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PASO ROBLES, CA (July 18, 2024) – Local agriculture organizations recognized three San Luis Obispo County farmers and ranchers during the California Mid-State Fair’s annual Cattlemen and Farmers Day at the Paso Robles Event Center on July 18.
The 2024 award recipients are:
- Brian Talley, Agriculturalist of the Year;
- Vicki Janssen, CattleWoman of the Year; and
- Aaron Lazanoff, Cattleman of the Year.
The awards were selected by members of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, San Luis Obispo County CattleWomen, and San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s Association.
“Every year, San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, Cattlemen’s Association, and Cattlewomen select a member who has dedicated their lives to serving the community through farming, ranching, and advocating for agriculture. This tradition started in 1963,” said Farm Bureau Executive Director Paul Clark. “These recipients all have gone above and beyond to make San Luis Obispo County a diversified and successful agricultural powerhouse, topping one billion dollars in crop value.”
Permission to reprint story is granted with credit to San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau. Download individual photos of the winners: Brian Talley, Vicki Janssen, and Aaron Lazanoff. Please attribute photos to Tom Meinhold Photography.
Brian Talley, 2024 Agriculturalist of the Year
San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau has named Brian Talley, of Talley Farms in Arroyo Grande, as 2024 Agriculturalist of the Year. Brian is President and CEO of Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande. Along with his cousins Ryan Talley (Vice President of Talley Farms) and Todd Talley (Chief Financial Officer of Talley Farms), Brian is leading family-owned Talley Farms through its fourth generation of successful production of vegetables, seed crops, citrus, and avocados. Brian is also President of Talley Vineyards, producing internationally recognized wines since the 1980s. Several other family members take active roles in the companies. Rosemary Talley, Brian’s mother and wife of the late Don Talley serves on the Board of Directors of both companies. Brian’s wife Johnine serves as Chief Financial Officer of Talley Vineyards while their daughter, Elizabeth, works at Talley Vineyards. His nephews, Byron, Grant, and Elliott Talley are also very active at Talley Farms.
The Talley family started farming in San Luis Obispo County when Brian’s grandfather, Oliver Talley, began growing vegetables in 1948. Oliver and his sons, Kenneth and Don, purchased property in the Arroyo Grande Valley in 1966. They continued to expand their land holdings and their farming operations, building a cooler and shipping vegetables. Since then, the family operation has continued to expand, planting their first vineyard in 1982, and making their first wine in 1986.
Following in his grandfather’s, father’s, and uncle’s footsteps, Brian today oversees a multifaceted farming operation consisting of growing, packing, shipping and retailing fresh produce, and the growing of seed crops, citrus, and avocados. Central Coast consumers are able to enjoy true farm-to-table produce through the Talley Farms Box program. More than 6,000 subscribers receive boxes of Talley seasonal produce shipped weekly, containing just-harvested, sustainably farmed produce and fruit.
Along with the farming operation, Brian also is President and CEO of Talley Vineyards, named one of the Top 100 wineries in the world by Wine and Spirits Magazine in 2021. The Talleys produce some of California’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah wines.
Brian and his wife, Johnine have two daughters, Elizabeth and Olivia. As if Brian wasn’t busy enough with farming and the wine business, he is heavily involved in supporting not just the agricultural industry but also the local community at large. In 2004, Brian and Johnine formed the Fund for Vineyard and Farm Workers, an organization that provides grants to nonprofit organizations supporting San Luis Obispo County agricultural workers. Brian is a director of AgWest Farm Credit, the agricultural representative on San Luis Obispo County Zone 3 Flood Control District Advisory Committee, past president of the San Luis Obispo Coast Wine Collective, past treasurer of the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA Committee, co-founder and past chairman, World of Pinot Noir, and a past board member of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce.
Brian and Johnine enjoy cooking, travelling, and hiking. As much as anything else, though, Brian loves his job and the opportunity to help steward the growth and development of the family businesses. About this honor, Brian said, “Our success is rooted in the soil of this beautiful region and everyone who works tirelessly to make San Luis Obispo County a leader in sustainable agriculture. To be honored in this way, alongside so many others who share my deep connection to the land, is a true privilege.”
San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau salutes Brian and all the Talleys for their ongoing contribution to San Luis Obispo County agriculture and to our communities.
San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau has given the Agriculturalist of the Year award annually since 1988, making Brian Talley the 36th person to receive this honor.
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