‘A beautiful, humble life’: Modesto gathering honors latest Farmworker of the Year
Gonzalo Torres has spent the past 43 years helping Braden Farms become a key player in the almond industry.
On Tuesday, he received the Farmworker of the Year award from the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau and its co-sponsors. They created the honor last year to recognize people who kept producing food amid COVID-19. It continues as the pandemic eases.
Torres, 64, is part of the largely Latino workforce that has helped make Stanislaus one of the nation’s leading farm counties. He has done irrigation, pruning, pesticide spraying and other tasks for Braden. It is based in Hughson and has about 15,000 acres of almonds.
The honoree, now a soon-to-retire supervisor, was nominated by daughter Vanessa Torres.
“He is a strong example of the American dream,” she wrote. “Some people make excuses as to why they can’t make it. He came here not knowing the language and with very little possessions, and through hard work, he has built his legacy within our family. Farming is really hard work, but its reward is such a beautiful, humble life.”
The award was presented at the weekly meeting of Modesto Rotary at the DoubleTree Hotel. The service club joined with AgSafe, a nonprofit involved with farm employee safety, in co-sponsoring it.
Four other nominees were recognized:
- Second place: Fidel Torres, who has worked for 44 years for Riddle Ranches, an almond huller and sheller near Waterford
- Third: Federico “Freddy” Ochoa, who has worked for 40 years for Wenger Ranch, which grows walnuts and almonds west of Modesto
- Honorable mention: Raudel Mata, a three-year employee of Gold Leaf Farms. Its operations include almonds in Stanislaus County.
- Honorable mention: Jose Martinez, a 20-year employer of Five Rings Harvesting. It is based in Turlock and serves the almond industry.
The 2021 winner was Razo Barron, an orchard supervisor for Beard’s Quality Nut Co., which grows and processes walnuts and almonds.
