Former CEO of California artichoke grower dies
The former president and CEO of California artichoke grower Ocean Mist Farms has died.
Ed Boutonnet served as president and CEO served as president and CEO of the company from 1990-2015. The Boutonnet family began consolidating acreage with one of Ocean Mist’s original founding family members, Hugo Tottino, in 1970, according to a news release.
In 1982, the Boutonnet family became partners in the California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers Corp., formally named Ocean Mist Farms.
Chris Drew, current Ocean Mist resident and CEO, remembered advice Boutonnet shared with him when Drew first joined Ocean Mist affiliate Sea Mist Farms in 2004.
“There is no such thing as luck. Luck should be defined as when good preparation and opportunity meet,” Drew said. “Pay attention to the details —opportunity lies behind the smallest details. And if you don’t make a mistake every now and again, you’re not trying hard enough. Just don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Headquartered in Castroville, California, Ocean Mist offers a range of vegetables including cauliflower, iceberg lettuce and radishes, as well as a ready-to-use line of microwaveable products.
