BY VICKY BOYD

StanCo Farm Bureau

Frank Hernandez wears many hats around Vermeulen Almond Hulling just west of Modesto. He runs the huller and oversees the hulling crew during harvest. He maintains all of the equipment, overhauling machinery during winter. He’s installed irrigation for new orchards, planted new blocks, pulled old orchards, and fabricated and welded platforms for new shelling equipment. He’s also learning about new technology tied to two color sorters the operation recently installed.

“He’s kind of the soul behind all of us,” said owner Paul Vermeulen. “He makes sure everyone has what they need to get going. And talk about knowledge — there’s not a job in almond farming that he hasn’t done.”

On top of that, Hernandez is a confidant and mentor to Vermeulen, and they share the same philosophies of loyalty and faithfulness.

“As a family business, love, care, compassion and kindness have always been how we do things,” Vermeulen said.

Hernandez started working for Vermeulen’s grandfather, Paul Dunlop, in 1980. He has stayed with the family farming operation over the years because of the wide variety of jobs he does as well as the way he’s treated. 

“It’s the respect they give you,” Hernandez said. “They treated me good, so I figure I’d stay here. But all of the Dunlop customers back in the days, they were just as respectful.”

For those reasons and more, Vermeulen nominated Hernandez for the Farm Worker of the Year Award. When Hernandez was told he was selected for the overall top honor, he said he had never been nominated for anything in his life, let alone won.

“For him to nominate me, I feel great, and I want to thank him,” Hernandez said of Vermeulen. 

Now in its fifth year, the Farm Worker of the Year award program was started by the Stanislaus Farm Bureau, AgSafe and the Modesto Rotary Club during the COVID pandemic. They saw it as a way to recognize essential workers vital to producing, harvesting and packing food.

The awards continue today to spotlight the people who help feed and clothe not only Stanislaus County residents but also those elsewhere and around the world. Joining the efforts this year is Central Valley Opportunity Center and Stanislaus County Agricultural Commissioner.  

Hernandez started working part-time for Paul Dunlop during harvest while still in high school. One of his jobs was helping level almonds in the pick-up machines and buggies, since they didn’t have augers. 

He also had a lawn mowing business and would tend his customers along Blue Gum Avenue as he drove to or from the Dunlop farm. Once he graduated, he went full time at the almond operation and eventually gave up his lawn business.

While Hernandez has always had an interest in mechanics from working on vehicles, he learned the agricultural side from Paul Dunlop.

“He was really mechanical, really electrical,” Hernandez said. “I picked up a lot from him. He’s an awesome guy, really respectful. I learned a lot from him working side by side.”

Hernandez’s love of auto mechanics continues today as he works to keep his pride and joy, a gray 1966 Ford F-100 pick-up, running. The truck also reminds him of his father, who had a 1966 Ford truck.

Vermeulen remembers as a 5- or 7-year-old child coming to the family farm and helping Hernandez pull brush for a couple of hours. When Vermeulen began working for Dunlop, he said pulling brush became his responsibility and Hernandez was his boss.

Vermeulen took over the family businesses 13 years ago, and the roles shifted — Hernandez became a mentor. He also has been an integral part of the businesses’ growth.

Currently they include farming almonds, hulling and shelling almonds, and trucking.

In the 1960s, the operation had a single huller wedged into an old cattle milking barn. When Vermeulen decided to expand offerings, he turned to Hernandez to engineer the installation, which involved taking the barn up a story to accommodate new color sorters for the sheller.

As they showed visitors around the operation recently, both joked about how they squeezed all of the machinery into the old barn, thanks in large part to Hernandez’s welding and fabrication skills.

Although the general public may believe almond farming is only a seven- or eight-month endeavor, Vermeulen said that’s not the case at all. Once harvest ends and they’ve hulled and shelled their last nut, maintenance season begins.

“If it’s raining or other people are fishing, we’re in the huller taking it apart,” Vermeulen said.

In the sheller, they’ll repair 200 electric motors, sprockets and other pieces. They’ll also tear into all of the harvesters and sprayers, checking components to try to preempt in-season breakdowns.

Most of their equipment is older and doesn’t have the high-tech electrical and computerized components of today’s machinery. But the recently added color sorters do, and Hernandez has taken it upon himself to learn the technology.

Hernandez has been married to his wife, Sylvia, for nearly 43 years, and they live in Ceres. They have five adult children — three daughters and two sons. Over the years, a couple of them have worked on the farm during harvest.

“They’re good workers,” Vermeulen said, smiling as he wondered where they got their work ethic.

FARM WORKER OF THE YEAR GOLD WINNERS:

— Antonio Arias: Through good times and bad, Antonio Arias has remained dedicated to Durrer Dairy LP near Modesto. He started feeding calves in November 1990 and has taken on numerous tasks over the years. Currently, he is the outside supervisor and assistant 

— Alfred Gomez: For more than half a century, Alfred Gomez has worked for Cox & Perez Farms near Westley and performed every task there is. Currently he tends all farm ground operations.

— Miguel Lopez: For 35 years, Miguel Lopez has harnessed his passion for farming to lead an irrigation team of 10 to 15 workers at Ratto Brothers Inc. near Modesto. In his role at the specialty vegetable operation, Lopez checks various crops and locations and coordinates the team. He’s responsible for all fertigation programs, pump stations and cultivating.

— Jesus Pantoja: For the past 31 years, Jesus Pantoja has worked for Rod Gambini, who grows tree nuts and forage crops near Oakdale. When he’s not irrigating field crops, Pantoja helps out in the walnut huller.

SILVER WINNERS: 

— Maximillano “Max” Camberos: Maximillano “Max” Camberos has an eye for detail, something that comes in handy as an equipment and sweeper operator for Five Rings Harvesting.

— Jorge Mercado: Having worked for three generations of the Bays family near Westley — most recently as equipment foreman — Jorge Mercado has become known for his quiet get-it-down attitude.

— Hector Ruiz: As the irrigation supervisor in charge of a crew of three at Cox & Perez Farms near Westley, Hector Ruiz is the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave in the evening. An employee for 30 years, he manages irrigation schedules and maintains all pumps, motors and elevator screens.

HONORABLE MENTION:

— Juan Acosta: Over the past 10 years, Juan Acosta has moved up through the ranks of Five Rings Harvesting, a custom-harvesting business near Westley. Currently, he is harvesting supervisor and manages 12 employees and all harvesting equipment. 

— Jesse Camarena: For the past 42 years, Jesse Camarena has embraced a quest for quality, first as a shop manager and now as field division supervisor, manager of labor and bareroot tree production, at Dave Wilson Nursery in Hickman. 

— Tristan Vos: Winters Farming has traditionally grown almonds but more recently has expanded into walnuts, pistachios and grapes. During the past two seasons, they added vegetables to the mix. With each new crop, the company’s farm manager and pest control advisor Tristan Vos took it upon himself to learn not only new pest management practices but also new production techniques.