Driving southbound from Fresno on Highway 99, a visitor might get the impression that the region is a mixture of light manufacturing, ag related sales and service companies, and grape vineyards.  As our friendly traveler continues down the highway, orchards of walnuts and other fruits and nuts would start making their appearance, with some of the highway fencing sporting blue signs identifying the crop.  Every few miles, a small town beckons travelers to stop for a range of services, from old style hamburger stands and 50’s era motels, to modern fast food joints and shiny new convenience stores.   In the springtime, the aroma of the surrounding fields and orchards would lead one to suppose the area an agricultural shangri-la, a wonderful place to spend time.   A little further down the road, however, and that idyllic dreamworld suddenly turns into an olfactory nightmare…

More