On his family’s organic peach, nectarine and grape farm south of Fresno, California, David "Mas" Masumoto points out pruning scars from long-time workers, and walks down rows of trees he planted with his father. He says the labor and lessons of his ancestors are in the soil and the grapevines and orchards, and he’s passing these on to the next generations. Mas is an author, too, who has delved into the stories of his farm and family in more than 10 books. In his latest, Secret Harvests, Mas writes about the shock of a newly uncovered family secret. I've visited the Masumoto farm for years, picking luscious peaches and nectarines in summer. This time, I returned to hear what Mas learned about this hidden story, and how he rediscovered just how resilient his farming family is.

Farming with ghosts: Mas Masumoto and an uncovered family secret

History has a way of elevating just a handful of heroes. The many people who worked alongside them often disappear in the rear view. For example, if you grew up in California, you learned a little bit in school about the state’s most famous Mexican-American son, Cesar Chavez. But what about the community he came from? Latinos helped build San Jose…and California…  a history largely forgotten or ignored. Today, listen to the story of Blanca Alvarado, one of the Chicana lions of San Jose, California.

La Madrina

Along the southern end of Stockton's Angel Cruz Park the air is filled with wafts of smoke, the smell of grilled meats and karaoke tracks booming out of speakers. For more than 30 years, this has been a destination for made-to-order dishes created by local food vendors, many of whom are Hmong and Cambodian immigrants. Locals argue over who has the best beef sticks or papaya salad.

The Rich Food Traditions at Stockton's Angel Cruz Park

At any given point in time, a city’s soundscape, like that of San Francisco’s, is an ephemeral blend of its people, and the technologies they used to move through their days, and the music that formed the soundtrack to their lives.

Lost Sounds of San Francisci

Host, reporter and podcaster for KQED. Audiofile. Foodie. Adventure Seeker. Californian to the bone.

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