- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
![The trend toward contracting out labor is, in part, a product of the current economic climate.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/anrnews/blogfiles/10098small.jpg)
A Bakersfield farming cooperative will lay off 2,100 permanent seasonal workers and instead hire a labor force through farm labor contractors, reported Jill Cowan in the Bakersfield Californian. The shift toward hiring seasonal workers through farm labor contractors is not new, said University of California Cooperative Extension specialist emeritus Howard Rosenberg, who has studied agricultural labor management for decades.
"(Use of farm labor contractors) has grown from the low 20 percents, to now over 40 percent," Rosenberg said, "and some people would...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
J.G. Boswell, the founder and head of the enormous family-owned farming concern J.G. Boswell Co., passed away last week at the age of 86. As an innovative cotton farmer in the San Joaquin Valley and influential advocate in land and water resource policy, Boswell's path often intersected with UC Cooperative Extension.
Boswell inherited the company when he was 29 from his uncle, also named J.G. Boswell, according to an obituary published today in the Los Angeles Times. His farm spans 150,000 acres near the San Joaquin Valley town of Corcoran. In addition to farming, the company...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Redding Record-Searchlight ran an obituary today for retired UC Cooperative Extension county director Gary Rush. Rush was also a community development advisor emeritus. According to the story, Rush, 73, suffered an accident some weeks ago and succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Rush retired from his post in the UCCE Shasta-Trinity office in 1993, after 30 years of service to the Northern California community.
"Gary was educated and wise in life as well as books. He was insightful, intelligent, ambitious, patriotic and just one heck of a good guy," the obituary said.
Friends and...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The St. Helena Star reported today on a sad coincidence for the Napa County viticulture industry. Within the last year, the three men who have held the position of Napa County UC Cooperative Extension viticulture advisor since 1952 passed away.
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Jim Lider, farm advisor from 1952 to 1972, died Nov. 19, 2007
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Keith Bowers, farm advisor from 1972 to 1987, died May 21, 2008
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Ed Weber, farm advisor from 1988 to 2007, died December 31, 2007.
The story focused on the most recent passing, that of...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
![Dick Bethell and El Dorado County agricultural commissioner Ed Delfino.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/anrnews/blogfiles/462small.jpg)
A mountain community blog titled Placerville.info ran a 950-word obituary recently about retired El Dorado County UC Cooperative Extension director Dick Bethell. The post also included a 1,400-word article authored by Mr. Bethell titled "A pest control program for your home orchard."
The story says Mr. Bethell passed away May 24 at the age of 80. According to the blog, he moved to Placerville several years before pear decline wiped out the area's top horticultural crop. He developed programs to fight the disease and published Pear Pest Management, the first pest management manual for an agricultural...