Fresno County ag leader Phil Larson dies at 92, tributes pour in

Phil Larson, the Kerman rancher and former Fresno County supervisor who helped steer some of the county’s most consequential fights over water, land use and agriculture, died Thursday, April 23, at age 92.

Larson, known publicly as John P. “Phil” Larson, spent three terms on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors representing District 1 from 2002 to 2014 after first winning election in 2002 and later securing reelection in 2006 and 2010. Before that, he worked for Wilbur-Ellis Co. from 1962 to 2000 and served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, a background that made him a familiar figure in both business and farm circles across the Central Valley.

His agricultural roots ran deep. Larson grew raisins, grapes, cotton and hay at the family ranch in Kerman, a place that had been in his family since 1942. He also led the Fresno County Farm Bureau and later served as state director for California Farm Bureau District 7, putting him at the center of county and statewide farm policy debates at a time when water shortages and land-use pressure were reshaping the Valley.

Local ag leaders said Larson’s influence stretched far beyond board chambers. Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen said Larson fought the water battle in California years before SGMA became a major issue, and that Larson’s commitment reached across generations of Jacobsen’s family. Jacobsen said his grandfather first introduced Larson to Farm Bureau involvement, and Larson later encouraged Debbie Jacobsen to serve as an officer.

Larson also left fingerprints on public projects that changed daily life in west-side communities. County leaders credited him with helping bring the West Fresno Regional Center to southwest Fresno so residents could reach services more easily on foot. He also helped secure library improvements in Mendota and Tranquillity, and worked with West Hills Community College District to connect the county library with the new Firebaugh campus.

Former District 1 supervisor Brian Pacheco, who succeeded Larson, called him a mentor and friend and said Larson’s district work touched West Fresno, Kerman, Mendota and Firebaugh. Supervisor Buddy Mendes also praised Larson’s advocacy for agriculture and westside communities. Larson is survived by his wife, Joyce, son Tim, daughter Lisa and three grandchildren. Memorial arrangements had not yet been set.