ANR Employees
University of California
ANR Employees

In memoriam: Arthur H. Lange

Art Lange
Arthur H. Lange, weed scientist emeritus at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, passed away June 27. He was 94.

Lange was born and educated in western Washington. In 1942, he joined the Naval Air Corps and, after three and a half years of active duty, he returned to Oregon State University, where he graduated in 1950 with bachelor's and master's degrees in horticulture.

In 1954, Lange earned a doctorate degree in plant physiology at UCLA and accepted an associate horticulturist position at the University of Hawaii. In 1958, he moved across campus to head the Weed Control Research Program for the Pineapple Research Institute of Hawaii.

Lange returned to California in 1962, accepting the position of weed control specialist with UC Cooperative Extension, first at the Davis campus and later at UC Riverside. In 1970, after spending part of a sabbatical leave in Columbia, Chile, and Central America, he relocated to Kearney.

During Lange's years in California agriculture, he was active in the California Weed Conference as a frequent speaker and a member of the steering committee. In 1986, he was named an honorary member. With the financial support of the California Weed Conference, he initiated the Grower's Weed Identification Handbook. Lange was named a fellow of the Western Society of Weed Science in 1977.

Lange retired in 1986 with the emeritus title. In retirement, Lange managed his Honey Crisp Farm in Reedley. He excelled at producing tree- and vine-ripe fruit as well as unsulfured dried fruit, which he sold at a roadside stand, at farmers markets, to fresh produce distributors and restaurants.

Posted on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at 10:03 AM
Tags: Art Lange (1), July 2017 (10)

Comments:

1.
He actively farmed up until 2012 when he suffered a health issue, at 89 years of age. He was proud of his roadside stand , farmers market, internet and other marketing endeavors. He had an excellent reputation as a farmer.

Posted by Richard molinar on July 26, 2017 at 10:21 PM

2.
Art was one of the first farmers I met when I became a Farm Advisor in Fresno County. He worked hard to convince people to buy fruit that tasted good - often marketing "ugly fruit" with a "buy one pretty fruit, get three ugly fruit free" sign on his farm stand. Art was always right - blemish-free fruit wasn't always the best tasting. Reedley has lost an important voice.

Posted by Amanda Crump on July 31, 2017 at 9:48 AM

Login to leave a comment.

Read more

 
E-mail
 
Webmaster Email: lforbes@ucanr.edu