs.
This year has been no different
and our “Salute
to Ag” is to focus on the
deserving students and
teachers that have worked
hard to achieve successes
in our agricultural community.
Each year, Merced
County Farm Bureau
(MCFB) awards a host of
scholarships to high school
seniors who are continuing
their education in an
BREANNE RAMOS
agriculturally-related
field. This year, we were
able to award 15 scholarships
totaling $11,750. Two
of these students are from
Gustine FFA – seniors
Aubrie Hazan and Madison
Woods. Aubrie has
been very active in various
programs in the community
and Gustine High
School. She plans to attend
Modesto Junior College
and study animal science.
Madison has also been
active in the community
and the California Junior
Livestock Association. She
plans to study agriculture
business and attend Texas
Tech University.
Other students who received
a MCFB scholarship
are Michael Bray and
Hayley Vargas of Atwater
FFA, Haven Christy
of Delhi FFA, Katherine
Horal and Madilyn Slate of
Golden Valley FFA, Isabel
See RAMOS | PAGE 17
Saluting
West Side
agriculture
We would like to acknowledge our
local farmers and their families for
the tough job they do, and the many
contributions they make in improving
the quality of our lives.
ACME ELECTRIC CO.
“Let us check your shorts”
Buster Lucas, Owner
1025 S. KILROY, TURLOCK 667-2851
SERVING THE CENTRAL VALLEY & MOTHER LODE AREAS
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1938
Modesto • Oakdale • Sonora • Newman • Atwater

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 17
YFC General Ad 2014_Layout 1 3/11/14 9:46 AM Page 1
RAMOS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
Patterson of Hilmar FFA,
Gabrielle Mix of Le Grand
FFA, Jennifer Guadalupe
Garcia of Livingston FFA,
Emmanuel Marquez Yanez
and Megan Ebner of Los
Banos FFA, Oscar Torres
of Merced FFA, Joshua
Simas of Pacheco FFA
and Alyssa Vander Woude
of Stone Ridge Christian
FFA.
Merced County Farm
Bureau has long been the
holders of funds generated
for the Farm Workers
Children’s Scholarship.
The committee felt
two students were deserving
of this award. Andrea
Esquivel of Stone Ridge
High School and Kristopher
Jimenez of Pacheco
High School were each
awarded $500 for their
college endeavors. In addition,
our Young Farmers
and Ranchers (YF&R)
awarded two scholarships
each totaling $250 to Paola
Ramirez and Oscar Torres.
Paola is attending
Merced College and Oscar
is an FFA student at Merced
High School.
The Arthur R. Nutcher
Scholarship rounds
Buy and sell just about anything.
www.westsideconnect.com • 209.862.2222
out the scholarships that
were awarded this year.
Selected by the Nutcher
Family in remembrance
of Art, four students were
awarded a scholarship to
continue their education.
In total, the family awarded
$6,000 at various levels
to Michael Bray, Antonio
Puente, Emmanuel Marquez
Yanez and Andrea
Esquivel.
Merced County Farm
Bureau unveiled a new
program this year for
teachers in grade levels
TK-6 called Rooted in Ag-
See RAMOS | PAGE 18
For All Your Ag Banking
Needs, Stop By One of
Our Convenient
Branch Locations,
or Give Us A Call:
MODESTO
209-527-1900
•
TURLOCK
209-668-3522
•
MERCED
209-383-1116
•
PATTERSON
209-892-6136
•
LOS BANOS
209-827-3885
•
OAKDALE
209-847-7021
HELPING OUR
MEMBERS PROSPER
SINCE 1916!
J E N S E N
&
J E N S E N
A T T O R N E Y S
“Meeting The Needs of West Side
“Meeting The Needs of West Side
Farmers and Dairymen Since 1952”
Farmers and Since 1952”
J. Wilmar Jensen • Mark R. Jensen
J. Wilmar Jensen • Mark R. Jensen
General Civil Practice Emphasizing
GENERAL
• Farm
CIVIL
& Ranch
PRACTICE
Law
EMPHASIZING:
• Estate Planning & Probate
• Business & Corporate Law
• Farm Ranch Law
• Real Estate Law
• Estate Planning & Probate
• Business & Corporate Law
• Real Estate Law
1031 Fresno Street, Newman • (209) 862-2846
WE SALUTE THE WEST SIDE’S
AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY!
We Buy, Sell and Repair Pallets
• PICKUP & DELIVERY •
2138 L Street, Newman • 862-3941

18 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
RAMOS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
riculture. This program
replaces our Teacher Appreciation
Night that we
held for approximately
five years. Rooted in Agriculture
allows teachers
to document an agriculture
lesson and submit it
to our organization for a
potential award. The program
was established to
reward teachers who have
engaged their students in
an agriculture activity.
Teachers can use materials
from Ag in the Classroom,
California Milk Advisory
Board, their school
garden, etc. All we ask is
that they document the
lesson and turn it in for
potential credit.
The program is set to
present one teacher a
$500 award that they can
use for school supplies, a
field trip, etc. Our committee
was so impressed
with the applications that
they awarded three $500
awards to teachers of R.
M. Maino Elementary (Los
Banos), Shaffer Elementary
(Atwater) and Winton
Elementary (Winton). Sergio
De Alba of R. M. Maino
provided students with a
multi-faceted lesson plan
of a family farm business
where students learned
to manage their money,
the necessities of various
crops such as citrus and
table grapes and development
of a business plan.
Cristen Cornaggia of
Shaffer Elementary focused
on math and how it
relates to a dairy operation.
She was able to tie
in calculation scenarios
involving nutrition and
vaccination needs. Kate
Murphy of Winton Elementary
School had students
research robotics in
agriculture. Students were
asked to select a robotic
component in farming, research
the advances and
then market it to their fellow
students.
We want to thank the
students and teachers for
applying as we appreciate
their time and dedication
to agriculture. If you have
questions about the above
or have an issue you’d like
to discuss with our office,
we always welcome the
opportunity to engage the
community.
Breanne Ramos is the
executive director of Merced
County Farm Bureau,
a non-profit, grassroots,
non-governmental organization
that advocates
for farmers, ranchers
and dairy families that
live and/or work in Merced
County. She can be
reached at (209)723-3001
or by email at bramos@
mercedfarmbureau.org.
C E L E B R A T I N G
51
Years
First Time Customer
Have you been told you
need a new furnace? *
Before you buy, call Wally Falke’s
Combined Rebates UP for TO a FREE 2nd opinion
on new Equipment
$ 2,800 *
*Exclusions Apply, OAC
Get an honest opinion on all your repair &
replacement options from the valley’s most
trusted name in heating & air conditioning
Lic # 312288
TUNE-UP
SPECIAL
$
19 69
WHY? Save $$$
Heating & Air Conditioning
it’s time to get comfortable
WallyFalkes.com
209-632-7596 800-722-1611
209-632-7596 • 800-722-1611
Financial solutions
to help agricultural
businesses grow.
Tri Counties Bank offers a come-to-you style of
service and customized solutions designed to help
your business thrive. Your dedicated Relationship
Manager, along with a team of specialists, will
construct a custom portfolio tailored specifically for
you. It’s all part of a unique brand of banking we call
Service With Solutions ® .
Agricultural Financing
Treasury Management Solutions
Commercial Financing & Real Estate Loans
Equipment Loans & Leases
76 branches throughout Northern and Central California,
with locations in Modesto, Turlock, Gustine and Patterson.
Scott Myers, V.P. Commercial Relationship Manager
(209) 605-1485
Debbie Lopes, Gustine Branch Manager
(209) 854-3761
(209) 854-3761 | TriCountiesBank.com
Member FDIC

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 19

20 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
THOMPSON
Highway 33 at Sperry
Patterson
892-3311
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1965
$
3,000
FOR
TRUCKS
PUSH IT,
PULL IT,
DRAG IT IN!
• Trade must be titled in buyer’s name
• Must have current registration or non-op
• One trade per transaction
• 1999 or newer
• Offer expires March 31, 2020
CASH FOR
CLUNKERS
AND
TRUCK
ROUND-UP
$
2,000
FOR
CARS
Thompson Chevrolet-Buick GMC is Everywhere!
FOLLOW US! Mobile • Web • 24/7
thompsonchevrolet.com • facebook.com/thompsonchevrolet