California Farmer facts for kids
 |
|
| Editor | Len Richardson |
|---|---|
| Categories | agricultural |
| Frequency | twice a month (except: monthly in July, August, and December) |
| Circulation | approx. 55,000 (peak) |
| Publisher | Jack T. Pickett |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Final issue | April 2013 |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Based in | San Francisco |
| Language | English |
California Farmer was a very important magazine for farmers in California. It was published from 1854 to 2013, which is over 150 years! For most of that time, it was the top farming magazine in the state.
Contents
Discovering the History of California Farmer Magazine
This magazine helped farmers learn new ways to grow crops and raise animals. It shared important information about agriculture in California.
How California Farmer Magazine Started
California Farmer was created in 1854 by a man named Col. James LaFayette Warren. He was born in Britain and had moved to California in 1849. Before starting the magazine, he tried looking for gold. He noticed that many miners were getting sick because they didn't eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables. This sickness is called scurvy.
Because of this, Warren decided to start a seed business in Sacramento. He became very interested in helping farming grow in California. This led him to launch California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences. It was the very first farming magazine on the West Coast!
Warren worked with his son, John Quincy Adams Warren, who was the magazine's editor. They wanted to reach educated farmers who were often successful in other jobs before becoming farmers. Together, they made California Farmer a respected magazine, just like other famous farming publications of the time.
Magazines That Joined California Farmer
Over the years, California Farmer became very strong. Many other farming magazines eventually joined with it. This shows how important and long-lasting California Farmer was. Some of the magazines that merged with it included:
- The Rural Californian
- Golden State Farmer
- Livestock and Dairy Journal
- Pacific Rural Press
- California Cultivator
Pacific Rural Press: Another Important Farming Magazine
Pacific Rural Press was another major farming magazine in California. It started in 1871. Two printers from Massachusetts, Alfred T. Dewey and Warren B. Ewer, created it to help promote farming in California.
Key Facts About Pacific Rural Press
- It started as a weekly magazine, meaning it came out every week. Later, it became biweekly (every two weeks).
- Between 1875 and 1889, it took over several other magazines.
- In 1875, a scientist who studied crops, Edward J. Wickson, became its editor. He held that job for 48 years! He later became the dean of the University of California's College of Agriculture.
- The magazine changed its name a few times.
- Finally, in 1940, Pacific Rural Press joined with California Farmer.
A Scholarship for Future Farmers
One of the editors of Pacific Rural Press was John Pickett. His son, Jack T. Pickett, later became the publisher of California Farmer for 34 years. After Jack T. Pickett passed away in 1988, a special scholarship was created in his name. The Jack T. Pickett Agricultural Scholarship helps students at the University of California, Davis, who want to work in agriculture.
California Cultivator: A Magazine's Journey
California Cultivator also had a long history before it joined California Farmer. It began in 1889 as Poultry in California, focusing on chickens and other birds.
How California Cultivator Changed Over Time
- In 1892, its name changed to California Cultivator and Poultry Keeper.
- By 1900, it was simply called California Cultivator.
- In 1914, it merged with Rural Californian.
- Rural Californian itself had an even older history, starting as Southern California Horticulturist in 1877.
- California Cultivator stopped publishing on its own in 1948 and merged with California Farmer.
