Long-time county 4-H adviser plans to spend retirement
volunteering in Third World countries
Maybe he should call it a semi retirement.
Sergio Garcia, long-time adviser with the local office of the
University of California Cooperative Extension, retires this week
after 34 years on the job.
But there are no golf clubs in his trunk; no rocking chair
waiting for him on his front porch. Garcia is planning to travel,
but his itinerary does not include the typical vacation spots.
Instead, Garcia, 59, is hoping to spend three to six months in
South America, working with non-profit organizations to teach the
country’s farmers and ranchers modern techniques on raising
livestock and growing crops.
Long-time county 4-H adviser plans to spend retirement volunteering in Third World countries
Maybe he should call it a semi retirement.
Sergio Garcia, long-time adviser with the local office of the University of California Cooperative Extension, retires this week after 34 years on the job.
But there are no golf clubs in his trunk; no rocking chair waiting for him on his front porch. Garcia is planning to travel, but his itinerary does not include the typical vacation spots. Instead, Garcia, 59, is hoping to spend three to six months in South America, working with non-profit organizations to teach the country’s farmers and ranchers modern techniques on raising livestock and growing crops.
“I’ve always had an interest in doing such work, but I was fortunate enough that when I got out of school I was offered a job right away,” Garcia said. “I had a choice – take the job and money and support my family, or volunteer. At the time, I wasn’t financially stable, so I couldn’t do it. Now, with my own kids grown I can give back.”
In many ways, Garcia has been “giving back” for years. He was born in Zacapú, a village in the Mexican state of Michoacán, in 1949. His father was a farm worker who later participated in the Bracero program, a temporary contract labor program between the United States and Mexico that first began in August 1942. Garcia’s father came to America first; his children (Garcia and a brother and sister) followed in 1961.
Garcia attended several schools in the central San Joaquin Valley as the family moved to wherever crops where in season. He finished high school in Kingsburg and attended college at California State University at Fresno, graduating in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.
Just before his gradation, Garcia was walking past the college’s job board when an announcement for employment with the UCCE caught his eye. He applied, attended commencement ceremonies on June 15 and began his first day on a job that would last 34 years just two days later.
“It is amazing,” he said.
Garcia began his career in San Mateo County, serving as a livestock and natural resources adviser as well as the youth adviser to the county’s 4-H program. In 1986, he moved his family – his wife, Terry, and their three children, Sergio Jr., Teresa and Monica – to San Benito County, where he added range adviser to his list of duties. But for many years, it was his role as youth adviser that gave Garcia the most satisfaction.
“There was tremendous pressure with that job, because you are working with young people who need role models,” he said. “But now, so many of those kids I first worked with are adults, and it is real nice to see them, working and raising families. Many stop me to say hi, and some stop by the office. That’s rewarding.”
Garcia’s own children participated in the 4-H program, and Garcia credits the program with helping his children achieve their individual goals. His son graduated from Chico State University and now works in construction, daughter Teresa graduated from San Diego State and has a law degree, and youngest daughter Monica recently earned her master’s degree in entomology from her father’s alma mater.
“What is amazing to me is that I didn’t have to give any type of public presentation until I was 20 or 21 years old, and my children were doing it at the age of 9 years, thanks to 4-H,” Garcia said. I can’t say enough about the 4-H program. It has really helped my kids and my family. It’s been a big advantage.”
While he is proud of his children, Garcia said he is most impressed with wife Terry, who quit college to raise the couple’s children. She worked as a social worker for years before enrolling at Fresno State with Teresa, graduating with her bachelor’s degree in education.
“We have a wall in our house on which five college degrees now hang,” Garcia said with a smile. “It’s a great accomplishment for our family.”
Over the years, Garcia’s work has had an impact on local farmers and ranchers as well. For the past four years, he has served as a member of a statewide research team developing a vaccine to prevent foothill abortion, also known as epizootic bovine abortion. He has published articles on various livestock parasites and helped set up seminars on water quality for ranchers and has initiated several research projects on yellow star thistle control in San Benito County.
He applied for and received emeritus status with the UCCE, which means he will be able to continue working on three projects – range monitoring, foothill abortion and yellow star thistle control. Garcia said he will continue to come into the office once a week to handle calls and answer questions from the public.
Garcia is waiting to hear from the two non-profit organizations, including Farmers to Farmers, on whether or not his application to serve as a short-term volunteer in South America has been accepted. The thought of teaching people how to improve the quality of their lives is one that Garcia finds exciting.
“A lot of the farming and ranching that takes place over there is very primitive,” he said. “I know that putting our methods and principals in place costs money, and there is very little of that over there, but I think just knowing the principals could help.”
He said he also hopes to teach South American farmers how to monitor crops for infestations as well as the importance of preserving meats.
“One of the big problems they have is preserving meats,” he said. “Meats such as sausage, bacon or ham are not too common over there. In college I took a few meat courses, and I think I could help them with different types of preservation.”
In the meantime, he plans to work on a few projects around the home, including finishing a horse saddle he began crafting from mesquite about 20 years ago. And as he looks back on his career, he says he feels grateful for his time in San Benito County.
“I wish I could thank everyone who has supported the UCCE programs and 4-H,” he said. “I’ve really loved working in this county. I intend to stay here. It’s home.”
