100 Years of Boswell

Chapter 3

The Land

For over one hundred years, one thing has been at the heart of J. G. Boswell’s history: the land. It is not just part of the company’s story: it’s the main character.

This land is not just dirt and fields—it is alive. It is the foundation that nourishes strong, healthy crops rich with minerals and organic matter built up over generations. Beneath the surface, deep layers store the water that helps those crops survive through dry spells. Season after season, the land gives life, turning tiny seeds into golden cotton fields, stretching rows of tomatoes toward the horizon, and growing other vibrant crops under the California sun. But this land is not ours to take for granted: we are simply its caretakers. It is our responsibility to protect it, rotating crops to keep the soil healthy, preventing erosion so the earth stays fertile, and using water wisely to preserve its future. The land gives, and in return, we must care for it, ensuring it remains strong not just for us, but for generations of farmers to come. Farmers everywhere share a deep, timeless connection to the land, but what makes the Boswell story unique is where much of this land is found. Nestled in the Tulare Lake Basin, this region was once home to the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River. Less than 150 years ago, Tulare Lake stretched across more than 600 square miles, fed by water and rich sediments flowing down from the Sierra Nevada and California coastal ranges. But as settlers arrived after the Civil War, marshes were drained and their waters were gradually redirected through canals and ditches to make way for agriculture. By the time Colonel JG first set foot in the San Joaquin Valley in the 1920s, the lake had all but disappeared, leaving behind a vast lake bed filled with some of the most fertile soil in the country.

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