THERE AND BACK AGAIN WITH KRISTEN SMITH ESHAYA By Michelle Rivera, Senior Communications Manager
When Kristen Smith Eshaya thinks back to her childhood in Yuma, Ariz., some of her most vivid memories aren’t of fields or tractors; instead, they’re of the coolers at her family’s farm. “I remember seeing the cooler a lot more than the farms,” she recalled with a laugh. “It was always fun to go in there, especially on hot days.” Those early experiences gave her a first look at JV Smith Companies, her family’s third-generation farming business with operations in Arizona, Colorado, California and Mexico. Today, Smith Eshaya serves as its President. Just like so many stories I’ve personally heard before, farming wasn’t the career Smith Eshaya initially envisioned for herself. “I didn’t really think of myself as going into ag when I was young,” she said. “I was far more interested in other things.” Instead, Smith Eshaya pursued economics in college, later working in accounts payable at the family farm before exploring her own passions. That exploration took her far from Yuma. She pursued a master’s degree in education, with a focus on human relations, and her love for theater led her into nonprofit arts administration in Houston and Los Angeles. Along the way, she built a career she loved, started a family and gained skills she never expected to one day bring back home. Her return came in 2017, after a series of family conversations about succession planning. Her grandfather had been determined to keep the farm unified, passing the business entirely to Smith Eshaya’s father, Vic, rather than splitting it among the siblings. However, Vic wanted an estate planning system that allowed the farm to stay together while also keeping all of his children involved. Smith Eshaya found herself drawn into the process. “If I was going to be an owner in this, I wanted to be involved,” she said. Coupled with encouragement from her parents and a little nudging from her mother, who wanted the grandkids closer, Eshaya made the decision to come back. Smith Eshaya’s role began in risk management, gaining a comprehensive understanding of food safety, insurance and organizational development. “It was a good way to understand where our risks and key points in the business were,” she said. The role soon evolved into a focus on teamwork and culture. Drawing on her background in education and leadership, Smith Eshaya introduced training and organization development programs designed to strengthen communication and collaboration. In 2020, as her father began to formalize governance structures with the creation of a board of directors,
Smith Eshaya stepped further into leadership. Her brother, Kyle, who has been with the company for 20 years, has been a guiding source for Smith Eshaya, sharing his deep knowledge of the company and industry. He suggested a practical transition: naming her President while their father remained CEO. The move allowed her to take on responsibilities gradually without forcing a transition deadline. Today, Smith Eshaya balances the legacy she's inheriting while focusing on preparing for the future. She’s passionate about ensuring that agriculture’s story is better understood by consumers, particularly that most produce, even what’s found in grocery stores, comes from family farms like hers. Smith Eshaya also embraces innovation as key to agriculture’s sustainability. From automation to workforce development, she sees technology as crucial to keeping farms viable amid labor challenges. “If we’re going to continue to have crops 20 or 30 years from now, we have to figure out more automated harvesting,” she said. “Cutting down on labor is key because it’s only getting harder to secure a consistent workforce.” Her role on the Western Growers Board of Directors has broadened her perspective. She values the board’s ability to unify growers around shared challenges, from trade policy to labor reform. “It’s a good reminder that we’re stronger when we work together as an industry,” she said. Looking back, Eshaya acknowledges the circular path that brought her home, through economics, education and even theater. But each step gave her tools that now help her lead. Smith Eshaya is also a graduate of the Western Growers Future Volunteer Leaders Program, now known as the Western Growers Leadership Program, and serves as Vice Chair of the Western Growers Political Action Committee Board. “I’ve been able to take experiences I loved in other fields and bring them into agriculture,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s about building a strong culture and a sustainable business for the next generation.”
37 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
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