Ag Banquet a Hit with Honorees

NOVEMBER 2006 - Hundreds of friends and admirers gathered to celebrate the honorees of the San Joaquin County Ag Hall of Fame 2006. The tables were wonderfully decorated by the California Women for Agriculture, the wine graciously donated by Kautz Ironstone Vineyards and the dinner expertly prepared by Tommy Joyce of Top Flight Café/

With great pleasure and awe, we honored the following recipients for their lifelong devotion and dedication to the agricultural industry:

Larry Mettler began his career in farming in 1970 when he joined his father, Carl, and his brother, Jim farming the family property. Larry and his wife Charlene later started a vineyard management company, Arbor Vineyards, Incorporated. Larry would be one of the first farmers in Lodi to purchase a mechanical grape harvester. Larry and his family ran a small family fruit stand at their home, selling only fruits and vegetables they grew on the ranch themselves. Arbor Gardens was well known in various produce markets for their sweet corn, tree fruit grapes and tomatoes. Larry was one of the founding members of the Lodi Woodbridge Wine Grape Commission and served as its President as well as being a member of the BIF Program (Biologically Integrated Farming). Recently, Larry in partnership with wife Charlene and children Kimberly, Kelli and Adam, started Mettler Family Vineyards, a family winery operation, producing award winning wines distributed in many states. Their vineyards include Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Merlot, Primotivo, Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah.

George Perry, Sr. Born 1918 to immirant parents from the Azores Islands, George Perry Sr. made his life working the lands of San Joaquin County. George spent much of his childhood helping his father Delphino work the family dairy farm. Those childhood lessons would lay the foundation of what would become George Perry and Sons, Inc. The small family operation expanded quickly into row and field crops including watermelons, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, beans, alfalfa, and grain. The family enterprise’s growth allowed George to begin growing new varieties of watermelon and pumpkins as well as implement pioneering new farming techniques such as drip irrigation and watermelon production. The farm’s success has allowed George to provide more jobs for the community and for a fourth generation of the Perry family.

David Phippen grew up farming almonds with his family in Ripon. During high school, he was heavily involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and ran his own hog production operation. After his commitment to the Reserves ended, David joined his brother Scott to farm their father’s 140 acres of almonds, and began custom backhoe and irrigation system installation operations. The pair also ran a hulling operation, TAP, owned by David’s father and two uncles. The operation included hulling their own production and custom harvest and hulling work for other farmers. In 1975, David and Scott formed the Phippen Brothers partnership and purchased their first 20 acre almond orchard. In 1980 David, Scott and their cousin Bud Travaille took over TAP and built a new hulling plant at their operation’s current headquarters on Graves Road in Manteca

Grant Thompson was born April 21, 1947 in Stockton. While growing up Grant worked on the family farm with his father and grandfather. He attended high school in Escalon where he played football, swam and was a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA). One of the most pivotal years in Grant’s life was 1970. That was the year he graduated from Cal Poly, married Sandy Straw of San Jose (with whom he would have three children) and he joined his father’s farming operation of row crops and walnuts. Grant took over the operation in 1976 after the death of his father and has continued it as a clean and efficient business.