Before becoming the executive manager of the San Benito County
Farm Bureau, Nancy Griffin, admits she was terrible at the
”
name that row crop and orchard
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game.
n By Christine Tognetti Staff Writer
San Benito County – Before becoming the executive manager of the San Benito County Farm Bureau, Nancy Griffin, admits she was terrible at the “name that row crop and orchard” game.
“Another woman and myself would commute to Gilroy, and one time we were on the 25, and I saw these red things in the trees,” she said. “I asked her what they were, and she said cherries. Being a native Californian, you would think I would know that, but I have never seen the trees with fruit on them before.”
Griffin, and many others who drive throughout the roads of San Benito County, have been stumped for years about what they’re watching grow during their daily commutes, and some farmers think it’s time for education.
“I think it would be a great idea to put out signs saying what’s growing in that field,” Dick Swank, of Swank Farms, said. His farm has corn growing near the airport on San Felipe Road. “I think it would be very educational for the public.”
More than 25 years ago, the California Farm Bureau organized a campaign encouraging farmers to set up signs explaining to passersby about what crops are growing in that area. Several growers participated in the project, but it has since dwindled away, according to Bob Perkins, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau.
“The theory behind that was to interest the non-farming public in what’s going on out there in the fields,” he said. “It’s such a funny thing, because people drive by and see the crops, but they don’t relate that to the food that’s on their tables. People are naturally curious. They always speculate as to what grows there, but it’d be nice to know.”
San Benito County Agriculture Commissioner Paul Matulich said there are signs lining Interstate 5, but you rarely see them here. The idea of bringing the signs back in San Benito County has pros and cons, according to Matulich.
“One benefit is education,” he said. “When I take my grandson down Bolsa Road, he always says ‘grandpa, what’s that growing over there?’ I think it would be helpful and interesting for people.”
Another positive thing the signs could bring is more marketability for local growers.
“It would be a great way for people to see the growers name on the sign, and then again in the store,” Matulich said.
Aside from the added publicity farmers would gain, Matulich said there is a downside to the signs.
They could cause theft.
“A couple years ago, we saw a lot of stealing crops going on, and if people know what’s there, they may be more inclined to take it,” he said.
Hollister resident, and avid produce buyer Patricia Clem agrees.
“If there was a specific sign, I think people might go out and help themselves,” she said.
After weighing both sides, Matulich said there are more “pluses than minuses,” and that putting up the signs is something farmers should consider.
Dave Kranz, spokesperson for the California Farm Bureau, said the bureau isn’t trying to revive the sign program anytime soon, but that growers might want to consider the benefits of putting up signs of their own.
“There is always a benefit in letting people know where their food comes from,” he said. “We live in the No. 1 agricultural state in the nation. And we directly benefit from proximity to food production. But people don’t always make that connection if they don’t see it.”
Staff Writer Katie Niekerk contributed to this story.
