Every February, Tulare County welcomes farmers and agriculture industry specialists from all over the world to our agronomically robust community for the World Ag Expo. Filled with technology, product demonstrations, and everything else deemed the latest and greatest in agriculture, the World Ag Expo is a horticultural mecca.

In light of this upcoming community event, Valley Response Magazine has reserved its cover feature this issue for the topic of agricultural crime, particularly that going on right here in Tulare County. For the article, writer Aaron Collins got together with ag crime specialist Sgt. Robert Schimpf of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department and Tulare County Farm Bureau Executive Director Tricia Stevers to find out what is driving this problem and what is being done to deter and apprehend ag crime offenders in our area.

For the cover shot, photographer David Swann along with his wife, Susan, met Sheriff Bill Whitman, Sgt. Robert Schimpf, and Butch Gist at Gist Farms in Tulare for a look at the type of setting that has recently become a growing location for ag property crimes.

Although it was scheduled to rain the day of our shoot, David was able to finish the shoot mere minutes before the beginning of what turned into a weekend-long storm. As always, we appreciate his and Susan’s wonderful work.

Talent: On the cover Butch Gist (left), owner and operator at Gist Farms; Sheriff Bill Whitman.