Submitted by Jillian on Sat, 08/10/2013 - 1:41am
Jeff Eubanks is a long-time field supervisor for Kingsburg Orchards. He has been a farmer his whole life and has dedicated many years working for George Jackson. He enjoys fishing with his wife Colette. When he’s not working in Kingsburg he farms a small ranch east of Dinuba that has been in the family for 3/4 of a century. He has grown a variety of fruits on that land, most recently Peaches and Nectarines. He plans to plant cherries in 2013.
How long have you worked for Kingsburg Orchards?
It has been 20 years as of January 2013. I started in the Apple shed with Robert Cepeda for my first 2 years, before they built the new facility. When George Jackson expanded his farming operation I then started as a field supervisor working with Terry McCaig.
What do you do for Kingsburg Orchards?
Manage crews - supervise pruning, thinning, and picking operations for George Jackson. In the spring, during Apple Pear thinning, we typically employ up to 80 crews - more than 1600 workers. March is really my busiest time of year because the Apple Pears need to be thinned within a 2 week period.
How did you get into farming?
Started with my Grandfather farming Cotton, Corn, and barley. I was driving tractor once my feet could reach the clutch, around 5 or 6 years old. I was raised on the farm and we grew everything from row crops and berries to stone fruit and Asian Pears.
What is one of your best memories while working for Kingsburg Orchards over the last 20 years?
When I started with the company, George’s grandsons Ryan and Matt were just young children and they were around the same age as my son. They played sports at Kingsburg and Immanuel high schools and played against my son sometimes at Dinuba - I lost a few lunch bets with Mike Jackson while our sons were in High School... George’s grandsons are now successful growers themselves and my son has become part of the sales team at Kingsburg Orchards marketing the Jackson’s fruit. It has been a blessing to see the next generation grow and mature, and help take the company forward.