I said goodbye to an old friend this past weekend.  I will miss him.  He (and his family) taught me a lot about fruit growing, but I will remember him most for teaching me to be a better extension agent/advisor.  He told me what farmers knew and what they wanted to know.  He pointed out, in private, how something I said or wrote might be heard by or impact growers.  I called him when I needed advice on resolving conflicts between growers or growers and other community members that ended up on my doorstep.