Agricultural Business Student Spotlight: Lee Azevedo

Senior Lee Azevedo was busy learning and applying agricultural business principles long before he started his Fresno State degree path.

He is a proud, fourth-generation member of his family's Stone Land Company, which is a diversified farming operation based out of Stratford. 

That experience gave him a great base to start his own company, T&L Spreading Services, with his twin brother seven years ago. The company specializes in treatments for pistachio orchard soil protection and almond orchard ant bait for over 25,000 acres each year.

The Alpha Gamma Rho officer has also expanded his knowledge of ag mechanics and engineering at a recent internship at Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) where he did extensive work in their fabrication shop to modify its farming equipment.

Learn more about his unique view of agriculture in this recent interview. 

 

 

Q: Why did you choose to attend Fresno State, and how did you pick your major?

"Fresno State has a great ag. program and I wanted to stay close to home. I picked Agricultural Business because I wanted to further my knowledge of business and apply it to my family's farm, Stone Land Company. Another reason I chose this major is because I have been involved in agriculture my whole life and felt that it would help me succeed in the future."

 

Q: What do you consider your hometown?

Lemoore, CA

 

Q: Which classes & faculty members have had the biggest influence on you while at Fresno State and why?

"I’ve enjoyed all my instructors, and Neil Tung and Chris McKenna stand out in special ways. They have been excellent instructors and great role models."

"Neil has been really welcoming and made me feel at home, and helped make me comfortable with using applications and software like Excel. He’s also attended several of our functions at AGR."

"I’ve worked with Chris McKenna since he’s an advisor and president of the AGR alumni board, and I’m the alumni relations officer. He’s been great to work with, and has great knowledge.” 

 

Q: What was your background in agriculture before you started at Fresno State?

“I am part of the fourth-generation of my family's farming operation, and we grow pistachios, almonds, pomegranates, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, cantaloupe, wheat, cotton, alfalfa, and corn."

"My twin brother Todd and I also run our own orchard spreading business called T&L Spreading Services. We founded it in 2016, and this our seventh year in business. Among our services, we do soil treatments in pistachios, ant bait in almonds and are responsible for spreading over 25,000 acres each year. We have six employees altogether."

"We started the business because pistachio processors started requiring AF-36 soil treatment to treat aflatoxins in pistachios, and as years continued, more processors required it, and today most require it. In the U.S. we’re immune to aflatoxins around us, but it would make people sick in other countries, and possibly fatal. We started it first working primarily for our farm and nearby neighbors, and started significantly expanding it. Through contracts with our processors’ clients, we built a reputation. People also want to support young men like us, and they liked to see us become entrepreneurs. The almond ant bait isn’t required but still a priority for farmers because the ants can take out up to 30 percent of your crop after you’ve shaken the nuts off the trees. We started the business at the age of 15. It’s fun to apply my knowledge gained from the classroom towards business.”

 

Q: Describe any internships you've done at Fresno State, and how they have prepared you for your career path.

"Last summer I completed a 10-week ag. mechanics internship at Olam Food Ingredients (ofi). My responsibilities included engineering and analyzing converting the onion seed harvest to machine instead of by hand. I also helped out in the shop and field with many different tasks where my expertise was needed."

"It prepared me for the future by giving me more experience and knowledge of ag. mechanics. I did a lot of fabricating, maintaining equipment, and managing parts inventory. I picked up those types of skills both at ofi and also on my family's farm." 

 

Q: Have you overcome any challenges to get where you are today that have shaped who you are?

"Yes, I used to be intimidated when working with a lot of older adults and businessmen, which I eventually overcame and now I am really comfortable and confident."

 

Q: Are there any other interesting notes about yourself that you would like to include?

"I’m a third-generation family pilot. Both my Great Grandfather and Grandfather were pilots, and I`ve been in airplanes since I was three or four years old. I have a passion for it and it’s one of my favorite hobbies. There’s a lot of opportunities that come along with it, including business and travel. I like to take people who have never been up because I think everybody should see the world from a different view. It’s also good for agricultural purposes to see the crops from a different perspective and evaluate them from the air."

 

Q: What’s your potential next career step, and do you have any other general career directions or options to mention?

"To go work for another farming company for two years and learn more about operations management and ag. mechanics. I then plan to go back to my family’s farm and eventually manage the shop and equipment side of the company."