Vincenzo Ricchiuti first set foot in the United States in 1914, planting grapes and figs on the first family acreage. His son, Pat, expanded the business in 1956, forming P-R Farms, which now grows a variety of crops through the Central Valley under the leadership of Pat’s son Patrick, and Patrick’s son Vincent.
Last year, the family commissioned me to document the olive harvest and follow the fruit from farm to bottle. This year, I returned to capture harvest of the farm’s largest crop: almonds. Instead of following the fruit, though, I followed Silverio — farm manager and an overall Jack-of-all-trades who’s worked with the family for 20 years — chasing him through the orchards as he checked on the crew, repaired equipment, inspected trees and irrigation, and filled in for just about every role imaginable. That’s Silverio in the last frame.
