THE MAKING OF A MEDIA STAR

For 40 years, farmer Fred Starrh toiled in anonymity, raising cotton, alfalfa and almonds on his remote ranch in western Kern County. But then came February, when the state shut off deliveries of water to agriculture. Suddenly, Starrh was in the spotlight, besieged by reporters moved by his predicament and impressed by his knowledge, sincerity and no-nonsense style. In the last two months, Starrh has appeared in the following media: NEWSPAPERS Los Angeles Times New York Times USA Today Sacramento Bee Fresno Bee Oakland Tribune Arizona Republic San Francisco Chronicle Bakersfield Californian Associated Press MAGAZINES Time Newsweek Progressive Farmer RADIO National Public Radio The Rush Limbaugh Show TELEVISION Today (NBC) The World Tonight (ABC) CNN Sunday Morning (CBS)

IN STARRH’S WORDS

“When I hear the environmentalists saying we shouldn’t be growing cotton or alfalfa, well that makes me mad. Those are good crops, they create real jobs and real money. It’s not like I’m selling hamburgers to my neighbor.”

--Responding to critics who say those crops use too much water to be grown here.

“To me, we’re at war and we’re losing and somehow we’ve got to do something to get into the battle. Maybe by speaking out, getting our message out, I can help.”

--On the need for new state water facilities to prevent future droughts.

“The politicians . . . all want to know who my press agent is. I have a good friend on the (Kern County) Board of Supervisors and he’s always giving me a hard time, asking me what my secret is. Some people think I’m trying to aggrandize myself, but I’m not. It just keeps on building.”

--On the avalanche of media attention he has received.