Australia is a crucial market for U.S. fresh fruits because of the year-round demand for high-quality products. The U.S. has benefitted from a well-established reputation for producing quality and safe fruits. While demand for fresh fruit was low in Australia from 2018-2020, the fresh fruit industry has recovered, and demand will likely increase for the next five years.
Strong Market for U.S. Fresh Fruit
Australia is a well-developed market for fresh produce, including imports. The United States has a good reputation for supplying safe, high-quality produce. A major advantage for Northern Hemisphere growers looking to import into Australia is counter-seasonal growing (see Figure 1).
Behind New Zealand, whose top exports are avocados and kiwi, the United States is the second largest supplier of fresh fruits to Australia – with 41% of the market in 2022 (see Figure 2).
The leading fresh fruit imports into Australia from the United States include California table grapes, California stone fruit, citrus, California pomegranates, and California and Pacific Northwest cherries. In 2022, imports of California kiwifruit significantly increased due to Italian kiwifruit being shut out of the market.
Fruit Consumption Expects to Grow
Between 2018 and 2020, Australia saw a decrease in fruit consumption. This decrease was due to a drought in 2018 and 2019, limiting the supply. Prices for fresh fruit also increased while the supply was low, which deterred consumers from purchasing. When drought conditions ended in 2021, Australia saw an increase in consumption by 2%. Along with the supply returning, this increase was due to population growth, healthier eating, habits, and demand for convenience. Fresh fruit consumption increased from 2020 through 2022; however, in 2024 it will decrease while gradually increasing in 2025-26. (see Figure 5).
The Australian Government has funded initiatives to promote healthy eating increasing profits for the fruit industry. Food experts predict that the fresh fruit industry will benefit from changing dietary trends emphasizing fresh fruit consumption. Major supermarkets throughout Australia have also driven the growth in fresh fruit consumption and imports by offering customers a range of fresh produce products throughout the year. Woolworths, one of Australia’s biggest supermarkets, started a “Free Fruit for Kids” campaign. This campaign offers kids free apples, bananas, pears, and mandarins at the grocery store to help build healthy eating habits from an early age. Since the start of the campaign in 2015, over 14,000 tons of free fruit have been consumed by children.
Australian consumers have seen several trends change in the fresh fruit industry in the last few years. COVID-19 had a significant impact on consumer food purchasing behavior. One of the biggest trends to arise is the growth of online shopping, which wasn’t as prominent in Australia before the pandemic. Consumers are also choosing healthier options due to social influences and spending more time at home. Read the full report from the USDA Foreign Ag Service HERE.
Information contained in this report was supplied by handlers of raisins and prunes to fulfill reporting requirements of Sections 55601.7 and 55601.8 of the Food and Agricultural Code. The report includes all tonnages of raisins and prunes that were either produced by the handler or purchased from producers. The final weighted average price, including bonuses and allowances, has been reported for all contracts which were finalized.
All 2020 crop transactions completed through the close of business on August 31, 2021 are included in this report. A “good faith” estimate of final weighted average price was reported for those contracts which were not final on the same date. The data are shown by major varieties at the State level only.
SUMMARY OF RAISIN HANDLERS’ REPORTS
Free raisin tonnage produced by handlers in 2020 totaled 26,094 tons. This figure does NOT include raisins purchased from other handlers or producers.
The total 2020 raisin crop purchased from producers, for whom pricing had been finalized, reached 110,853 tons at an average price of $1,302 per ton. This price is rounded to the nearest dollar per ton and includes all bonuses and allowances.
Purchases from producers, for whom pricing was NOT finalized, totaled 105,480 tons. The average “good faith” estimate of the final weighted average price for this tonnage was $1,075 per ton.
The quantity of all raisins purchased from producers was 216,334 tons for the 2020 crop. This figure does not include raisins produced by the handler or purchased from other handlers.
The tonnage produced by the handler plus tonnage purchased from producers for the 2020 raisin crop was 242,427 tons.
SUMMARY OF PRUNE HANDLERS’ REPORTS
Prunes produced by handlers in 2020 totaled 9,170 tons. This figure does NOT include prunes purchased from other handlers or producers.
The total 2020 prune crop purchased from producers, for whom pricing had been finalized, reached 22,351 tons at an average price of $1,834 per ton. This price is rounded to the nearest dollar per ton and includes all bonuses and allowances.
Purchases from producers, for whom pricing was NOT finalized, totaled 27,182 tons. The average “good faith” estimate of the final weighted average price for this tonnage was $1,898 per ton.
The quantity of all prunes purchased from producers was 49,533 tons for the 2020 crop. This figure does not include prunes produced by the handler or purchased from other handlers. The weighted average size count of tons purchased from producers was 56 for the French varieties and 66 for the Non-French varieties.
The tonnage produced by the handler plus tonnage purchased from producers for the 2020 prune crop was 57,225 tons of French prunes and 1,478 tons of Non-French prunes for a total of 58,703 tons.
DEFINITIONS
Producer: A person or operator who is responsible for the raisins or prunes in the unprocessed state. A dehydrator operator is considered the producer of raisins or prunes if they grew or purchased fresh grapes or prunes and dehydrated them.
Handler: Firm that processes and markets raisins or prunes.
Finalized Purchases: Tonnage purchased from producers, for which a pricing contract has been completed.
Non-Finalized Purchases: Contracted tonnage, for which a final price has not yet been determined.
Free Tonnage: Tonnage received by a handler, for which the only Federal marketing order regulation is a minimum quality or size standard. Reserve tonnage is the tonnage set aside as authorized by a Federal marketing order.
Weighted Average Price: Weighted average price reflects prices or “good faith” estimates of prices as reported by handlers and include any bonuses or allowances.
Dr. Timothy Artlip, a Plant Physiologist with the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV, was recently interviewed in the USDA-ARS Under the Microscope publication regarding the future of apple breeding. His work encapsulates efforts to improve the breeding and cultivating of apples through genomics research, and he is bullish about the future. Read the following Q&As from the Under the Microscope (UM):
UM — What are ancient apples and how do they differ from wild apples?
TA — Ancient apples are really just old or antique apple varieties that are no longer grown commercially. Sometimes, these older apples fell out of favor because newer varieties held more appeal to consumers due to appearance, taste, sweet/tart balance or mealiness.
Wild apples, as we define them, are really different species of apples, some of which are actually the ancestor(s) of modern varieties.
UM — Where did the idea of looking into wild apple genes come from?
TA — Plant breeders often look to wild or ancestor species or locally cultivated plants as sources of resistance to diseases or harsh environmental conditions that modern varieties don’t have. In many cases, the genes for such resistance was bred out as a consequence of favoring desirable traits such as flavor, appearance, or some other trait. Potato is a great example. Wild potatoes found in the Andes are usually small and bitter; the bitterness is a sign that insects won’t eat them or of disease resistance. Now potato breeders are trying to reintroduce those types of qualities into modern varieties because of evolving insect and disease pressures.
Modern apples (top row) vs. wild apple species (bottom rows). Wild apples are generally too small for commercial consumption but can still be valuable for apple breeders. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Timothy Artlip)
UM — What are the differences between ancient or wild apples and the commercial apples we find in grocery stores?
TA — Wild apples tend to have small fruits on the order of crab apples, so they’re generally not suitable for consumers. They may not have the appearance or flavor qualities that consumers prefer. A similar situation exists for many old or antique apple varieties that have fallen out of favor. They may be small. They may look “ugly” even under the best growing conditions. They may not keep well in common storage or their flavors and mouthfeel (mealiness) may not be suitable either.
UM — Are there certain types of wild apples that breeders look for and use?
TA — Yes! The main ancestor of modern apples grows throughout central Asia in countries like Kazakhstan in a variety of local conditions, ranging from rather arid to high altitude to having high disease pressure. Other apple species have specific disease resistance or traits that modern apples generally lack
UM — Are ancient or wild apples good for picking and eating, or just breeding?
TA — It depends. Some of the wild apples have fruit that approach commercial size and are edible. Many of the old or antique varieties are very tasty. For example, “Ashmead’s Kernel” was a dessert variety that George Washington would have served to his guests at Mount Vernon. There are also old or antique varieties that were specially bred for cider making that are inedible. With the resurgence in hard cider production, these varieties are especially prized for making a beverage as complex as a quality wine.
UM — What traits do apple researchers and growers specifically breed for?
TA — Besides all the fruit qualities that I’ve mentioned, resistance to diseases, insect pests, and harsh environmental conditions (high/low temperature, too much/too little water) are very important. Growers also look for “friendly” trees that bear fruit within 2 or 3 years after planting, are productive, aren’t biennial (more bloom and fruit on alternate years) or self-thin (too many apples end up being too small, so growers have to chemically or mechanically reduce bloom or very young fruit), growth habit (branching, height) and how well the trees take to modern growing practices.
Forests of wild Malus sierversii in the mountains of Kazakhstan. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Gayle Volk)
UM — How have advancements in technology and genetic sequencing helped apple breeders?
TA — Genetic sequencing has given us a fairly complete accounting of the genome (“instruction manual”) for apples. Moreover, this knowledge along with standard breeding techniques allows us to know what genes are responsible for fruit quality traits such as skin color, sweet/tart balance, and mealiness. Now, breeders can make crosses, isolate DNA from young leaves of offspring, and quickly know whether the seedling will have some/most/all of the desirable traits.
This genomic knowledge has been coupled with “rapid cycle breeding,” where we use a modified variety that blooms within a year after planting and continues to bloom throughout the year in a greenhouse. The cycle can be repeated, reducing the time for creating a consumer and grower desired variety from 15 or 20 years down to 5. This also allows us to respond more quickly to evolving disease, insect, and environmental pressures by breeding better adapted varieties that have the fruit qualities that consumers want.
UM — What challenges are there to using wild apples to cultivate new ones?
TA — As I mentioned with the potato examples, they may have desirable traits, but undesirable traits frequently end up in offspring as well. This requires multiple rounds of breeding to keep what is wanted and discard the rejects.
Years and years of breeding coupled with many acres and the expense of maintaining the trees is not a good economic model. By combining the genetic sequencing and “rapid cycle breeding,” we can introduce those traits we want into commercial varieties much more quickly, with reduced time, land, and inputs.
These wild apples are tough enough to survive erratic conditions like spring snows. This makes them valuable for breeding. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Gayle Volk)
UM — How will breeding traits from wild apples into new apple cultivars benefit growers and consumers?
TA — Consumers have shown a preference for fewer inputs, such as pesticides. Wild apples may have resistance to diseases and pests, thus reducing the need for pesticides. Our group, along with national and international collaborators, recently was able to introduce resistance from wild apples to a disease called Blue Mold that afflicts apples after harvesting. This should reduce fruit losses that can frustrate growers, grocery stores, and consumers. Such efforts are underway with resistance to other diseases as well.
UM — You have mentioned that you and your team have studied how apple trees respond to low temperatures in spring and winter. Is it possible for us to develop an apple variety that will have increased resilience against stresses brought about by climate change?
TA — I firmly believe this. Two climate related problems have emerged. First, protracted warm autumn temperatures followed by sharp temperature drops, may lead to trees unprepared for snow or freezing temperatures. This can lead to broken limbs, freezing damage, or tree death.
Secondly, we frequently see warm spells in late winter or early spring that fool trees into breaking bud or blooming, followed by frosts or visits by the polar vortex. This can result in dead flowers, thus reducing yield or even killing trees. By having the apple genome, scientists across the globe are gaining a better understanding of the interplay of genes involved in stress resistance and dormancy.
UM — What do you predict as the next step in apple breeding?
TA — I think the new genome editing tools, coupled with “rapid cycle breeding,” will gain more acceptance and allow us to more quickly respond to changes or even anticipate them. It really is an exciting time in not only apples but plant breeding in general.
The false chinch bug (FCB), Nysius raphanus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), is a pest of many plants. FCB is a generalist and has been found to be a problem in many cropping systems such as soybeans, quinoa, tobacco, cotton, broccoli and other Brassicaceae plants. FCB adults (above) is mostly light to dark gray, elongate, and about 0.12 inch (3 mm) long. Females lay eggs on host plants or in cracks in soil. The mostly pale gray nymphs have inconspicuous reddish to brown abdominal markings. FCB has 4-7 generations per year with all stages being potentially present throughout the year. All stages can be present throughout the year. They also can be found invading homes in the southwest. Their populations generally start in unmanaged fields with lots of weeds and are an issue for crops when they build up large numbers and move into the crops from the unmanaged, weedy fields.
This year it’s host of choice is young avocado plantings in Ventura County. False chinch bug occasionally causes severe injury on young trees by sucking sap from shoots and young stems. Infested shoots wither and die suddenly after attack, which typically occurs in May and June. Economic damage normally occurs in groves away from the coast only on young trees in border rows adjacent to uncultivated areas or grasslands. Otherwise healthy mature trees tolerate bug feeding.
Here are photos of damage to young avocado provided by Tom Roberts, Integrated Consulting Entomology.
To best manage FCB, a grower will need to catch it before it establishes and the populations explode. This is difficult because the pest will not reoccur every year on regular basis. From what has been seen in the field this year, FCB appears to prefer young avocado plantings and thus, a targeted approach is to monitor only in new plantings right as summer temperatures are rising. In paper in the journal, Phytoparasitica from 2006, the authors investigated what color sticky trap was best for monitoring and found that yellow worked best. Thus, passive monitoring with yellow sticky cards that are placed throughout the field and monitored weekly is a potential option. However, this approach can be expensive with the labor hours needed to properly process the sticky cards. A more practical approach is to sweep net weedy areas on the outside of avocado groves and adjacent unmanaged areas nearby weekly in search for the first signs of FCB.
In conventional avocado production, there is only one insecticide recommended for use against FCB. Malathion 8 at 16 oz/acre.— By Monique Rivera & Ben Faber, UC Cooperative Extension
Move over Johnny Appleseed! Orchards of healthier trees are taking root – and not only do these trees stay healthier when exposed to disease, but they also create the right sized tree for modern apple production across the United States.
Apple orchards today can produce about 10 times more than they did 100 years ago, thanks to researchers at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Plant Genetic Resources Unit in Geneva, New York, and their partners at Cornell University. While the fruits of their labor are easy to see and taste, their most impressive work is underground.
Roots of apple rootstock G.890
Since 1969, researchers have been developing and improving new root systems, called rootstocks. Producers graft the apple tree of their choice to these rootstocks to create apple trees that are immune to certain diseases and insects, are the right size for their orchard, and are more productive than older rootstocks. In the lab, their rootstocks have quirky names like 75O3R5-214; commercially, it’s called G.214, where “G” stands for Geneva, a registered trademark representing a series of disease-resistant apple rootstocks.
The right-sized tree is important when planting a modern orchard because farmers increasingly depend on robotics and other technology to operate at peak efficiency. Unlike backyard apple trees that grow tall and round, today’s production orchards looks more like a series of fruit walls. Geneva rootstocks help create these walls by dwarfing the scion – the portion of the tree that is above ground – so the trees are shorter, which makes the fruit easier to reach and safer for pickers to harvest. Growing shorter trees in neat rows also allows for easy passage of harvest machinery.
An apple orchard has a productive life span of 12-20 years, so farmers routinely uproot and replace 5-10 percent of their trees every year. In addition, trees need to be replaced in orchards that have been devastated by fire, disease, and insects. With about 500 million trees in the industry inventory, nurseries need to produce 20-25 million trees per year just to keep pace. Besides growing new rootstock plants from layer bed cuttings, the primary method for producing new rootstocks is cloning through micropropagation. Micropropagation starts with a very small stem, sometimes about 1/10th of a millimeter, that is grown in sterile conditions and fed from a nutrient-rich culture medium. A cloned rootstock is identical to the original plant so they are more consistent in their disease resistance, dwarfing effect, cold-hardiness, and enhanced productivity. Nurseries that produce rootstocks can also make more of them faster, which means they can keep up with the high demand for Geneva apple rootstocks. These protocols are now in several other countries, including Spain, Brazil, Chile, Morocco, and South Africa, where tens of millions of Geneva rootstocks have been produced by micropropagation.
A nursery of approximately half a million G.935 apple rootstocks that have been grafted with different kinds of apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Gala, and Fuji, will eventually be planted in orchards throughout the United States.
As successful as Geneva rootstocks have proven to be, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all rootstock because soil and other environmental conditions vary by region – and sometimes even within the same region. With this in mind, researchers at ARS and Cornell continue to root out the mysteries of plant genetics so they can further improve Geneva rootstocks or create new and even better ones. – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS
By Ben Faber, UC Cooperative Extension —Laurel Wilt Disease of Avocado and the relatives of avocado in the Laurel Family has devastated the the forests along the east coast from North Carolina down to Florida and along the Caribbean into Texas. It has caused significant losses to wildlands and to the Florida avocado industry.
Ambrosia Beetle
The extent of the native tree loss is shocking and there is very little that can be done to correct the problem, other than to curb the spread of contaminated wood that is spread by humans, There has been some success in the avocado orchards. While there is no “silver bullet”, there is some progress, e.g. pruning to increase light levels to suppress Ambrosia Beetle activity. In addition, research has continued for:
Vaccinations to protect avocado trees from the LW pathogen
Developing a faster LW diagnostic tool
Screening scions and rootstocks for tolerance/resistance
AB control tactics and suppression
Molecular understanding of the pathogen
Economics and the LW epidemic
Read the latest results in these two recent publications:
There are many amazing things in nature, and a USDA scientist in California is exploring evidence that Bing cherries contain some wondrous health possibilities.
“We’re testing whether the consumption of sweet cherry juice can improve human health across several cognitive and physiological systems in the body,” said Kevin Laugero, a systems physiologist and research nutritionist with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)Western Human Nutrition Research Centerin Davis, CA. The study explores evidence that Bing cherries contain bioactive compounds that improve human health. Fresh cherries aren’t available all year, so demonstrating the effects of cherry juice would potentially circumvent limited access to the benefits of this otherwise seasonal fruit.
The overall goal of Laugero’s study is to test the effects of sweet cherry juice on cardiovascular disease risk factors and cognitive functions in at-risk persons, specifically examining biomarkers that indicate conditions associated with metabolic syndrome.
“Metabolic syndrome is a term used to describe the presence of a cluster of factors associated with increased risk for developing cardiovascular and other chronic diseases,” Laugero said.
The American Heart Association defines metabolic syndrome as the presence of three or more of the following conditions: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol levels, and high fasting glucose levels.
“Many of the health benefits of consuming cherries may be due to their anti-inflammatory potential,” he said. “Some chronic diseases and conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s have been linked to elevated inflammation.”
According to Laugero, cherries are a good source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, flavonoids, and anthocyanins—the pigment that gives the cherries their dark-red color. These compounds may reduce inflammation by reducing oxidative stress, lipid oxidation, and other inflammatory regulating molecules.
Laugero and retired ARS chemist Darshan Kelley have collaborated on other cherry-related research, including the recent publication of reviewarticle on the health benefits of cherries.
Prima® Wawona (prima.com), the largest stone fruit producer in the U.S., has partnered with a leading fresh produce strategic insight and research company to provide retailers with key stone fruit category data. These insights help retailers identify areas of growth and opportunity within the category and allow Prima® Wawona to develop programs specifically tailored to their retail partners. Leveraging Nielsen data from thousands of grocery stores throughout the United States, this service from Prima® Wawona enables retailers to customize their programs and promotions to achieve higher sales performance.
“Our goal in everything we do is to help our retail partners provide consumers with the right quantities of the highest-quality stone fruit available,” said Ben Vived, Retail Sales Manager at Prima® Wawona. “Our category management program allows us to monitor national trends and analyze category data on a per-retailer basis to provide recommendations and keenly tailored retail programs. For example, we can see if a retailer isn’t experiencing the expected sales volumes on yellow peaches or if there’s a growth opportunity on white nectarines, and work with them to fill gaps and capitalize on opportunities.”
Prima® Wawona reviews and analyzes data such as margins, the effect of price on sales volumes over time, retailer performance compared to the industry average, sales promotion performance, price gaps and more, segmented by commodity across the stone fruit category.
“We’re the only producer offering this strategic data service so it’s a game-changer for retailers looking to serve existing customers and attract those who will buy organic—an increasingly important segment of the category,” added Dan Gerawan, CEO of Prima® Wawona. “We’re giving our retail partners insight on factors that drive success in this category, including how other leading retailers are performing, and that’s giving them a competitive edge in their market.”
Prima® Wawona offers a full line of organic and conventional stone fruit under the Prima® and Sweet2Eat® brands, allowing retailers to meet demand for this important summer fruit category. For more information or to place an order, please call 559-528-4000 or email b.hammack@gerawan.com.
About Prima® Wawona:
Prima® Wawona is the largest producer of stone fruit in the U.S. Based in the heart of California’s central San Joaquin Valley, the company is a category leader both in terms of volume, quality, and the unique data insights and services it provides to retail partners to support them and promote their success. Prima® Wawona offers a full line of premium-quality organic and conventional stone fruit and citrus under the Prima®, Sweet2Eat®, Sweet2Eat® Organic and Sweet Value® brands, with a robust stone fruit season running from May through October. Visit prima.com to learn more.
California Avocado Commission: The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued an alert concerning high wind gusts and well-above normal heat for the Los Angeles and Oxnard regions.
NWS notes that moderate to strong Northwest to North winds (15 – 30 mph with gusts of 30 – 50 mph) may occur through Friday, with the strongest winds (gusts as high as 65 mph) expected on Wednesday night and Thursday. The strongest and most widespread winds are predicted for the I-5 Corridor, Montecito Hills and Gaviota Pass, with winds likely to push into the San Fernando Valley and LA Basin. The wind prone areas of Santa Barbara County, Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley also are expected to have gusty conditions.
These windy conditions could lead to downed trees and branches, possible power outages, damage to portable temporary shelters, and hazardous driving conditions due to cross winds and dust. Fire weather concerns are rated “minimal” due to high fuel moistures.
Beginning Friday, through next Monday or Tuesday, NWS also is predicting extended “very warm” conditions with max temperatures of 85˚F – 95˚F. The hottest days are expected to be Friday and Saturday, with temperatures 15 – 20 degrees above normal. Low temperatures will range from 55˚F – 65˚F and minimum humidities will vary from 12 – 25 percent.
To ensure that California avocados maintain their superior quality it is imperative that growers manage their trees and harvest their fruit according to best management practices as outlined below.
IRRIGATION
Growers should be irrigating their trees now, in advance of the above normal temperatures and warm dry winds, to ensure that their trees are fully hydrated. It is recommended that an additional 50 percent of the budgeted amount of water be applied the days prior to the forecast winds and above normal temperatures. A well-watered tree will tolerate the stress of high temperatures and drying winds much better than a tree that is suffering from water stress. Signs of heat damage to trees include fruit drop, shoot damage, leaf burn and in severe cases leaf drop.
HARVESTING
Every attempt should be made to harvest fruit when temperatures are below 90 °F, and no harvesting should take place when temperatures exceed 95 °F. Temperature in the shade should be monitored during harvesting and, when possible, harvesting crews should be moved to the coolest, least exposed areas of the grove.
Field bins should be placed under the trees while being filled to protect the harvested fruit from sunburn. Once filled, bins should be moved to a shade structure (open-sided roofed building), or covered with bin covers or light-colored tarps if they cannot be immediately transported to the packinghouse. Never leave filled bins exposed to the direct sun. The surface layer of fruit can easily heat up to more than 15 °F above ambient temperature when exposed to direct sun. Acute sunburn will only show on fruit after it is packed and is a major quality detractor.
To avoid water loss and decreased fruit quality do not hold fruit too long after harvest. Transport fruit to the packinghouse at least once per day, if not twice daily. Bins should not be left in the grove for more than 8 hours after harvest. Cover bins during transport to avoid sunburn and to reduce water loss.
In celebrating the tradition and innovation of the State’s number one industry, agriculture, the California State Fair Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Agricultural Advisory Council, selects Bill and Carol Chandler as the Agriculturalists of the Year.
The Agriculturalist of the Year award is presented to an individual or individuals who have contributed extensively, in a professional capacity, to California’s agricultural industry. Award criteria stipulates the individual or individuals must have demonstrated leadership and clearly represented the industry over a number of years in one or more of the following areas: finance, government, production agriculture, education, labor, research, communications, trade and public service.
As a couple, Bill and Carol Chandler, contribute to the education and growth of the agriculture industry by serving the farming community in a variety of roles. Each in their own right continue to serve at local and statewide levels. Their peers recognize their commitment and leadership. “They are a dynamic couple who have demonstrated a true commitment to not only farming, but to family and their community,” said Cathleen Galgiani, State Senator.
“They truly are an unmatched duo when it comes to participating in leadership roles to articulate the value and need of the marvelous bounty of food, fiber and fauna that our state produces,” said Barry Bedwell, California Agriculture Leadership Foundation.
Bill is a third-generation farmer in Fresno County. Bill and Carol grow grapes, peaches, plums, nectarines and almonds on the family farm in Fresno County, which was founded in the 1880s by Bill’s grandfather, W.F. Chandler. Their sons, John and Tom, recently joined the family farming business.
Bill, a graduate of the University of California, Davis in Agriculture Production has had a long history of involvement in California agriculture. He has served and continues to serve and be recognized on a number of boards and commissions over the years, including:
California Association of Winegrape Growers, Nisei Farmers League, Fresno County Farm Bureau, California Cling Peach Advisory Board, Freestone Peach Association, California Fresh Fruit Association, U.C. Davis Foundation Board, U.C. Davis Fresno County Alumni Scholarship Chair, Cal Aggie Alumni Association Director, and U.C. President’s Agriculture Advisory Committee.
A graduate of Class 6 of the California Agriculture Leadership Program, Bill is also involved in his community as a board member of the Sequoia Council of Boy Scouts of America and is the recipient of the Silver Beaver award.
Carol is a partner in Chandler Farms. Carol is actively engaged in the business administration portion of the farming operation. Prior to joining the family farm, Carol taught in the San Joaquin Valley, including Fresno City College. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Davis, and her Master’s Degree from California State University, Fresno.
Carol is a past State President of California Women for Agriculture, a member of the Board of Directors of Western Growers Association, Fresno State Board of Governors, the Central Valley Community Foundation and American Agri-Women. She is also a member of the CSU Fresno Water Task Force and serves on the UC President’s Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources. Carol previously served on the California State University Board of Trustees, University of California Board of Regents, California Post-Secondary Education Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture Advisory Committee on Emerging Markets, Grape & Tree Fruit League, and the Fresno County Fair Board.
Recognized by the California State Legislature as Woman of the Year in 1992 and 2002, Carol has further been acknowledged for her outstanding contributions to agriculture and education as the recipient of the Tapestry Award presented by Common Threads for outstanding achievements in agriculture, and as the Agriculturalist of the Year by the Fresno County Chamber of Commerce.
The Chandlers will formally be honored at the California State Fair Gala, an evening supporting the California agriculture award winners and the Friends of the California State Fair scholarship program on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Those interested in attending and honoring Bill and Carol Chandler can purchase tickets at https://calexpostatefair.com/gala/.
Dr. Timothy Artlip, a Plant Physiologist with the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV, was recently interviewed in the USDA-ARS 
In celebrating the tradition and innovation of the State’s number one industry, agriculture, the California State Fair Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Agricultural Advisory Council, selects Bill and Carol Chandler as the Agriculturalists of the Year.