The Gather Issue
43
The Checkered Past of Tulare County Agriculture Words & Photos provided by Terry Ommen
R
ecently it was announced that Tulare County was the top
Some events are still talked about today. One such event involved
agricultural producer in the nation, producing over $8.6 billion
crop farmers and cattlemen.
worth of products for 2022, beating out neighboring Fresno and Kern counties for the honor. The holder of the number one position changes from year to year, but the three San Joaquin Valley counties are generally at the top of the list. For the last year, statistics show that the big three contributed an amazing 44% of California’s total ag production.
Tulare County has been cattle country since it was established. As early as 1853, cattle were driven into the county, lured by expansive open grazing land. During the same time, farmers were beginning to plant crops, especially wheat, in the fertile soil, all helped by plenty of water and a climate that allowed all-year planting and harvesting. Early on, the farmers and cattlemen co-existed with relatively small
Based on these numbers, agriculture clearly plays a huge role in
herds and crops. But as both increased in size, so did the conflicts.
present-day Tulare County, but this is not just a recent phenomenon.
More and more range animals were devouring the farmers’ crops.
Agronomy (or soil management and crop production) and all things related, have been part of Tulare County history since around the time the county began, in 1852. In 1854, for example, San Francisco’s Daily Alta California newspaper reported that farmers were flocking to Tulare County, and added that according to their sources, the county was “one of the best agricultural and grazing counties in the state.” Besides having historically high production numbers, the county boasts many farm-related achievements as well, including the invention of the steam harvester by Lindsay area farmer, George Stockton Berry. But the county’s agricultural history has had dark times too, with fights, trespassing, and killings—and plenty of unwanted attention.
George Stockton Berry’s steam harvester was a major improvement over the horse or mule-drawn implement.
The conflicts were not just in Tulare County, so in 1874, California lawmakers created a law requiring cattlemen to confine their herds behind fences, allowing farmers to grow their crops undisturbed. Obviously, the farmers were happy with the legislation, but the stockmen were not. In Tulare County, enforcement of the new law was lax, and livestock continued to trample and eat crops. Farmers felt helpless. In one incident in 1878, some Tulare County farmers took drastic action. They herded about 70 trespassing cattle near the Tule River, and shot and killed them. No arrests were ever made. Tulare County survived the conflict, but it was painful. A good number of the stockmen moved their families and herds out of the
