RIO RICO, AZ — Like the industry we serve, the world of produce journalism tends to become specialized. Onetime journalism students tended to move to a region and then get to know that section’s people and companies.

In the case of Kevin Hoppe of The Produce News, he graduated from the University of Kansas in 1978 and went to work on the West Coast. The prior year I’d packed my typewriter, Pentax K1000 camera and a couple of purple shirts from Kansas State and moved to Philadelphia.

Kevin’s world involved places like Fresno and Salinas in California and Nogales in Arizona. Boston’s produce markets, New York’s Hunts Point Market and Philadelphia were my most common haunts.

Because of the regional segmentation and despite my working in different capacities within the industry over the years, I’d never been to Nogales before Kevin was struck by colon cancer.

My wife Debbi Thompson and I have recently enjoyed a liberating empty nest. In January we were able to take on the Arizona territory for The Produce News as it became clear that Kevin was devastated by his disease. We will be working in the winter from the Phoenix area going forward, while continuing to cover the Midwest throughout the year.

On Feb. 6, my friend Kevin died at home, surrounded by his family.

Our first days in Nogales had revealed to Debbi and me exactly how much respect Kevin had earned in the trade. Everyone knew him well and respected him a great deal. One industry leader here remarked, “When I was sick, Kevin was here for me.”

Nogales had always been a bit of a mystery to me. I’d written about produce from here for years and had spoken by phone with the trade from time to time. But I had imagined a flat, dusty town spread among the tumbleweeds along a long empty border.

To the contrary, we found Nogales, and the important town of Rio Rico immediately to the north, to be a beautiful area. Surrounding jagged mountains cut a brilliant blue sky by day and frame a billion stars at night.

The many modern produce warehouses are built along frontage roads as Interstate 19 reaches toward “North America.”

The people working this trade are very gracious, charming, laid-back professionals and a pleasure to know. There are many outstanding, educated and progressive young produce industry leaders with their eyes locked on the future. Any of us graying at the temples would be proud to claim them as offspring.

And the image of illegal immigrants and crime seeping across the border? Our friends at the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas pointed out that this Santa Cruz County is the home of 40,000 people. Within those numbers are 7,000 armed officers working to protect the border.

“It’s a militarized zone,” someone observed. And very safe and a great place to live because of the high security.

As Debbi and I expand our circle in Nogales, we will be proud to work in memory of Kevin Hoppe. And will continue to learn why he loved these people and region so much.