Young PCA forms 'trust relationships' with farm clients

Editor's note: This week, Ag Alert^® begins a three-part series about different paths young farmers and ranchers take as they build their agricultural careers.

As a licensed agricultural pest control adviser, Robert Sylvester said he enjoys helping farmers by providing them with accurate information about their farm to help them make informed decisions about what a crop needs, whether to improve nutrition or prevent and eradicate pests and diseases.

"As a PCA, you are standing in the farmer's shoes. He comes to you with a problem, and as his PCA you can say, 'In my experience, we've applied this or we've managed it in this way and we think we can fix the problem,'" said Sylvester, who works for Wilbur-Ellis, a distributor of agricultural products, animal feed and specialty crop protection materials and ingredients. "You are farming without taking the risk, but you can get the reward because you see the results."

A member of the Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers program in Stanislaus County, Sylvester is among the nearly 4,000 California pest control advisers licensed by the California Environmental Protection Agency who consult with farmers on planting, growing and harvesting a crop. To maintain his PCA license, Sylvester completes a minimum of 40 hours of state-approved instruction relating to pest management within each two-year licensing period.

"PCAs learn about new products or new diseases or insects plaguing our farmers," Sylvester said. "We pull a lot of samples and we do a lot of scouting, looking for weeds or pests or diseases, and then we work with growers to figure out what the grower needs and what the tree needs, so that the grower can get a good yield and everyone can go home happy."

Sylvester consults with farmers from Modesto to Madera and specializes in nut crops and winegrapes.

"When the farmer wins, you (as the PCA) win, and then the farmer sticks with you. It is more of a relationship based on trust and experience than sales," Sylvester said. "With new growers, they ask a lot of questions, but once you work with a guy for awhile, they stop asking as many questions and it becomes more of a trust relationship."

One of his most challenging pest management experiences, Sylvester said, involved a problem block of trees that took years to nurse back to health.

"We had a real sandy block and the grower didn't fumigate it. We added a nutrient that enhances the immune system of the plant and put on a special nematicide and finally, after several years of this continued application, we got the yields up and finally got it to work," he explained.

For the tree crop growers he works with, Sylvester said he considers nematodes the most problematic issue in the orchard.

"Nematodes are one of the most difficult pests because you usually don't know about it until it is too late. The tree is not growing, it looks real small and yellow, but you don't see these tiny, microscopic worms that are eating the roots and damaging your tree, because they are underground," Sylvester said.

Growing up in Ceres, Sylvester was raised on the family farm where his father grows almonds and winegrapes and is a partner in a small farm-management company. Sylvester recalled time spent as a teen with his dad on the farm.

"Dad would drop me off at the ranch and say, 'You can sit in the truck and not get paid, or you can go ride the quad and check the irrigation,'" Sylvester said. "I thought, 'I get to be outside in the sunshine, I get to work.' It was great and then I got a paycheck."

Like most farm children, by the time he was college-bound, he had already experienced an on-farm education.

"When I went through high school, I drove the tractor, I could prune trees, make repairs, whatever they needed," Sylvester said.

Robert attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and graduated in 2009, with a degree in agricultural business and a goal of returning to the family farm.

"My dad and his business partner said they wanted me to work for them, but given the economic downturn I wouldn't be doing anything that fit with my college degree, so they suggested I leave the farm and gain some experience until things pick up again," Sylvester said. "I went back to Poly and took two more quarters and got my PCA certification and completed an internship with Wilbur-Ellis. I worked real hard at it and they gave me a job."

Sylvester has been involved in Stanislaus County YF&R since graduating from college. This year, he serves as treasurer and is involved in setting up fundraisers such as the county YF&R trap shoot.

"I would recommend YF&R because it is networking for younger people who may be new to the industry. Through YF&R, you can further your career by making new contacts, and also enjoy people who are fun to hang out with."

Sylvester is married to Mary, who he met during high school and is now a teacher. They live in Merced.

Regarding future plans, Sylvester said, "Ultimately, I will be farming, but I'll probably be a PCA too. I want to move out in the country, maybe get a little land—everybody has that dream—and continue as a PCA because it is a challenging job that requires a lot of different knowledge."

(Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

The California Association of Pest Control Advisers reports that demand continues to rise for professionals to provide pest management consultation for production of food, fiber and ornamental crops. CAPCA designed a "Pathway to PCA" program to encourage college students to elect a plant science major and pursue a PCA license. For more information, go to www.capca.com. To learn more about PCA license requirements, see www.cdpr.ca.gov and choose the Licensing link.