Farming is Engraved to Sikh Farmers’ Roots That Are Passed Down From Generation to Generation

In the town of KERMAN, California — Though Simranjit Singh is an American farmer of the second generation, his family's agricultural history dates back more than a thousand years.

Mr. Singh, now 28, comes from a long line of farmers in Northern India that began long before his father migrated to California from India in 1991, before India achieved independence from Britain in 1947, and before his Sikh culture took root in 1469.

He maintains the family's raisin and almond orchards with his father on a 100-acre farm in California's San Joaquin Valley.

He responds, "I would be a fool to get rid of everything of value that my father leaves me." "Farming is fundamental to my identity and always will be."

Sarbjit Sran, a farmer in Kerman, grooms a new crop of almonds. In their 100-acre vineyard and almond orchard, Simranjit Singh and his dad work tirelessly all year long. 

Over the last century, individuals from Armenia, Mexico, Southeast Asia, China, and many other countries have planted their roots in the lush soil of Central California and made a living farming the land. The land and the people who cultivate it are the foundation of the local economy and culture. Some of the most recent emigrants are Sikhs from Punjab.

Mr. Singh works full-time with his father, Sarbjit Sran, on the Sran farm. Jaswinder Sran, 55, Mr. Singh's mother, occasionally comes out to help in the fields. The family only uses hired workers to gather the late summer produce.

The number of young Sikh farmers like Mr. Singh left in the area is dropping rapidly. Although the surviving farmers feel obligated to keep farming, younger generations have been driven into typically white-collar industries to improve their economic standing.

At the farm he grew up on in Kerman, California, Sarbjit Sran relaxes on a swing. On their 100-acre farm, the family produces almonds and grapes.

Simon Sihota, a renowned Punjabi Sikh farmer, noted that the local labor force lacked the number of Punjabis it had in the 1980s and 1990s since those generations' offspring had moved on to more professional pursuits.

Mr. Sihota's enterprise, like the Sran farm, is still run mostly by members of his own family. His younger son Arvin, 22, earned a degree in agricultural and environmental plant sciences from California Polytechnic State University. In contrast, his elder son Kavin, 24, earned a degree in enology (the study of winemaking) from Cornell. Jasleen, his twenty-year-old daughter, often assists with administrative tasks for the family company.

All members of the family pitch in, just as young Mr. Sihota did when he worked alongside his parents and grandparents on the fields. His father moved to California from India in 1961, and after a few years of saving, he acquired 40 acres of land. Today, he farms 3,000 acres worth of almonds, pistachios, wine grapes, and peaches.

Kavin Sihota stated, "I can't picture myself doing anything else." When I lived on the East Coast, I often longed to return to rural life.

While young Sikh farmers like Kavin Sihota and Simranjit Singh are becoming more unusual in this area of the globe, their contemporaries have found other methods to connect with India's agricultural heritage and the broader Sikh community.

Farmers in India have been protesting since September 2020 against new agricultural rules they fear would cripple small farms and reduce the money they may get from their property. Farmers are concerned that they would be at the whim of an unrestrained market due to the new regulations' reduction of the government's involvement in farming and the elimination of state safeguards.

The demonstrations have spread to the United States, where young Sikhs have shown their support online and in local events.

High school sophomore from Selma, California, Anureet Kaur, 16, wrote so regularly on the Indian farm protests that Instagram momentarily banned her account, despite having almost 6,500 followers.

"I'll keep speaking out for farmers," she said. "I am, after all, the offspring of a farmer."

Simon Sihota, shown above on the right, conducts business meetings at his firm's Selma outpost. Together with his sons, he oversees and operates roughly 2,500 acres of agriculture in Selma, California, and the South Valley.

On the side of Route 99 near Shafter, California, is a billboard showing support for farmers in India.

Ms. Kaur and several friends recently volunteered at a major coronavirus immunization event at a Sikh temple in Selma, where they helped serve food and manage traffic. On a single Saturday in March, 1,000 individuals were vaccinated during the event. Sikh community organizer Deep Singh said the event's focus on vaccination for local farming families was "part of our dedication to those most marginalized and vulnerable in the region."

Many of the event's volunteers and local Sikhs from the valley agreed with the message of "#FarmersProtest" and "I stand with the Farmers" painted on one automobile during the rally.

There is a more visible manifestation of Sohan Samran's support in Madera. He is the farmer and owner of the Bapu Almond Company, sending nearly 7,000 pounds of almonds to the protesters in India.

Bapu, a term of endearment for an older male relative in Punjabi, was chosen as the company name to pay tribute to his family's and culture's history and farming tradition. Almond crates, farm machinery, and company branding at Bapu Farms are decorated with the name. For many Sikhs working in agriculture, the word serves as a constant reminder of the importance of family and community.

The Sikh Center of the Pacific Coast is a gurdwara (temple) in the rural community of Selma, California.

After tending to their farm's crops, Simranjit Singh and Sarbjit Sran spent a scorching Sunday afternoon in their Kerman house, where they could unwind in air-conditioning.

Mr. Singh, while sitting in front of a picture depicting a traditional Sikh temple, proudly said, "This is my bapu, right here."

Kindness, humility, and service to others are central to the Sikh belief in seva, one of the faith's five pillars.

Mr. Singh and his father have farmed their property for generations, and they consider their work on the land, in the fields, and in the kitchen to be acts of Seva, or selfless service to others.

For me, being a farmer is more than just a profession," Mr. Singh said. I consider it my responsibility to do as much seva as possible throughout my brief stay on Earth.

Photos source: NYTimes