Growers moving forward in face of uncertainty

STOCKTON — It is unclear what the impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on agriculture in San Joaquin County but those who work in the industry are determined to move forward under the "new normal."

"I don't see gloom and doom at all. I see a vibrant California wine business," said Gale Sysock, vice president of the Custom Resource Group, which manages inventory for Delicato Family Vineyards.

"Our focus is on wines that are affordable to the consumer, so we are heavily in grocery stores and clubs and that kind of offering at a premium level," he said. "That's our sweet spot."

Sysock said sales are strong across the board. The same phenomena of strong sales during tough economic times occurred in 2008 when the country was gripped by a recession, he said.

"At that point, people discovered Delicato makes a very good wine that's affordable and they stuck with you," Sysock said. "It's that reliability. The Lodi zone is a premium area for grapes that fit right into the sweep spot for people trading up or people trading down."

Wine is just one component of the county's agricultural sector.

Each product and commodity that comprises the county's gross value of agricultural production valued at more than $2.6 billion in 2018 serves its own market and has its own challenges. But overall, Bruce Blodgett with the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation has concerns.

"You have some people that are hurting pretty badly," he said.

There is so much uncertainty facing thousands of thousands of people whose lives depend on the hundreds of agricultural products in San Joaquin County, the seventh-largest producer of agriculture in the state, according to the San Joaquin Council of Governments. Many producers were facing significant price pressure due to regulations and imports prior to the pandemic, Blodgett said. Now, with markets closed or restricted due to COVID-19 and the resulting financial strain on families to keep their operations running, these are stressful times for many growers and farmers.

"We're looking at farmers going out of business and us losing some major assets to San Joaquin County," Blodgett said.