Oral History Center University of California the Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Copyright © 2020 by the Regents Of
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Oral History Center University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Lawrence Sambado Lawrence Sambado: A Life and Business in California Agriculture Interviews conducted by Todd Holmes in 2017, 2018, 2019 Copyright © 2020 by The Regents of the University of California Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley ii Since 1953 the Oral History Center of The Bancroft Library, formerly the Regional Oral History Office, has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Lawrence Sambado dated May 16, 2017. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. For information regarding quoting, republishing, or otherwise using this transcript, please consult http://ucblib.link/OHC-rights. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Lawrence Sambado, “Lawrence Sambado: A Life and Business in California Agriculture” conducted by Todd Holmes in 2017, 2018, 2019, Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2020. Copyright © 2020 by The Regents of the University of California Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley iii Lawrence Sambado and Beverly Boggiano Sambado Courtesy of Sambado Family Copyright © 2020 by The Regents of the University of California Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley iv Abstract Lawrence Sambado is an agriculturalist in Linden, California. Born in 1938, he is the head of Sambado and Sons, an operation that specializes in the growing, packing, and marketing of walnuts, cherries, and apples under their Primavera and Prima Frutta labels. He is a graduate of UC Davis, where he earned a degree in Pomology before returning to Linden to join his father in the family business. Under Lawrence’s direction, the operations of Sambado and Sons expanded significantly, becoming one of the largest operations of cherries and walnuts in California. In this interview, Lawrence discusses the history of the Sambado and Boggiano families; the farming community of Linden; the practices of walnut and cherry growing and how such practices have changed over the decades; as well as the growth of the family business and the challenges faced today in the new era of agriculture. Copyright © 2020 by The Regents of the University of California Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley v Table of Contents Interview 1: March 2, 2017 Hour 1 1 Sambado family immigration from Italy — Father’s WWI history — Father’s memories, learning English in San Francisco — Purchase of Crystal Market — Uncle’s bootlegging business — Store survival during Depression era — Father’s storeroom during WWII — Mother, Marie Laura Lagomarsino’s background — Memories of grandfather — Early family life in San Francisco — Early education, Catholic school — Move to Linden, California, 1946 — Father’s decision to pursue farming — Community in Linden Hour 2 20 Relationship with the Italian community in Linden — Catholic Church presence in town — Visiting San Diego with a priest — Logistics of farming, distribution and packing — Childhood in Linden — Trip to Italy, meeting people coming to Linden — Growing up in an Italian household — First time working on the ranch — Family recipes, making wine — Planting traditions, Farmer’s Almanac — Farming weather, smudge pots — Memories of high school, wanting to play football Interview 2: March 29, 2017 Hour 1 37 Undergraduate years at UC Davis, 1955-1959 — Major in pomology, or plant science — Theta Xi at Davis — Work of balancing school and family life — Memories of fraternity life — Agricultural education versus real world experience — Meeting future wife, Beverly— Bob Sutter, joining the Coast Guard — Marriage, 1960 at the Portuguese Hall — Beverly’s father’s farming background— Richmond-Chase and the Depression — Engagement to Beverly Hour 2 53 Difficulties with selling beans in 1960s — Walnut processing business — Maintaining the family aspect of the business — Mother’s herbal remedies — Staying in the agricultural field — Land grant colleges Interview 3: April 19, 2017 Hour 1 61 Near death experiences as a child — Almost drowning — Dangerous ship journey — Purchase of restaurant, expansion to catering — History with restaurant Copyright © 2020 by The Regents of the University of California Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley vi partner’s family — History of uncles, Aaron and Victor — Stories of uncle’s liquor store — Liquor distribution during Prohibition — Uncle’s capture during WWI— Addition of apples to orchard — Layout of the farm, planting techniques — Time for planting, walnuts, apples, peaches and cherries — History of packing cherries — Current improvements on packing — Transitions in packing technology Hour 2 79 Cold storage, delivery of cherries — Changes in varieties of cherries — Demand of cherries, pruning and production shifts — Removal of pears from planting — Difficulty growing pears in Linden — Diseases and pricing — Cost of replanting — Low and high maintenance crops — History of walnut planting — Packing process for walnuts — The Ward dryer — Advances in walnut drying — Evolution of the trunk shaker — Bruce Purviance — Use of mechanical walnut pickers — Walnut quality issues — Varieties of walnuts, Franquettes, Paynes, Eurekas, Mayettes and Chandlers — Weather’s effect on crops — The Linden Pool, selling walnuts collectively — Work as a negotiator, becoming first salesman for the company — Linden Nut Co. — Switch to cardboard boxes and bagging cherries — Shipping cherries to Japan — Competition between growers Interview 4: June 21, 2017 Hour 1 101 Linden Booster Club — Starting the reverse raffle — Growers’ co-ops in Linden — Selling outside of the co-op — Hartley walnuts— Current relationships between packers — Water on the ranch, well water versus river — Placement of sprinklers, early 70s — Introduction of new regulations — Different types of pesticides — Walnut blight, spraying with copper and bluestone — Complications with spraying — Use of natural pesticides, wasps — Agricultural Pest Control Advisers — Changes in state’s view of agriculture economy — View of agriculture by general population — Labor practices — Work with the Bracero Program — César Chávez and union organizing — Growers’ views of the union — Thoughts on OSHA — Relationship changes between workers and growers — Maintaining loyalty — Business partnership with father — Fear of labor shortages — Cost of farming — Skill set of farmers in modern age Interview 5: July 21, 2017 Hour 1 128 Relationship with father — Learning to prune young trees — Mother’s involvement in the business, her gaibo — Father’s death from overworking — Legacy on the company — Memories of father’s winemaking — Irrigation Copyright © 2020 by The Regents of the University of California Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley vii development — Quality of labor change — Pursual of new technology, interest in business — Expansion of acreage — Lack of incentive to buy — Quality of soil throughout the acres — Shift from growing peaches to apples — Creation of Primavera subsidiary — Purchase of new packing machine, fumigation chambers — Partnership with father-in-law, building a cracking plant — Switch to cardboard crates — Cold storage, 1980s — Benefit of having own fumigation chamber— Change in machinery over time — Maintaining quality of the fruit — Customer base — Major shifts in harvesting practices — Memories of father-in- law — Father-in-law’s stock and market experiences Hour 2 148 Linden Orchard purchase — Various partnerships with father-in-law, restaurant — Contracts with Zinfandel and Beringer wine — Father-in-law’s first farm — Musical side of wife’s family Interview 6: December 14, 2017 Hour 1 152 Sons, Tim and Richard becoming business partners — Expansion of Sambado & Sons — Shift to cracking own walnuts — Daughter, Dorene’s career as a doctor — Son, Tim’s education, work with Ed Shapiro — Primavera, starting the marketing company with son Richard — Tim and Richard’s return to the family business — Turing over Prima Frutta Packing to sons — Ability to ship to Japan from California — Father’s genetic