The brothers have separated the operation into multiple entities with the alcoholic beverage portion being under a separate business structure from the fruit side. A new dry storage facility was built last year for paper, aluminum cans, etc. to free up cooler space. The taproom, which was the original sweet cider building, has also seen a number of upgrades including recently adding a new stage for events. The Next Generation: Bruce (who was born Harry Bruce Talbott) is not certain how the transition to the next generation will occur. Three of his four kids are currently involved in the alcohol and retail side of the business though “Harry” Charles Talbott would prefer to brew beer over making hard cider and wine. There are additional nieces and nephews that will hopefully return but at the moment there is no heir apparent for the farming side of the venture. Bruce said he and his brothers were never forced into the family business and he is giving his kids that same latitude. “I think a family member should spend 10 years elsewhere before coming back to work here,” he quipped. Industry Involvement: Bruce has always been the brother involved in the farming organizations including the local Farm Bureau,
Western Colorado Horticultural Society, Colorado Association of Viticulturalists and Enologists, Child and Migrant Services, Western Growers, and the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Association. When longtime CFVGA President Robert Sakata stepped down to accept a position on the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Talbott was elected president. “I’ve always felt it was important to be a part of these organizations whether it was out of passion for agriculture or out of a sense of self preservation.” Colorado’s Regulatory Drift Toward California: Bruce Talbott has nothing against his agricultural colleagues in California, but he is a bit perturbed about his state following California’s lead in several thorny areas including a change in overtime pay regulations, other labor laws, water priorities and urban sprawl. He said Colorado has always had good right to farm laws but population growth, urban encroachment and demographic shifts are bringing new voices to the table that have the potential of drowning out the farm community. The urban-rural divide has never been greater, affecting political attitudes and voting patterns.
WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2021 RYAN TALLEY, Chairman ALBERT KECK, Senior Vice Chair STUART WOOLF, Vice Chair CAROL CHANDLER, Treasurer VICTOR SMITH, Executive Secretary DAVE PUGLIA, President & CEO DIRECTORS – 2021 GEORGE J. ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California ALEXANDRA ALLEN Main Street Produce, Santa Maria, California KEVIN S. ANDREW Illume Agriculture, Bakersfield, California ROBERT K. BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP, Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN J. BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BARDIN E. BENGARD Bengard Ranch, Salinas, California LOREN BOOTH Booth Ranches, Orange Cove, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California RODNEY BRAGA Braga Ranch, Soledad, California NEILL CALLIS Turlock Fruit Company, Turlock, California EDWIN A. CAMP D. M. Camp & Sons, Bakersfield, California CAROL CHANDLER Chandler Farms LP, Selma, California LAWRENCE W. COX Lawrence Cox Ranches, Brawley, California STEPHEN F. DANNA Danna Farms, Inc., Yuba City, California JOHN C. D’ARRIGO D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, Salinas, California THOMAS DEARDORFF II Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California FRANZ W. DE KLOTZ Peter Rabbit Farms, Coachella, California SAMUEL D. DUDA Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, California CATHERINE A. FANUCCHI Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California DAVID L. GILL Rio Farms, King City, California BRANDON A. GRIMM Grimmway Farms, Arvin, California JOHN JACKSON Beachside Produce, LLC, Nipomo, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Irvine, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens, Thermal, California J.P. LABRUCHERIE LaBrucherie Produce, El Centro, California FRANK MACONACHY Ramsay Highlander, Inc., Gonzales, California JOHN S. MANFRE Frank Capurro and Son, Moss Landing, California STEPHEN MARTORI III Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Arizona HAROLD MCCLARTY HMC Farms, Kingsburg, California TOM MULHOLLAND Mulholland Citrus, Orange Cove, California ALEXANDER T. MULLER Pasquinelli Produce Co., Yuma, Arizona DOMINIC J. MUZZI Muzzi Family Farms, LLC, Moss Landing, California MARK NICKERSON Prime Time International, Coachella, California THOMAS M. NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California STEPHEN F. PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California RON RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG A. READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California ERIC T. REITER Reiter Affiliated Companies, Oxnard, California JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona WILL ROUSSEAU Rousseau Farming Company, Tolleson, Arizona VICTOR SMITH JV Smith Companies, Yuma, Arizona RYAN TALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE C. TAYLOR Taylor Farms California, Salinas, California STUART WOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROB YRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California
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