David “Mas” Matsumoto says he farms with ghosts, Lisa Morehouse reports in FERN’s latest audio story produced in collaboration with KQED’s The California Report. On his family’s organic peach, nectarine and grape farm south of Fresno, he points out pruning scars from long-time workers, and walks down rows of trees he planted with his father.
He says the labor and lessons of his ancestors are in the soil and the grapevines and orchards, and he’s passing these on to the next generations, Morehouse says in
Mas is an author, too, who has delved into the stories of his farm and family in more than 10 books. In his latest, “Secret Harvests,” Mas writes about the shock of a newly uncovered family secret.
“I’ve visited the Masumoto farm for years, picking luscious peaches and nectarines in summer. This time, I returned to hear what Mas learned about this hidden story, and how he rediscovered just how resilient his farming family is,” Morehouse says.
Listen to the entire report here at FERN or at KQED’s The California Report.