From the Fields - Kulwant Johl

By Kulwant Johl, Yuba County tree crop farmer

Everything is late this year. Cling peach harvest started about two weeks late. We started harvest last week. It’s going well. The fruit in some varieties is a little small this year because of the weather and the hot days we had. When the temperature goes up to 95 or 100 degrees, they just stop growing.

July and August are really busy, and we will stay busy until the end of October. We are getting ready to harvest prunes and almonds in August. They will both be about two weeks late, too. Peach harvest will go into September. Walnut harvest will probably start the first week of October.

So far, we have plenty of labor. Most other growers use farm labor contractors. I personally don’t. I have my own guys—about 40 people—who work almost year-round for me. During harvest, they bring their families.

The price for cling peaches is very good this year. The (California Canning Peach Association) does a good job negotiating a price. Last year’s price was good, too.

The prices for nuts are really bad. As a farmer, you always look at the market and see this crop or that crop is not doing too well; the future doesn’t look very good, so let’s change and go into something else.

My grandfather started farming here in 1924. I got involved right after college, in the 1970s, and I’ve been doing it since then. About 10 or 15 years ago, all I had were peaches and prunes. At the time, nut crops were doing well, so we got into almonds and walnuts. Almond trees take four years to start producing. Walnuts take about five.

Some people have taken out their walnut and almond trees. Personally, I’m just going to hang in there. A few years ago, prune prices were not very good. But then the market changed and prices improved. We’re hoping the nut prices will do the same.