Third-generation farmer and nurseryman Rob Brokaw maintained a service mindset as he watched the Hass avocado break open into a worldwide industry. And throughout his agriculture journey, he retained wonder and appreciation for the small oval, rough black-skinned avocado and all the people who had a hand in growing it. 

Brokaw’s great uncle, Harold Brokaw, sealed a deal in the 1930s with postman Rudolf Hass to become the exclusive grower of Hass’s new avocado variety that bared a better-tasting fruit and whose trees were more productive and matured at a different time of year than what was popular at the time. That new variety took Hass’s name. As fate would have it, that exclusive deal began a family business that now spans from the nursery to the orchard. 

Rob’s mother and father helped Harold grow the fruit from seeds. It was their intention to create a product that “benefitted the world,” according to Rob. “They wanted to be a benefit to the customers, employees, suppliers and lastly themselves. I buy into this family business and their credo and legacy.” 

The Hass varietal popularity soared in the 1970s when it not only surpassed the Fuerte as the number one avocado, but it also exploded onto the world market. It is known for a creamy texture, nutty flavor and ability to ship well due to its thick skin. Demand increased for the fruit trees as the Hass became a global superstar fruit. 

Rob recalled that during the beginning of the Hass variety full-scale demand, his father’s nursery was not big enough. “My dad made a deal with the neighbor to grow potted avocado trees in between the neighbors’ lemon trees. It was a go-go time. In 1973, he sold a record 5,600 trees in the US and we haven’t touched that since.” 

Rob is both an avocado farmer and a nurseryman. He plants about 50 percent Hass avocados on his 100-acre farm. He explained that avocado trees begin bearing fruit relatively quickly, two or three years after planting. However, full fruit production requires another five to eight years. When a tree reaches top production is a function of the orchard’s density – the trees prefer a more packed orchard. “The trees are compact and grow small. This allows for less water and fertilizer and makes more productive trees,” he explained. 

Continuing in the spirit of upholding the greater good, Brokaw Nursery, LLC, and the University of California worked together when a disease threatened the avocado industry in the US and around the world. A fungus, Avocado Root Rot or Phytophthora Root Rot, was invading orchards. “The fungus attacks and eventually kills healthy trees and is spread through mud and dirt,” Rob explained. 

The University identified a seedling with disease resistance and the Nursery began grafting seedlings to create a rootstock that carries that resistance. This was no small task as “avocados hate to root,” according to Rob. Through trial and error, it was discovered that grafting three types of seedlings and adding a growing period in the dark created a rootstock displaying a wide range of benefits including disease resistance. 

The Nursery took this concept one step further and applied it to developing uniform rootstocks with additional benefits and called the new plants clonal rootstocks. These clonal stocks are genetically identical and exhibit uniform behavior when plated in identical situations. “This tightens up the agricultural practice as farmers know how trees respond to different inputs. Both the farmers and trees are efficient as variables are neutralized,” Rob said.   

The ability to create clonal rootstocks to grow avocado trees in a variety of soil and weather conditions has opened a larger market for Brokaw Nursery. “People are happy to see me coming. I offer them value and it’s appreciated,” Rob said. “It is a way to keep relevance.” 

Maintaining value, relevance and a family business spirit has been a driving factor for Rob in growing the nursery. “Our business has a family feel. We have a lot of long-time employees who are still here because of our values and soul. I find that very rewarding,” he said. 

“I have roots in the beginning of this huge industry. How lucky I am to have been born when I was. I got to see the runup and growth of the industry the whole way through. I am full of wonder at what the future holds.” 

Editor’s Note: Don’t miss the previous Gold Medal Classroom story also featuring avocados, “California Avocados: Grown locally, enjoyed universally. There is more inside a California Avocado than you think.”