Young Farmer Dolce Calandra on Keeping a California Family Farm Going

On a recent episode of the AgNet News Hour, Dolce Calandra of Wildwood Packing and Cooling joined the show from Kingsburg, California, for a conversation about what it takes to keep a family farming operation moving forward in an increasingly difficult environment.

Calandra is a fourth-generation farmer whose family operation stretches from farming to packing and cold storage. He grew up working in the fields, thinning and picking fruit and driving tractors before eventually taking on a larger role at the packing house. Today, the operation handles stone fruit and citrus, with roughly 800 acres under production, including about 200 acres of citrus.

That vertical integration gives Calandra a firsthand look at challenges throughout the supply chain. One of those is the cost of operating cold storage in California.

“The ugly probably is the cost,” Calandra said. “Electricity in California and utilities in California, it’s not cheap.” Even with solar, he said the operation continues to face substantial utility bills.

Water presents another challenge. Calandra described one family block caught up in groundwater management issues in Kings County, where fees and penalties are adding another layer of uncertainty to an already expensive business.

Labor costs, regulations and the expense of new technology are also shaping decisions. Calandra sees automation as part of agriculture's future, but said investing in it can be a major gamble for a smaller family operation. A large upfront investment followed by one bad crop year could put the entire business at risk.

Despite those pressures, Calandra remains committed to agriculture.

“The goal for my family is keep this going for the guy that made it. And that’s our grandpa, Mark,” he said. Calandra hopes to eventually pass the operation down to his own children, just as previous generations kept it going for him.

For Calandra, that determination extends beyond his own farm. His message to California agriculture is to keep sharing knowledge and working together, particularly as a new generation steps into the industry.

Listen to the full interview below or on your favorite podcast app.