I was distressed to read that Fred Manas died on Jan. 11 at age 84. I’ve known Fred since the mid-1980s along with his wife, Alice. There are many people in the agricultural community who probably have better stories than myself because Fred was a native Yoloan, having been born in Winters on the Goddard Ranch.

After working for 24 years at UC Davis, Fred and Alice founded Manas Ranch just west of downtown Esparto on County Road 21A in 1980 planting 25 acres of peaches and selling directly to consumers. They later expanded to 60 acres and branded their produce as “The Best peaches in the West” after a Sunset Magazine article declared them so.

The family also raised registered Angus cattle and, in 2011, opened Mans Ranch Custom Meats in Esparto. They had to close the store in 2021 when Alice suffered a rare paralysis after receiving an inoculation against COVID-19. Alice survives Fred. They were married for 45 years.

If it seems odd that people would drive out of their way to pick up peaches in Esparto, you probably never tasted one. He staggered at least three sets that would mature at different times of the year: Cassie, O’Henry and August Flame. My favorite was August Flame.

None of this is new information for those who knew Fred. He was a member of the Yolo County Farm Bureau for more than 18 years and I counted no fewer than 36 articles in the archives of The Daily Democrat which either were specifically about Fred, his family; or referenced him in some way.

When we got together — usually at Farm Bureau events or some other public function — we talked about ranching: He in his ever-present cowboy hat and me with notebook, pen or camera in hand.

In fact, if I ever needed a photograph at a Yolo County Fair event, or at a produce-oriented event, I’d look for a person wearing a cowboy hat. It was always Fred and he had great facial features that made him a good photography subject.

During harvest season I would usually head west (always heeding the sign at the farm’s entryway to “drive slow” so as not to kick up a lot of dust that would dirty the trees) and pull into the tight parking space at the ranch store.

I had instructions from my wife to “get just a small bag” of peaches and “maybe” some jam. I’d always come home with a lug of freshly picked peaches and a couple of jars of pomegranate or blackberry jam. Well, it was at least an hour in travel time, I wasn’t going to just get a bag of peaches.

In fact, I think if I did a deep dive in my freezer, I still might find some Manas Ranches peaches that I set aside “for later.” They’re probably freezer-burned. I’ll have to find out one day.

Sometimes, my wife would make the trip with me to make sure I didn’t break our monthly food budget. She usually got several jars of jam and let me buy my lug of peaches, depending on the type of peach being offered.

In mid-2022, and after 40 years, Fred closed Manas Ranch because he couldn’t make a profit. I was sorry to hear about that and not just because it meant losing a local grower but because it meant losing a good conversation from time to time.

Jim Smith is the former editor of The Daily Democrat, retiring in 2021 after a 27-year career at the paper.