By John Moore, President, Kern County Farm Bureau
Every late April to early May marks the commencement of the south valley’s row crop harvest season. Early row crop production begins its dirty and (hopefully) productive spring/summer and can be viewed as both stressful and exhilarating. It’s the time of year when one needs to be careful going from field harvest in the morning to meetings in the afternoon. I’d be lying if I said that after a morning of filling orders I haven’t found dirt and vines from the blower on a potato harvester stuck in my hair and scattered over my desk and keyboard. At the same time, heat units start accumulating and the permanent crops require added attention. It’s one of the best times of the year. It’s the time to get back to the basics.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the minutia of items surrounding farming. The constant battles with predatory legislation, drought designations, and the rest can monopolize one’s thinking. Frankly, these justifiably distractable items can potentially create a jaded class of farmers and even lead hesitation in growth or liquidation of assets. Understandably so. When this happens, that’s when it pays to be able to jump in a vehicle and drive a ranch or watch a machine harvest a product that will feed families and friends the world over. It also pays to get dirty and remind ourselves that maybe this generation carries some of the same traits of our predecessors. I will not go as far to say that this generation is as tough as previous generations (we are UNDOUBTEDLY not as tough), but there is still a little part of us in agriculture that itches to be outside, in the dirt, breaking a sweat, and feeling the hot summer sun our face. After all, this farmer tan isn’t going to establish itself.
So today we can be thankful for the basics. We can be thankful for the hot summer sun at our backs, dirt under our fingernails, mud caked boots and foliage in our hair and hats. Happy Harvest to all who have begun reaping their bounty, and good luck to those who are gearing up for another great season.
In other news, like so many Californians, our Administrator, Colleen Taber, has made the move to Texas to support her family during what was a complete and prolonged shutdown in California. Colleen was only with the Kern County Farm Bureau for a little over one year, but she did great work dealing with a hectic COVID situation and managing the organization to the benefit of the membership. The Board of Directors thanks Colleen on a job well done and wishes her well in the Lonestar State.
With endings come new begins, and the Board of Director’s would like to welcome on our new staff lead, Romeo Agbalog, as the Executive Director of the Kern County Farm Bureau. We are thrilled to have Romeo join the KCFB Team and we look forward to watching him take the organization in to the next level. Romeo comes with extensive experience and we have no doubt that he will represent all of us farmers and ranchers in the industry to the best of his ability. Congratulations and welcome, Romeo!
