CUTLER, CA — Wawona Packing Co., here, one of the larger grower-packer-shippers of stone fruit in California, with more than 6,500 acres in production, has grown considerably over the years since its founding in 1948.

A story disseminated by Internet giant Yahoo claiming that an agricultural degree is useless has triggered a backlash among farm publication editors and ag academics who dispute the assertion.

The story, generated by Yahoo’s Education division and written by Terence Loose, used U.S. Department of Labor statistics and the National Association of Colleges & Employers’ 2012 Job Outlook report to make its claim.