The San Joaquin Valley is a vital producer of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, but it hasn’t been an easy stretch on the farm. Drought, supply chain issues, fallout from the pandemic, and gyrating input costs are some of the hurdles that growers face. Greg Schmidt strives to make a positive difference for farmers bringing stability to these uncertain times. Schmidt is a crop consultant at Buttonwillow Warehouse Company, an agricultural retailer that provides Redox Bio-Nutrients technology to improve the efficiency and success of growers far and wide. He said this year’s challenges include a slow start to crop maturity due to cooler and wetter than normal conditions.  As the season progresses and temperatures warm, work in fields and orchards will also rise – including Schmidt working alongside growers to provide the best root growth, soil health, nutrient efficiency, and abiotic stress defense. Schmidt is a Fresno State graduate and considers his work with farmers to be much more than a “9 to 5” job. “It’s a pleasure driving up and down the road, seeing the fruits of everybody’s labor – going out and providing nutrition to the community,” he said. “There’s no place like the valley! It’s hot, it’s cold. Some call it a dustbowl, some call it ugly. But without it, we’d all be struggling to get some good fruit.” Fresno County is one of America’s top ag area, with more than 170 farm commodities and nearly 2 million acres of crops, and a gross value of more than 8 billion dollars a year.