As a consultant who aids farmers in rooting out pests, Gaddie finds himself taking on more work at a time when he’d like to do less. He plans to retire in a few years, and says that with fewer young people entering the profession, his clients will be hard-pressed to find a replacement. (Irfan Khan / LAT)
It’s been said that the almond tree brings forth its fruit in silence; one of the duties of agriculture specialists such as Gaddie is to listen for whatever signals they can detect about the health of such trees. (Irfan Khan / LAT)
Patrick Dosier, 22, a student at Cal Poly Pomona, sees a future in the agriculture business. I think some people are figuring out that [agriculture is] the basis of the economy, and if its healthy, everybodys healthy, he says. (Irfan Khan / LAT)
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Dosier harvests watermelon on an experimental organic farm affiliated with Cal Poly Pomona. (Irfan Khan / LAT)
Behind every farmer in the field, theres a whole line of merchants and scientists that support that farmer, says Fred Roth, a professor of plant pathology at Cal Poly Pomona. But were aging out, and there isnt a group of people coming up to take our places. (Irfan Khan / LAT)
Gaddie uses a magnifying glass to searches for tiny bugs on a leaf. (Irfan Khan / LAT)
