Joe Scoto is one of our newest directors who will be highlighted in this month’s Farm News. Joe was previously a Director back in the early ninety’s when Mike Wade was the executive director. Recently, neighbors Louie Bandoni, Dan DeWees and family friend Joe Maiorino lobbied him to return to the board of directors by taking him out to a Wool Growers lunch with much convincing, Joe obliged.

Joe has been involved in agriculture his entire life. His grandfather had a dairy in Orange County where he was born. He moved the dairy to Merced in 1965 and sold the cows in 1979, later Joe and his brother leased the ranch from their family.

Today, Joe farms with both of his brothers, Augie and Rick. Together they farm almonds, fresh market and process tomatoes, corn, alfalfa, wheat and barley. They farm under two entities, Scoto Brothers Farming, Inc and Brookhurst Farms. The origin of the name Brookhurst Farms comes from the drive in dairy that his grandfather had. Joe is also part owners in Central California Tomato Grower’s where they pack, sell and ship the fresh market tomatoes. “There is nothing more gratifying than having the entire family involved in the business, working hard, and growing a crop knowing it helped feed someone or something,” Joe added.

Joe and his wife Kathy have been married for 25 years and have two children, Loren a senior at Cal Poly and Stephanie who will attend Fresno State in the fall.

In his spare time Joe is a collector of milk bottles and advertisements from Merced county. He also collects farm toys and restores antique tractors. He belongs to a locally renowned group, the R.A.T.T. PACK (Restorers of Antique Trucks and Tractors). “We take the tractors to the Antique Farm Equipment show in Tulare, the Fourth of July parade in Atwater and the Merced Fair every year,” Joe noted. Joe is also involved in other organizations including serving as a board member for the McSwain Union School District, Buhach Colony Ag Advisory Committee, Buhach Colony FFA Farm Power Coach, Member and Past President of the Merced County Historical Society, Young Men’s Institute, and the Merced Irrigation MIDAC Committee.

It’s a common occurrence for Joe to be confused with his identical twin Augie. For those of you who haven’t had the awkward encounter of mistaken identity we wanted to clarify, Joe does have a twin brother. It seems to be an common occurrence for the brothers, Joe explained “If you ever see my brother Augie ask him what happened at the 2010 Merced County Fair when a certain defeated supervisor thought Augie was me,” Joe merrily stated.

When asked what issues Joe sees facing agriculture in the near future he felt immigration, water and land use are at the top of the list. Joe believes that farmers and ranchers cannot produce safe and inexpensive products without a reliable workforce. As for the ever increasing water issues Joe says, “If we build more storage we would have enough to make power, irrigate our crops and supply thirsty cities. With the technology we have today through irrigation systems, GPS and new varieties, today’s farmers use a lot less water than in the past…yet farmers are first to be cut.” High Speed Rail is a detrimental concern of Joe’s with regard to land use issues in the near future because he believes the destruction of highly productive ag will be inevitable. “The supporters of High Speed Rail want to go through ag land because it’s easy, cheap and they feel the opposition may not come in such great force to oppose them.”

Joe believes Farm Bureau is one of the only powerful voices farmers have. “My interest is to educate people that are not aware of what agriculturalist do. We are not only growing and producing good quality food but explaining and educating society that farmers do not harm the environment or do things illegally. Weather organic or conventional, farmers are true stewards of the earth because they depend on it to make a living. We cannot lose an organization like Farm Bureau; it is the voice of reason and educational understanding for some who cannot understand what farm living is about.”

If you see Joe, and not Augie, around town let him know you read all about him in this month’s Farm News!