It was an evening of celebration on Thursday, Oct. 19 at a dinner hosted at the Robert Cabral Ag Center in Stockton. There, six new members were inducted into the San Joaquin County Agricultural Hall of Fame.
The 2023 San Joaquin Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductees were: Dr. Marit Arana, A.L. Gilbert Company; Eugene “Gene” Wallom, Lodi Farming Inc.; Marden Wilbur, Lane Ranches; Edward “Eddie” Alfred Zuckerman, Zuckerman Family Farms; and posthumous honorees Marc R. Marchini and Chester “Bud” Rolland Murphy.
“The San Joaquin County Ag Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed so much to a great part of our heritage. Our Agricultural Hall of Fame marks the efforts and history of those who have gone before, those who have graced our homes and enriched our hearts and those who in the days past laid the foundation upon which we build for today and tomorrow,” said Timm Quinn, CEO, Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce “The agricultural community is a wonderful example of people working together and continuing a tradition that has been handed down throughout the years from people who had to sacrifice a great deal, both personally and physically, to nurture our land and our community.”
Honoree Bios:
Dr. Marit Arana
Dr. Marit Arana’s journey into agriculture exemplifies dedication and passion. Despite a non-agricultural background, her love for horses ignited at an early age. Determined to own a horse, she saved $200 by age 8, a promise her parents honored, marking the beginning of her lifelong agricultural involvement.
Arana’s educational pursuit culminated in a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from the University of Arizona. Post-graduation, she returned to California, working for the University of California Cooperative Extension as the Dairy Farm Advisor for San Joaquin, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano and Contra Costa Counties.
She joined the A.L. Gilbert Company as a nutritionist, and swiftly rose to Head of the Nutrition Department. Her expertise in animal nutrition extended to serving as the National President for the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) in 2008-2009. She also has played a pivotal role as Chairman of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Feed Inspection Advisory Board since September 2013.
Eugene “Gene” Wallom
Eugene “Gene” Wallom, born in 1936 in New Glarus, Wisconsin, where he grew up helping his father on his farms from a very young age. Through his hard work and dedication, Wallom landed a job and formed a partnership with Dino Cortopassi to from Donco Farm Equipment. This was the beginning of a 55-year partnership.
In 1988, the two founded Lodi Farming Inc., a vineyard and orchard operation. They made significant innovations in agriculture, such as double cropping of wheat and kidney beans, no-till farming practices, center pivots, and the invention of a tomato vine trainer. They also built over-the-row equipment for vineyards, allowing two rows to be sprayed, dusted, or trimmed with one pass. Wallom was one of the first to plant apples in San Joaquin County, planting the first orchard of Fuji in 1987. Soon Lodi Farming Inc. transformed into the largest apple grower in California.
He has been a member of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau for over 60 years, serving as a volunteer project leader for the Alpine Victor 4-H Club. He has been a strong supporter of the San Joaquin County Junior Livestock Auction and has been a charter member of the Early Days Gas Engines and Tractors Association.
Marden Wilber
Marden Wilber, a graduate of University of California, Davis, has found success by embracing new ideas, working with others, and giving back to his community. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, he owned and operated the El Mar Angus herd of purebred Angus cattle. In 1969, he was awarded the American Angus Association’s “Picture Bull of the Breed” and was named California’s Outstanding Young Farmer.
In 1978, he established a partnership with his father-in-law Kenneth Lane. They started Lane Ranches, a successful cow-calf and stocker operation. In 2003, Wilber was honored as the California Livestock Man of the Year at the 59th Grand National Rodeo, Horse, and Stock Show. He is a leader in environmental stewardship. He originated and directed flood control projects, and implemented an Agricultural Water Conservation Program.
Edward “Eddie” Alfred Zuckerman
Edward Alfred Zuckerman, known as “Eddie”, is a third-generation farmer from the San Joaquin County Delta. His journey in agriculture began after earning a bachelor’s in business, when he joined his father in cultivating potatoes on McDonald Island. In 1978, his vision diversified the family business as he introduced turf grass, founding the Delta Bluegrass Company.
Since then, Zuckerman’s farming enterprise has thrived, expanding to around 8,000 acres with diverse crops such as sod, potatoes, corn, rice, almonds, wine grapes, wheat, barley, alfalfa, and sunflowers. Zuckerman Farms is now one of California’s largest potato growers and packers, serving local, national, and international markets. Delta Bluegrass Company, which he nurtured, is the largest sod grower in Northern California, acclaimed for its premium products. He employs nearly 700 people annually, primarily in San Joaquin County.
Marc R. Marchini
Marc R. Marchini was born on Dec. 15, 1941 in San Francisco, California and passed away Aug. 7, 2018. He had a lasting impact on his brother, daughter, grandchildren, countless students and the community. Throughout high school Marchini was involved with FFA and later attended Modesto Junior College. After some time at Fresno State he returned to Union Island to work in the family farming operation headed by his father and uncle.
In 1983, Marchini, his brother Paul, and father Angelo formed A. Marchini & Sons (later becoming A.M. Farms) where they predominantly grew asparagus and wine grapes. Throughout his career he participated in numerous research initiatives with the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) helping to improve asparagus cultivation practices, varietal development, pest and disease eradication, and mechanization.
On the state level, he was involved in the California Asparagus Growers Association and creation of the California Asparagus Commission where he served as Chairman. Nationally, he represented the California asparagus industry by serving as a member of the National Asparagus Council.
Chester “Bud” Rolland Murphy
Chester “Bud” Rolland Murphy, grew up in Telegraph City on his family cattle ranch and passed away on Feb. 22, 1991. Growing up he worked on the family Cow Calf operation while attending Bret Harte High School in Angels Camp, California.
Soon after graduation, he attended Stockton College, where he studied and obtained a degree in math and engineering. Murphy was drafted into the United States Army after college, where he completed four years of service. When he returned home, he helped run his family’s beef cattle ranches.
In the early 1940’s, the family expanded their cattle operation to San Joaquin County. This move gave Murphy the opportunity to use his engineering degree to develop the grasslands around Farmington into irrigated farmland that is still used today. He also used his engineering education to build over 20 reservoirs and stock ponds with the cooperation of the California Department of Water Resources. These stock ponds were not only used on his own ranches, but also for neighboring ranchers in his community. He understood the importance of water storage in this state and served as a longtime, founding member of the Central San Joaquin Water Conservation District.
At heart, Murphy was a cattle rancher, and in the 1970s and ‘80s, he developed a purebred polled Hereford herd. He was one of the first breeders to improve his herd using embryo transplants which won him many champions at major shows throughout California and all over the United States.
Through all of this he saw the benefits to raising children within the agricultural community. With his wife Erna and their four children, he was a generous supporter of both the Farmington 4-H Club and the Escalon FFA Chapter. He encouraged his own children to be active members in both organizations and he continued to support them well after his family was aged out of the programs and into his later years.
