And Now To Give Thanks for the Produce Industry
November 24, 2020 Thanksgiving will be special this year. That might seem like an odd sentiment, considering how 2020 is generally considered to be just about the worst year anyone can remember, not one for which to be thankful. But perhaps we should just all be thankful for nothing more than the fact that, if Thanksgiving is here, the end of 2020 can’t be far.
2020 has been such a lousy year that those of us who made it through relatively unscathed should indeed be thankful. It’s a low bar, for sure. If you didn’t contract COVID-19, that alone was cause for giving thanks. Here in California, Thanksgiving is aptly timed, occurring as it does at the beginning of the rainy season. That is supposed to be the end of fire season — or was before our climate started to get out of whack. This year we will be very thankful indeed if the fire season ends in November, as it has been deadly.
But really, there is so much more to be thankful for, especially for those of us lucky enough to be in the fruit industry. In preparing a special report on the nursery business for this issue, I couldn’t help but be struck by the comments of some of the nursery folks.
I’ve been writing about business for decades, and until a few weeks ago, I can’t recall interviewing someone who mentioned another company’s products. Or I should say, someone who mentioned another company’s products favorably. I’ve encountered more than a few businesspeople — most of them before I began specializing in ag a couple decades ago — who seem to delight in running down the competition. The fact that more than one of the nursery representatives mentioned their competitors’ products positively is noteworthy.
Specifically, I’m referring to California nurseries that sell nuts, almonds in particular. Through the years, breeders have developed self-fruitful varieties, notably ‘Independence’ and ‘Shasta’. These varieties have some real benefits in not only pollination, which might be expected, but ease of harvest, etc. I mention those two varieties because they are the only commercially available that are self-fertile, from Dave Wilson Nursery and Burchell Nursery, respectively, so it’s not like they are state secrets.
In other words, it’s not that their competitors aren’t saying anything commonly known in the industry. What’s remarkable is that they would be so casually positive in their responses. When most people get the ear of a business writer, they don’t often spend any time talking about their competitors, much less favorably.
Admittedly, the fruit/nut tree business is quite specialized, and most of the companies are long-established and family-owned, leading to an unusual collegial atmosphere. Whatever the reason, in the main, they’re a pleasure with which to do business.
Nursery folks, thankfully, are just one example of the many refreshing people you meet in the fruit business, compared to so many industries. Case in point: Avoid talking to an airline executive about that sticky business. Or could you imagine working in politics right about now?
Anyway, those of us in the fruit business are fortunate because there seems to be a certain moral code, a dedication to honesty you don’t find everywhere else. Because work consumes such a huge portion of our lives, that’s a pretty big thing to be thankful for right there. But let’s be honest, we’re all most thankful to be getting rid of 2020.
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