Taylor Farms tabs industry vet Pezzini to oversee internal growing operations

Taylor Farms recently hired Joe Pezzini to the position of senior director of agricultural operations, effective Oct. 11.

Pezzini, a native of Salinas, California, started his career with the Ocean Mist Farms group of companies in 1983 as a farm manager for Boutonnet Farms. He, along with two partners, started Valley Pride Custom Harvesting in 1987. In 2001, he became vice president of operations at Ocean Mist Farms, where he was responsible for Cooling Operations, Food Safety, Quality Assurance and Human Resources.

Pezzini became the chief operating officer at Ocean Mist Farms in 2009 and was appointed to the CEO role in 2015. Most recently he has held the role of general partner with Valley Pride.

Pezzini has served on many industry boards and embraced several volunteer opportunities including Central California Grower-Shipper Association and Foundation, California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA), Center for Produce Safety, Produce Marketing Association, and Community Foundation for Monterey County. He is a Hartnell College alum, UC Davis graduate and has an master’s from the University of Santa Clara.

In this new role with Taylor Farms, Pezzini will oversee Taylor Farms’ 42,000-acre internal growing and harvesting operations, including Mission Ranches, Seco Packing and Big Valley Labor.

“I’m excited to join the Taylor Farms team,” Pezzini said in a news release. “I look forward to contributing my expertise to the leadership of this innovative organization and working alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry.”

While Taylor grows conventional produce as well as organic, it is heavily invested in organic vegetable growing through companies such as Earthbound Farm and Mission Ranches, which it acquired in 2019.

“I have had the privilege of getting to know Joe while working together on many industry issues over the past 15 years,” said Bruce Taylor, Taylor Farms chairman and CEO. “Joe brings extensive farming and harvesting experience and we are delighted to have him join our Taylor Farms leadership team.”