Decades before water shortage became a major concern for the Valley, 2010 Senior Farmer Johnny Deniz was fighting for farmers. As president of the Madera Irrigation District board from 1972 to 1987, he stood before congressional committees in Washington, D.C., and stressed the importance of conservation and accessible water for the Valley.
As a farmer, Deniz loved new plantings in part because they served as a reminder that feeding the world starts from the ground up.
His company, Deniz Packing, sent produce around the world — stone fruit and grapes to Asia, Canada, Mexico and throughout the United States.
As a grower, he’s known for peaches, but in the 1980s grew tomatoes, cotton, grain and garlic on the west side of Madera. He later went on to grow almonds, fresh and freezer varieties of stone fruit, table and wine grapes, and alfalfa...