The Talley family farming tradition began in 1948, when Oliver Talley began growing vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley on California’s Central Coast. Oliver grew various vegetable crops including broccoli, beans, cauliflower, peppers and tomatoes. His focus was on high quality in all aspects of his business and good relationships with everyone he dealt with – suppliers, employees, and the shippers who handled his produce.
In 1963, Oliver’s son Don returned to the farm. In 1966, Oliver, Don, and youngest son Kenneth purchased the first piece of farmland owned by the Talley family. During the late 1960’s and early 1970s, the family bought more land, built their first cooler and became a vegetable shipper. A few years after the death of Kenneth in 1976, Oliver Talley retired and Don Talley became President of Talley Farms in 1980 and served in that role until 2006. During that time, he and his wife Rosemary guided Talley Farms through a remarkable period of growth and innovation while reinforcing the company’s reputation for high quality. Don focused on farming and new ventures, while Rosemary focused on sales and administration and developed a highly successful marketing program for the company’s produce.
Talley Farms is now a diversified family owned farming company that grows, packs and ships a variety of vegetables. The company also grows wine grapes, lemons, and avocados. Other ventures include Talley Vineyards, www.talleyvineyards.com, the family’s highly regarded winery; Las Ventanas, www.lasventanasranch.com, a custom home site development; and Talley Farms Fresh Harvest, talleyfarmsfreshharvest.com, a weekly Harvest Box subscription available to California, Arizona & Nevada residents.
Rosemary, Brian, Todd and Ryan Talley are active in all aspects of the day-to-day operations of Talley Farms. The family is assisted by an experienced management team that helps to implement the company vision – to strive for excellence in everything the family does, consistent with the original commitment to quality established by Oliver Talley nearly 70 years ago.