San Joaquin Valley farmers anxious about U.S. presidential election, future of agriculture
In rural coffee shops, on farms and in meeting halls around the San Joaquin Valley, the mood over Tuesday’s presidential election is one of excitement, as much as it is concern. There is a lot at stake for Valley farmers, who grow much of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts. Can the next president provide farmers with more water for irrigation? Will they have the labor force needed to harvest their crops? Can they avoid becoming collateral damage in another trade war? Support for either candidate has been relatively quiet. But so has the attention paid to the region by both campaigns. No major rallies or visits, with the exception of a late July fundraiser by vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. The freshman senator from Ohio appeared at a fundraiser at Harris Ranch Resort in Coalinga. The $3,300-per-plate event drew about 150 people. Longtime west Fresno County farmer Joe Del Bosque, who once gave President Barack Obama a tour of one of his ranches in 2014, isn’t thrilled with either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump. Del Bosque says he’s turned off by the rhetoric. “Things have gotten so ugly and divided,” he said. “It used to be that every time we had a presidential election you began thinking that things were going to get better in this country. But it only looks like we are going to continue fighting, and that is not good.” Another of Del Bosque’s concerns is about labor. He worries that Trump’s calls for deporting upwards of 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. could prove disastrous for California farmers. Labor experts estimate that about half of California’s 500,000 farm workers are undocumented. Del Bosque agrees that the border between the U.S. and Mexico, where a majority of the farming industry’s labor comes from, needs to be better managed. “When Trump talks about mass deportation, what does that really mean?” Del Bosque said. “I don’t know if he understands that it’s not just the people who came across three or four years ago. We have people who have been living in the United States for years, who have families, who harvest our crops for us to eat. I don’t know if he knows that.” Many in agriculture were disappointed that a bipartisan bill with provisions for immigration reform and foreign aid was killed. Harris has accused Trump of blocking the bill so he could use immigration as a campaign issue. Bill Lyons, former California Department of Agriculture Secretary from 1999 to 2004, says it will take bipartisanship to accomplish change in Washington D.C. “A majority of agriculturists believe in America first and party second,” Lyons said. “They want to elect people who will get things done. And it’s going to take a bipartisan effort when it comes to issues like water and immigration.” Lyons believes Harris can work with Valley farmers and says other farmers agree. And while they may not be planting billboards on their farms supporting her, they are out there. He points to the recent endorsement of Harris by Ann Veneman, who served as USDA secretary under George W. Bush. Prior to that, she was the California Department of Agriculture Secretary. “Her endorsement is a strong indication that there are members of the ag community that are concerned and want to see something done in Washington,” he said. Sarah Woolf, who runs Water Wise, a water management company and is a partner in Clark Bros., a farming company, was part of a group of farmers who met with Harris in 2017 while she was a senator. The farmers and Harris met at Fowler Packing’s sprawling operation where they discussed water, immigration reform and the Farm Bill. Woolf appreciated the opportunity to share her concerns, but she feels Harris hasn’t paid much attention to the Valley like previous senators, including Diane Feinstein, who died last September, and current Sen. Alex Padilla, both Democrats. “They always showed interest in the Valley and made sure they understood the issues,” Woolf said. “One visit from Harris did not feel like there was a lot of interest there.” Woolf said she hasn’t heard of anyone in agriculture who supports Harris as she has for Trump. She and other farmers credit Trump for attempting to provide farmers with more water by ordering a review of the federal policy that governs the export of water through the Bay-Delta. Trump was stopped by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sued the federal government saying the review did not adequately protect endangered fish species. “He was aggressive in trying to resolve some of our ongoing water issues in California,” she said. “He put a focus on it and that is half the battle. The problem is big, complex and there are no easy answers.” Woolf said if Harris wins, she doesn’t believe her focus will be on California’s water issues.
