As this series closes, I'd like to publicly thank everyone who helped make it possible. The farmers and ranchers I profiled and followed over the past year agreed to subject themselves to a constant barrage of intrusive questions about their lives, their businesses, their success and their failures. They were unfailingly polite, indulgent, understanding and candid, and I simply could not have done any of this without their cooperation.

So, to Richard Atmore, Lisa Brenneis, Jim Churchill, Link Leavens, Leslie Leavens-Crowe, Cecil Martinez and David Schwabauer, my heartiest thanks.

In addition, I had tremendous help and cooperation from Rex Laird, chief executive officer of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, who answered questions, shared his perspective and helped me get in touch with many of my sources. Earl McPhail, the county agricultural commissioner, opened his office's archives to me, allowing me to gain a detailed appreciation of the changes in cropping patterns over the years. Tim Schiffer and Charles Johnson at the Ventura County Museum of History and Art let us dig around in their institution's priceless photo collection, and provided digital copies of evocative imagery from the county's agricultural past.

Edgar Terry provided countless helpful comments on the business of farming, and let me tromp around in his pepper and celery fields. Phil McGrath welcomed me into his organic farm and protected me from angry geese. Harold Edwards and Alex Teague at Limoneira shared their knowledge and let me roam around in the historical treasure that is their packinghouse.

Thanks also to the folks at Saticoy Lemon Association, Villa Park Orchards Association, Calavo, Seminis, Brokaw Nursery, Lassen Canyon Nursery and Associates Insectary for letting me inside their packinghouses, greenhouses and bughouses. Rick at Aspen Helicopters took me and photographer Karen Quincy Loberg flying, and Will Berg at the Port of Hueneme and Mike Karmelich of NYKLauritzenCool USA got us onto the shipping docks and into a Japan-bound freighter.

And finally, I want to thank those who enabled to gain some understanding of the workforce that makes farming possible. Henry Vega shared the labor contractor's perspective, and Lorenzo Vega told interesting stories about his experiences as a bracero. Barbara Macri-Ortiz shared insights from her years as a United Farm Workers attorney and farmworker advocate. Jaime Ceja, the manager at Villa Cesar Chavez apartments in Oxnard, helped locate a farmworker family there willing to open their home to us, and provided invaluable translation help. Santiago and Guadalupe Flores graciously allowed us to enter their home, ask them personal questions, and follow them to work so we could get an idea of what it's like to raise a family in Ventura County on a field worker's salary.

There were more, too many to list, and I apologize if anyone feels left out. Rest assured, your willingness to indulge a journalist's curiosity is deeply appreciated. You didn't have to take my phone calls, answer my e-mails or lead me around the county's fields and orchards, but you did.

Thanks are due to people inside the Ventura County Star, too. Karen worked with me all year on the series, and produced magnificent photos while dodging charging cattle and confronting other obstacles. Anthony Plascencia produced terrific videos for our Web site, aided by Bruce McLean, who managed to organize a ridiculous amount of multimedia material for the online presentation. Brian Snyder and Steve Greenberg produced great graphics and illustrations, and Amanda Reiter was responsible for the creative page designs that combined all the artwork and my really long stories into an effective presentation. And finally, thanks to projects editor Marty Bonvechio for playing ringmaster to this circus over the past year, editing the stories and coordinating the work of five departments.

Last but not least, I need to thank Larry Yee, county director of the UC Cooperative Extension, who first got me thinking about producing a comprehensive profile of Ventura County agriculture.