J. G. Boswell was anything but a simple cowboy

On our web site in late April we noted the death of J.G. Boswell, whose name is synonymous with California cotton and, for better or worse, corporate agriculture.

If you've ever traveled in the the state's San Joaquin Valley then you probably drove by, on or near land in Boswell's holdings, especially if you were in parts of Kings and Kern Counties on the southern end of the SJV. Though referred to as a ranch, the word operation is more appropriate. And this giant agribusiness entity is just as multi-faceted as Boswell, himself, who took over the family business at 29 from his uncle. Boswell died in April of this year at 86. His legacy as a success was as recognized as was his penchant for privacy.

He liked to be viewed as a simple cowboy. In reality, he was a graduate in Economics from Stanford University and sat on the board of General Electric as well as other corporations. He was born in Greensboro, Georgia, before the family moved to California.

Despite his Southeastern roots, he became part of the very power structure of California, marrying the daughter of Harry Chandler, Los Angeles Times Publisher and real estate baron. Boswell further built real estate interests in suburban and urban settings, but he will forever be linked to the SJV holdings. Today, J.G. Boswell Company farms over 150,000 acres in the U.S., and the cotton enterprise is said to have produced income exceeding $150 million annually.

Boswell's farm personnel grow it, pick it, gin it and spin it. Other crops raised on the California acreage include tomatoes, alfalfa hay, wheat and safflower. The company also crushes the cotton seed, runs two tomato processing plants and has a cow/calf operation. The Boswell operation is also a major grower, ginner and marketer of cotton in Australia. It is one of North America's main suppliers of safflower oil, and the company's cottonseed breeding program was commercialized under Dow's Phytogen brand.

The best resource for understanding what made J.G. Boswell, the man and the company, take a look at The King of California: J.G. Boswell and the Making of a Secret Empire, written by Arax and Wartzman. This is authoritative because the authors were actually given access to both Boswell and the company's archives. The book tells of the early years when cotton was king and Boswell, as well as other San Joaquin Valley farmers, understood that success was tied to water.

Boswell also recognized the need to take advantage of the most modern and productive farm equipment available. He knew that to plant 90,000 acres of cotton in 9 days, then harvest those same acres in 6 weeks, he had to have the best equipment and dedicated employees.

This book should be on the required list for any farmer, but definitely for the cotton growers in the crowd.

-Tom Crumby