This is John Ivancovich. He started with TriCal in 1989. John grew up on a fruit orchard in Cupertino, where his family raised apricots, prunes and cherries. John and his wife bought their own local farm in 1988 and planted their first cherry orchard in 1990.

They now grow cherries and hay. With his education (John has a BS in Civil Engineering and an MBA) and 30 years of experience, John handled a variety of responsibilities at TriCal: facilities planning, government affairs, safety support, and environmental compliance. John recently retired to focus on the family farm.

The best part about growing is…

– Customer appreciation for both of our crops.
– Sometimes when I am out in the orchard or field, the weather, flora and fauna are heavenly – making all of the work a real delight.
-When our children and grandchildren show up to help during harvest, or, when just visiting, running the fruit stand, and enjoying the place.
-The peace and quiet of living in the country. The stars are bright and beautiful.

The hardest part about growing is…

Weed control and having to spray the orchard at night. It must be done then, because the work must be done after the wind dies down – often, I end up spraying until 2:00am, then, getting a shower and some sleep.

Where does your TriCal world overlap with your farming world?

I have a good understanding of what growers need, and, how TriCal’s services are so important to them, and, what TriCal can do to support them.

Do you fumigate?

Yes, and, would not replant an orchard without doing so. I have encouraged my local farming friends to do the same, to their great benefit and appreciation. You get better growth response, and, earlier and greater production of quality fruit.