Harris Farm Group’s John Harris, who changed the face of California agriculture during his six decades in the industry, has died. He was 81. 

Harris embodied the diversity of California agribusiness. The Harris Farms Group includes Harris Fresh and the Harris Farms Thoroughbred Division, in addition to the landmark property known to all Californians on I-5. 

In 2022, Harris received Western Growers’ Award of Honor, the organization’s highest accolade.  

“Like his iconic Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant, which stands as an oasis alongside a remote stretch of road, John is a pillar in California agriculture and the broader Western fresh produce industry,” Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia said at the time. “It is safe to say that no one in this industry is more recognized and admired, and not just among his peers but also by community and political leaders throughout California. John’s vision can be seen in all his enterprises, from his ranching and farming businesses to his championship horse racing operations. Beyond his business endeavors, John is a powerful voice for farmers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., and has dedicated his life’s work to the advancement of California agriculture and the rural communities our industry supports.” 

Managing the diversity of his business enterprises over the years required a nimble, methodical approach, Harris told Western Growers when he received the Award of Honor. 

“I went into it with the idea that things were always going to be changing—and they were,” Harris said. “I didn’t have any false illusions that it was going to be an easy deal. Then again, I wasn’t really afraid of any problem, because I started with the idea that any problem would be solvable.” 

Harris was born to a farm family whose operations in California extend back more than a century. He graduated with a degree in agricultural production from the University of California, Davis and then served two years in the U.S. Army. 

During his tenure as CEO and sole shareholder of Harris Farms and his 11 years on the Western Growers Board of Directors, Harris experienced a saga of upheavals and changes in rural life and the agriculture industry. 

“It’s sort of evolved, this area of farming,” Harris told Western Growers. “Most people were diversified, to some extent, because they had water wells they needed to keep operating….well, we can’t do that anymore. Now we’re trying to diversify because you’re trying to hit all the highs and avoid the lows.” 

Harris served five terms as president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, and he could frequently be found watching his prospects at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club just north of San Diego. The Harris Farms Thoroughbred Division produced California Chrome, the winner of the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. 

In 1988 Harris was named Livestock Man of the Year by his peers in the ranching industry, and in 2014 he received the Agriculturalist of the Year award from the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the California State University at Fresno in 2019. 

Funeral service information is still being finalized and will be announced soon.