News & Press Releases

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (JAN 11, 2024) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, announces their first Frost-Kissed® crop of the season currently being harvested out of their southern growing region in Coachella, Calif. These specialty artichokes are shipping now and will be intermittently available throughout the winter. Special petal inserts have been developed to help educate the consumer about the unique condition of these artichokes.

“Frost-Kissed artichokes are truly a specialty item and the very definition of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’,” said Bobby Bellew, Director of Farming. Created naturally after enduring a frost which occurs when the temperature drops to 32 degrees or colder, the artichokes’ skin darkens due to the freezing condition. Continuing, “The brown outer layer is strictly cosmetic – similar to a sunburn – and peels off once cooked resulting in a green (cooked) artichoke that consumers are familiar with.”

According to Sr. Director of Marketing, Mark Munger, “The browning of the exterior petals of the artichoke in no way effects the eatability or quality of the artichoke, and in fact seals in the flavor which has a distinctive nuttier flavor that many consumers prefer.” Munger added, “These unique artichokes with their nutty flavor are only offered by Ocean Mist Farms, and are only available on a limited basis after a frost occurs in our winter desert growing region.”

Bellew noted “In the winter of 2022-2023 there were no frosts, so no Frost-Kissed artichokes found their way into the marketplace, much to the disappointment of many artichoke aficionado’s.” “As much as frosts can be destructive to vegetation and farming, sometimes Mother Nature produces something truly amazing from what many consider to be an unfortunate weather condition,” Bellew concluded.
Ocean Mist Farms has developed POS materials for retailers to help educate consumers about these limited artichokes. They can order materials today by clicking here to go to our website and complete the POS form.

 

###

 

About Ocean Mist Farms
Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, Calif., the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for product quality, food safety, sustainability, customer service, and innovation. The company’s full line of 30+ fresh vegetable commodities include their Gold Standard green and purple artichokes, as well as a valued-added and Season & Steam product line. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit oceanmist.com or follow them on their socials on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (December 1, 2023) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, advises their Oxnard winter crop artichoke program is in full production – and the Coachella season is just beginning – providing excellent volumes to meet customer demand and keep consumers happy through the holiday season and into the new year.

VP Sales & Marketing, Rick Bravo, said “The quality of these artichokes coming out of Oxnard look exceptional and volumes are strong.” Continuing, “After the weather challenges from last year which contributed to a lighter December harvest, this is a great opportunity for retailers to generate some strong year-over-year performance to close out Q4 of 2023.”

According to Ben Wilson, commodity manager for the artichoke leader “We have the quality and promotable volumes to support customer demand through the holiday season.” Adding, “This is the perfect opportunity for ads and promotions that will generate buzz and excitement in produce departments and get artichokes in carts. Consumers will be left feeling like the holidays came early this year!”

As they migrate their growing operations in the fall each year, Ocean Mist Farms has four winter growing regions, with their main winter crop operation being Coachella, California. Developing the perfect science of what crops are grown when and where as they migrate their ops north to south, ensures the year-round availability of virtually their entire product line. Coachella, however, is a strategic differentiator for this industry giant.

Ocean Mist’s Coachella VP of Production, Jeff Percy, shared “The sandy soil is the real game-changer for us. The higher sand content in the soil makes for lighter material that allows us to work faster and still be able to harvest after heavy rains.” Adding “Because the land in the Coachella Valley hasn’t been as heavily farmed as some other growing regions, it has less insect and disease pressure.” Lastly, Percy noted “We’ve also been using drip and sprinkler irrigation for over twenty years now which means we’re utilizing the ground water more effectively. It also means we can farm virtually every square inch of the fields without the need for water basins.”

 

###

 

About Ocean Mist Farms
Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, Calif., the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. The company’s full line of 30+ fresh vegetable commodities include their premium coveted green and purple artichokes, as well as their valued-added line and Season & Steam products. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit oceanmist.com or follow them on their socials on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (November 20, 2023) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, mourns the passing of beloved former President and CEO, visionary and industry titan, Ed Boutonnet.

Ed was a devoted grower/owner of the industry-leading company for over forty years, where his vision as President and CEO from 1990 – 2015 helped develop the company into a strategically focused industry leader. The Boutonnet family, who first started consolidating acreage with one of Ocean Mist’s original founding family members, Hugo Tottino, back in 1970 remain actively involved as valued grower/owners of the company.

In 1972 the Boutonnet family joined forces with Sea Mist Farms (an Ocean Mist Farms affiliate) to bring artichokes – and eventually mixed vegetables – into the offering, helping to bolster and diversify the company’s product line. A decade later, in 1982, the Boutonnet family became partners in the California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers Corporation (Ocean Mist Farms formal company name).

For the next couple decades, the Boutonnet family continued to add to their farming roster, adding leaf lettuces in the early 1980s. By 1990 Boutonnet was named President and CEO and began evolving the company into the largest grower/shipper of artichokes in North America. Under Boutonnet’s leadership Ocean Mist expanded its acreage, facilities, and product offering. Ed’s unwavering commitment and focus lead sales to grow exponentially during his tenure.

As a farmer he was a proud and steadfast steward of the land and understood the many facets of farming and the inherent challenges that exist in this extremely demanding, and honorable, profession. As a leader, Ed’s passion for farming, this community, and developing and mentoring next generations of Ocean Mist employees into future leaders was unrivaled. Ed had an uncanny ability to connect with all employees – from field workers to senior management. When making long-term strategic business decisions, Ed’s first and final consideration was always the welfare of Ocean Mist Farm employees.

Ocean Mist President and CEO, Chris Drew, remembers Ed with great respect and reverence and a deep sense of appreciation for his mentorship and guidance when Chris first joined Sea Mist Farms in 2004.
Chris reflects on early words of wisdom Ed shared with him, which Chris notes Ed also regularly emulated in his relentless pursuit of excellence. “There is no such thing as luck. Luck should be defined as when good preparation and opportunity meet. 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.”

Possibly one of the most noteworthy things Ed championed while at the Ocean Mist helm was positioning the company to be a major player in a very competitive landscape of grower/shippers. Creating an organizational structure and working with the leadership to identify, create and implement a strategic plan, mission, vision, and values laid the groundwork for what was to come. His commitment, efforts and perseverance left an indelible mark on Ocean Mist Farms to this day.

Over the years Ed served on multiple Boards sharing his time, passion, insights, and expertise to support and further worthy causes that were near and dear to his heart. He rightfully received several awards, honors, accolades, and recognition for his many contributions to, and accomplishments in, the agriculture industry.

The Ocean Mist Farms corporate headquarters office in Castroville has a reserved sign in its parking lot that has been for the exclusive use of Mr. Boutonnet since 2010. He was always a welcome friend and colleague here, and his memory will live on as we near our centennial year in 2024 which Ed was so excited to celebrate with us.

The Boutonnet family is now into its fourth generation of proud farmers.

 

###

 

 

About Ocean Mist Farms
Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, Calif., the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. The company’s full line of 30+ fresh vegetable commodities include their premium coveted green and purple artichokes, as well as their valued-added line and Season & Steam products. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit oceanmist.com or follow them on their socials on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (November 2, 2023) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, debuted their new 30 x 30-foot booth at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral tradeshow in Anaheim October 19 – 21, 2023.

“As we are fast-approaching our centennial anniversary in 2024,” said Ocean Mist Farms President & CEO, Chris Drew, “we recognize this historical milestone is the perfect opportunity to assess where we are as a brand – and a company – and where we want to be going now and over the next hundred years. While we are very much rooted in history, we are focused on the future.”

Continuing, “One of the many things we took a look at and evolved was our tradeshow booth.” Drew went on to note “We felt there was an opportunity for us to tell the story of this 4th generation legacy company in a more effective way, while better showcasing our growing and evolving product and value-added lines of fresh vegetables to our customers and potential customers.”

“One of the objectives of this new booth,” according to Drew “was for us to create an environment that was a reflection of our rich farming heritage.” Adding, “To that end, we had live artichoke plants in the booth in custom-made planter boxes, which we went to great lengths to secure, transport and plant – the first time the company had successfully taken on this challenge.”

Additionally, the new booth featured six multi-media screens that played a seven-minute looped video that was newly produced for the show, taking viewers through virtually every facet of Ocean Mist’s farming operation. From breathtaking aerial footage of the fields, to ground-level harvests of multiple products, to cooler footage including washing, weighing, and packing value-added vegetable mixes into bags, and finally loading pallets onto trucks.

Booths reviews ranged from ‘better traffic flow,’ and ‘ease of viewing entire product line in bank of coolers,’ to ‘beautiful graphics.’ And, of course, much love and attention was paid to the new bright green 8-foot tall artichoke ornament in the airspace over the booth, clearly identifying Ocean Mist Farms as the artichoke industry leader that they are.

 

###

 


About Ocean Mist Farms
Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, Calif., the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. The company’s full line of 30+ fresh vegetable commodities include their premium coveted green and purple artichokes, as well as their valued-added line and Season & Steam products. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit oceanmist.com or follow them on their socials on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (October 12, 2023) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, will be debuting their new 30’ x 30’ booth at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral tradeshow in Anaheim October 19 – 21, 2023.

“Our new booth is an enhanced reflection of our rich farming heritage and provides the perfect platform to demonstrate our industry leadership in the fresh artichokes segment,” said Sr. Director of Marketing Mark Munger. Continuing “The new booth’s layout – with its sleek lines and improved flow floorplan – will display Ocean’s Mist’s comprehensive product line in a stylish environment emulating the feel of a European outdoor market. This new layout will also include a larger footprint to feature our value-added items – about one-third of the booth’s total merchandising area,” said Munger.

Director of Supply Chain & Compliance, Glen Alameda noted “We felt it was important to better showcase our value-added products which are the fastest growing segment of our business.” Adding, “Ocean Mist has continued to invest in the expansion of our value-added program with infrastructure expansions, new machinery, additional production shifts, and overall capacity to bolster and grow production.” Alameda concluded “Along with increased volumes, exciting line extensions and innovations are in process and slated for launch in 2024 – our centennial year.”

“One message we are sharing with our retail and foodservice customers is that whether packed in our label, or theirs, we are a reliable and rapidly growing value-added partner,” said Jeff Hutterer, director of value-added sales.” Hutterer also noted “We are unique in that nearly all the produce we process for our value-added program comes from our own farms. Our customers recognize Ocean Mist Farms for our consistency, variety, and ability to regularly deliver on our Gold Standard quality, which they can expect from our value-added programs as well.”
IFPA 2023 Booth #3485

 

###

 


About Ocean Mist Farms
Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, Calif., the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of 30+ fresh vegetable commodities include their premium coveted green and purple artichokes, as well as their valued-added line and Season & Steam products. To learn more about Ocean Mist

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (August 2, 2023) Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, was presented with the IFPA Foodservice Conference’s Chef’s Choice Award at the annual show in Monterey on Friday July 28, 2023.

The award-winning dish was developed for the artichoke giant – and prepared at the show by – Ocean Mist’s longtime Corporate Chef, Tony Baker. According to Chef Tony, artichokes are “the incredible edible thistle…healthful, nutritious, fun to eat and easier to prepare and cook than most people think.”

Tony’s history with artichokes in particular is long and impressive. From recipe development, pitching artichoke recipes to national chains, and training chefs nationwide on the many ways to cook and showcase artichokes, to chef demos and presentations at many shows (winning multiple awards along the way, including American Culinary Federation Chef of the Year in 2018), and working with Chef Curtis Stone to develop artichoke ideas for his former artichoke-themed menu at his Beverly Hills restaurant, Maude. It’s safe to say, Chef Tony is very passionate about artichokes.

“We had a great turnout at the show,” said Hilda Medina, marketing manager for Ocean Mist Farms, “with many people coming back for seconds of Chef Tony’s famous Baby Artichoke Risotto.” Continuing, “It’s always great to see industry friends, colleagues and customers at the show, and winning this prestigious award was a great ending to another successful Foodservice show.”

This risotto recipe can be found on Ocean Mist’s website along with a variety of other artichoke recipes. “We have spent many years developing and perfecting recipes including our premium artichokes and other fresh vegetable offerings, and have compiled quite an archive of wonderful, diverse ways to prepare artichokes that goes far beyond the obligatory dip or appetizer recipe, said Medina.”

Ocean Mist Farms Baby Artichoke Risotto Recipe can be found at: https://www.oceanmist.com/recipes/risotto-of-baby-artichokes

 

###

 

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, Calif., the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of 30+ fresh vegetable commodities include their premium coveted green and purple artichokes, as well as their valued-added line and Season & Steam products. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit oceanmist.com or follow them on their socials on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (May 24, 2023)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, is pleased to announce veteran agricultural industry marketer Lori Bigras has joined Ocean Mist Farms as Communications Manager. With this hiring, Ocean Mist Farms has brought on an experienced professional with over twenty years in the produce industry.

In her new role, Bigras will be responsible for leading the day-to-day management of Ocean Mist Farms social media marketing initiatives. She will also manage all trade and consumer public relations activities, develop, write, and manage the company’s bi-weekly fresh produce blog, and create comprehensive marketing plans to boost brand image, increase customer engagement and improve conversions. 

“I’m so excited to join the marketing team at this almost 100-year-old legacy company and industry giant,” said Bigras. “This role will allow me to use my experience to help elevate both consumer and trade brand awareness for Ocean Mist Farms.”

Prior to accepting the position, Bigras has worked for industry-leading agriculture companies in the fresh segment for much of her career. She studied business and marketing at Vermont College (Montpelier, VT) and UCSC (University of California, Santa Cruz) where she studied design. A native New Englander, Bigras has called Santa Cruz, Calif. home since the 80’s. 

“The experience Lori brings to this position is unmatched,” said Mark Munger, Director of Sales & Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “With her proven track record and experience in produce marketing and the agricultural industry at large, Lori will bring immediate value to Ocean Mist Farms and the marketing department.”

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA, the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. The company’s full line of 30+ fresh vegetables include their award-winning green and purple artichokes, as well as their Season & Steam value-added line of products. To stay up to date on the 2023 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com. For great recipe inspiration and preparation tips, consumers can follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Castroville, CA., and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam line. To stay up to date on the 2023 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

image-png-Apr-25-2023-09-01-33-0565-PM

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (April 24, 2023)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, announces the launch of its annual spring promotion conveying the health and nutrition benefits and accolades of their famous Gold Standard artichokes. The Gold Standard Giveaway will run from April 24 – June 1, giving participants the opportunity to win one Grand Prize VISA gift card valued at $1,000 or one of five VISA gift cards valued at $100.

With this promotion, Ocean Mist Farms is highlighting their artichoke expertise to ensure their trade partners are aware of all that goes into the Gold Standard distinction, as well as shine a light on the exceptional nutritional qualities of fresh artichokes.

“Throughout each year, we are proud to share our Gold Standard artichokes,” said Mark Munger, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Ocean Mist Farms artichokes are THE Gold Standard for providing immune-boosting nutrition and a top source of fiber, with one whole cooked artichoke packing nearly 7 grams of fiber -- about a third of the daily minimum target. This superior nutrition profile, coupled with Ocean Mist Farms rich legacy and artichoke expertise, bring the Gold Standard to your produce department.”

For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated premium quality artichokes – including many patented proprietary varieties – in the coveted microclimate and nutrient-rich soil of Castroville, CA. This is home to Ocean Mist Farms’ spring artichoke production, with the heaviest supply production being in April.

Decades of farming proficiency and excellence, coupled with their exceptional harvesting practices and land stewardship, further define this brand as worthy of the Gold Standard designation. Ocean Mist Farms is supporting retail sales for the Gold Standard promotion with a variety of marketing activations.

On-pack messaging will reinforce shopper awareness of Ocean Mist Farms branded artichokes and their Gold Standard commitment. The brand will also drive visitors to the artichoke nutrition webpage and encourage shoppers to purchase artichokes at their local grocery store with the help of their Destini locator tool found on www.oceanmist.com.

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Castroville, CA., and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam line. To stay up to date on the 2023 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (February 21, 2023)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the availability of their proprietary purple artichokes. This seasonal, limited edition to the Ocean Mist Farms artichoke family is a colorful variety selected for superior flavor and appearance.

WHO: Ocean Mist Farms

WHAT: Ocean Mist Farms proprietary Purple Artichokes are back for a fourth consecutive year. For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated superior artichoke varieties in California. Tapping into this experience, they have developed a purple artichoke variety to enjoy alongside the lineup of other Ocean Mist Farms products and their traditional green varieties.

Characteristics of the Purple Artichokes include a vibrant purple exterior that when cooked may transform into shades of green and purple depending on seasoning and cooking method; the look and flavor of a Mediterranean old-world variety; tender, meaty leaves; and a rich, earthy artichoke flavor. 

Size 12 and 18 will be the first purple artichokes harvested at the start of the season and will then transition to a medium size to fit into the 4-count clamshell Ocean Mist Farms will offer. This will be in addition to the loose artichokes with the tag (pictured above).

WHEN: Ocean Mist Farms expects the heaviest production period to be February 20 – April 23

WHERE: Grown in Castroville, California and available nationwide 

 

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2023 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (February 7, 2023)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., launches the “Eat Your Heart Out” Sweepstakes. This multifaceted campaign, launching today and lasting through March 17, includes email marketing to a robust community of artichoke shoppers and produce buyers, social media advertising, and sweepstakes prizes – all to drive demand and in-store sales.

With this promotion, Ocean Mist Farms is supporting awareness of their winter artichoke variety during peak availability. Aiming to increase consumption during these early months while health and nutrition are still top of mind, Ocean Mist Farms is regularly educating consumers on the health benefits of artichokes, such as their immune boosting properties.

“Our winter artichoke crop has delivered on high quality and abundance, therefore marking this as a perfect time to drive consumer demand through our Sweepstakes,” said Mark Munger, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We want consumers to know that our artichokes are grown to deliver consistent flavor as well as premium health benefits. Artichokes contain prebiotic fiber and other immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties that will help you eat well, rest well, and play well in the new year.”

Participants can enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes. There will be 10 Grand Prize winners who will receive one (1) $100 Visa gift card. Over on Instagram, Ocean Mist Farms will host two flash promotions throughout the duration of the Sweepstakes. Flash promotion #1) there will be 3 winners who will receive a $25 Visa gift card and Flash promotion #2) the first 25 entries will receive a free 6ct Artichoke shipped overnight to their doorstep!

Artichokes traditionally grow best in a Mediterranean-like climate, as the vegetable requires mild temperatures and plenty of moisture. However, Ocean Mist Farms has honed a proprietary seed variety specifically for the Coachella Valley climate. By utilizing Coachella’s optimal growing conditions during the winter-to-spring months, Ocean Mist Farms can maintain their Gold Standard quality year-round. 

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com. To receive weekly trade information, please sign up HERE. For more recipe inspiration and tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2023 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (January 10, 2023)Ocean Mist Farms is expecting an outstanding 2023 winter artichoke season with abundant volume and excellent quality throughout February and early March. In time to meet shopper demand around healthy eating choices, as well as being a staple ingredient in comfort food during the winter months, this increased supply of artichokes provides retailers an opportunity for a seasonal boost in category sales. 

Ocean Mist Farms winter artichoke crop is grown mostly in the Coachella Valley, with smaller volumes coming from farms in Baja, Mexico. The strong volume of artichokes is due in part to growing conditions, with few weather-related interruptions in Coachella. Quality is excellent, with the crop showing an abundance of larger sizes.

“We are expecting excellent quality, with sizes peaking at mostly 12’s and 18’s,” said Ben Wilson, Ocean Mist Farms Artichoke Commodity Manager. “After a smaller than normal holiday crop, our winter crop will provide retailers with excellent promotional opportunities, especially on our largest sizes.”

Ocean Mist Farms will be supporting retail partners during this heavy supply season with a full assortment of merchandising tools, including Ocean Mist Farms’ eye-catching stand-alone display units. The company will also be running a national consumer promotion supported by a strong digital media presence and collaborations with popular food influencers. With this increase in volume just a few weeks away, now is the time for retailers to begin setting up artichoke ads and winter promotions for their shoppers.

“We know this holiday season brought its own set of weather-related challenges for retailers when it came to receiving their supply,” said Rick Bravo, VP of Sales & Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We very much look forward to working with our retail partners and those looking for additional artichoke volume in their stores during our February and March peak harvest.”

For more information, please reach out to contactus@oceanmist.com.

 

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2023 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (January 10, 2023)Ocean Mist Farms has the fresh solution for busy families looking to add flavor, color and convenience to their healthy eating New Year resolutions. Consumers can start the new year with Ocean Mist Farms recently expanded fresh-cut vegetable convenience line. The line includes nine unique packs of farm fresh vegetables that are sure to compliment any new year, healthy eating mealtime.

Ocean Mist Farms' Fresh-Cut Retail packs are washed and ready-to-use for a quick and easy microwavable meal prep solution. The labor-saving packs provide shoppers a 100% usable, recipe-ready solution for high-quality, cost-effective meals at home or on the go. All fresh-cut items are grown, harvested, and processed with the same commitment to food safety, quality and flavor customers have come to expect from the Ocean Mist Farms brand for nearly a century.

The Fresh-Cut line now includes:

  • Broccoli Florets
  • Broccoli Slaw – NEW!
  • Brussels Sprouts Halves
  • Brussels Sprouts Whole
  • Cauliflower Florets
  • Cauliflower Rice
  • Floret Medley
  • Spinach
  • Vegetable Medley

Our recently expanded fresh-cut value-added line is the perfect complement to Ocean Mist Farm’s award-winning Season & Steam products. This growing line of value-added vegetable solutions provides consumers an even wider selection of healthy eating options to kick-start 2023,” said Mark Munger, Senior Director of Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. The company also offers Brussels sprouts, Broccoli florets and the vegetable medley in larger family sized packs.

Ocean Mist Farms encourages retailers to showcase the Fresh-Cut line alongside proteins and other items that can be used to create a quick, easy, and nutritious meal anyone can enjoy. Recipe inspiration may be found on the Ocean Mist Farms website which includes digital cookbooks free to download. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms’ Fresh-Cut line, please visit www.oceanmist.com/fresh-cut

 

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2023 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (November 22, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms Brussels sprouts are currently headed into the peak fall crop, just in time to meet shopper demand during the busy holiday season. Known for their Gold Standard Artichokes, Ocean Mist Farms also provides high quality, exceptional Brussels sprouts which are being harvested out of Castroville, CA. through January, and will be coming out of Coachella and Mexico beginning in late-December.

“The fall crop is peaking now along the central coast of California, right in time for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays,” said Mark Munger, Senior Director of Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Although Ocean Mist Farms grows Brussels sprouts year-round, the crop peaks during November, which is a reason Brussels sprouts continue to grow in popularity as a holiday favorite. The season will begin shifting to the Coachella Valley in late December and we expect the central coast harvest to continue well into January. We anticipate a very smooth transition into our desert growing region with supply coming out of all three regions during the December holidays.”

Ocean Mist Farms’ Brussels sprout volume has increased steadily over the last couple of years to meet demand. The company’s release of the “Season & Steam” pack created further interest with this convenient cook-in pack. This past year, as the company has added a wider range of value-added products, including the 16 oz. and 32 oz. family size form & fill packs as well as halved and shredded Brussels sprout packs, demand has risen sharply. During the holidays, Ocean Mist Farms also offers Brussels sprout stalks, a fun way to purchase, display and even cook Brussels sprouts. Stalks are limited to only the holiday season.

According to a recent article, shoppers spend $4.3 million on Brussels sprouts every year at  Thanksgiving. This holiday season, Ocean Mist Farms encourages retailers to let their shoppers know this nutrition-rich vegetable may look like cabbage but has a denser texture and milder flavor. When it comes to providing options for shoppers, Ocean Mist Farms has a library of information, recipes, and more for consumers to learn how to prepare and cook their fresh Brussels sprouts. Recipe inspiration includes year-round ideas for weeknight dinners as well as holiday dishes, such as Shredded Brussels Sprouts With Bacon & Pecans, Supershreds Cesar Salad, and Apple Glazed Brussels Sprouts.

“We’ve found that when retailers merchandise a range of pack options, including bulk, packaged whole, and fresh-cut, sales increase significantly,” said Munger. “We also recommend displaying sprouts in the value-added case and also in the wet rack, providing a variety of convenient options within arm’s reach.”

Brussels Sprout options offered for shoppers and operators from Ocean Mist Farms:

  • Bulk Brussels Sprouts
  • Value-Added Fresh Cut (Both Retail and Foodservice):
    • Brussels Sprouts Shreds
    • Brussels Sprouts Halves
    • Brussels Sprouts Whole
  • Brussels sprout stalks

Through Ocean Mist Farms rigorous food-safety practices and procedures, the company provides shoppers with only the best quality Brussels sprouts. Shoppers can visit this page for the latest information about where Ocean Mist Farms Brussels sprouts are currently being produced. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms food safety commitment, click here.

For more information, please reach out to contactus@oceanmist.com.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (October 20, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is pleased to announce Mark Munger has joined Ocean Mist Farms as Senior Director of Marketing. With this hiring, Ocean Mist Farms has brought on an experienced professional with over 36 years in the produce industry.

In his new role, Munger will be responsible for leading the day-to-day management of trade and consumer marketing initiatives at Ocean Mist Farms. Prior to accepting the position, Munger served as VP of Marketing & Strategy at 4Earth Farms, and before that he served as VP of Marketing at Andrew Williamson Fresh Produce. Munger’s career also includes marketing positions with Driscoll’s, the Produce Marketing Association, and various California commodity boards.  He earned his BS in Agricultural Science and Management from the University of California, Davis.

“Bringing on a professional of this caliber to lead our marketing team ushers in an exciting time at our company,” said Rick Bravo, VP of Sales & Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “With his proven track record and experience in produce marketing, Mark will bring immediate value to Ocean Mist Farms and the marketing and sales teams. His skill set will be instrumental in our overall success.” 

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2022 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (October 19, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., will attend IFPA’s Global Produce & Floral Show in Booth #1661 October 27-29, 2022.

Ocean Mist Farms will feature their new Broccoli Slaw and 2lb sizes from the value added product line (Broccoli Florets, Vegetable Medley, and Brussels Sprouts) at the Global Produce & Floral Show. The company will also be showcasing their Gold Standard Artichokes to those who stop by the booth. With artichokes grown in Ocean Mist Farms growing regions of Castroville and Coachella, the company looks forward to showcasing their produce to attendees around the country this month.

“We look forward to being at the Global Show this year and to speak to customers in person about our new Broccoli Slaw and 2lb sizes from our value added product line for the first time,” said Rick Bravo, VP of Sales & Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Being able to present our products with current and potential customers is of the utmost importance to us and we appreciate the opportunity to make these meaningful connections.”

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, stop by booth #1661 at the IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show October 27-29. For more information, please reach out to contactus@oceanmist.com.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2022 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (May 12, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., continues to emphasize education for students, media, and influencers as a pillar of the company’s marketing efforts. Remaining true to the Company’s purpose of fueling health and happiness through foods that matter, experiencing a vegetable harvest firsthand in the field serves to not simply educate, but builds a brand connection with these different audiences who will spread the word of what they learned and as well as deepen their perspective and understanding of California agriculture.

“Although we share photos and videos on a weekly basis on our social and email channels, nothing takes the place of an immersive field or cooler visit,”: said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing of Ocean Mist Farms. “Our commitment to sharing what is unique about our cultivation practices and giving visitors a chance to harvest an artichoke and speak directly with the grower is a memorable experience that informs each visitor's future relationship with Ocean Mist Farms, artichokes, and field-fresh vegetables in general.”

Most recently, influencers and culinary students have taken to the Ocean Mist Farms’ fields in Castroville, California to learn about the Gold Standard of Artichokes®' designation and experience both an artichoke and iceberg lettuce harvest. As part of the immersive experience, for those willing and able, Ocean Mist Farms provides canastas, or baskets, to try and harvest a few artichokes themselves to understand the depth of skill and technique needed to ensure that only The Gold Standard of Artichoke(s) is harvested and delivered to grocery stores in North America.

“With each of these educational experiences, the role that Salinas and Castroville growing region plays in California’s agricultural production is elevated and more broadly appreciated,” said McClean. For more information on how to include Ocean Mist Farms Gold Standard artichokes and other fresh vegetables in your store, please reach out to contactus@oceanmist.com.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over thirty fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2022 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (April 12, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the United States, celebrates the 98th year of growing the flagship crop in the Castroville, CA growing region. This nearly century-long commitment to bringing customers and shoppers the very best artichokes available has earned Ocean Mist Farms the reputation for being the Gold Standard of Artichokes®.

“While our company’s artichoke farming legacy began in the Mediterranean-like climate of central California over nine decades ago, we are very proud of our ability to successfully expand our proprietary artichoke program to the Coachella Valley during the winter months,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing of Ocean Mist Farms.

“Our team worked tirelessly to develop just the right seed variety for Southern California’s desert climate to expand the availability of our Gold Standard quality artichokes year-round. Now, with our third purple artichoke season under our belt, we look forward to continuing to develop innovative ways to share this iconic Italian vegetable with shoppers across the country.”

Commitment to Gold Standard

Ocean Mist Farms' vertically integrated operations means the company oversees every stage of the artichoke production process. From seed R&D, land selection, cultivation and planting all the way to harvesting, processing, cooling and distribution, Ocean Mist Farms maintains Gold Standard best practices at every step in the farming and distribution supply chain.

Shopper Touchpoint

Ocean Mist Farms also brings a Gold Standard level of attention and detail to shopper education, offering retail partners a robust library of petal inserts, shelf tags, display bins and recipe cards that provide high impact visibility for artichokes in the produce department. “We also work with chefs and influencers to create simple artichoke recipes and cooking class videos that align with today’s diet trends like gluten free and vegan and cooking trends such as the Instant Pot,” shared McClean. “Then we share these recipes and videos with our mailing list of nearly 100,000 consumers!”

For more information on the Gold Standard or to include Ocean Mist Farms Gold Standard artichokes in your store, please reach out to contactus@oceanmist.com.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (March 28, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., will appear at CPMA this year and feature their spring artichoke production and value-added product line. The company is looking forward to being back in Canada after the past two years. For more information, please reach out to contactus@oceanmist.com.

WHO: Ocean Mist Farms

WHAT: Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines.

WHEN: April 5-7, 2022

WHERE: Booth #1018

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2022 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (March 7, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the availability of their proprietary purple artichokes. This seasonal, limited addition to the Ocean Mist Farms artichoke family is a colorful variety selected for superior flavor and appearance.

WHO: Ocean Mist Farms

WHAT: Ocean Mist Farms proprietary Purple Artichokes are back for a third consecutive year. For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated superior artichoke varieties in California. Tapping into this experience, they have developed a purple artichoke variety to enjoy alongside the lineup of other Ocean Mist Farms products and their traditional green varieties.

Characteristics of the Purple Artichokes include a vibrant purple exterior that when cooked may transform into shades of green and purple depending on seasoning and cooking method; the look and flavor of a Mediterranean old-world variety; tender, meaty leaves; and a rich, earthy artichoke flavor.

Size 12 and 18 will be the first purple artichokes harvested at the start of the season, and will then transition to a medium size to fit into the 4-count clamshell Ocean Mist Farms will offer. This will be in addition to the loose artichokes with the tag (pictured above).

WHEN: Ocean Mist Farms expects the heaviest production period to be March 27 – April 23

WHERE: Grown in Castroville, California and available nationwide

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2022 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (February 7, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation Grower Shipper located in Castroville, CA, is pleased to announce the promotion of Bobby Bellew to Director of Farming, Serafin Ruiz to Director of Harvesting, and Glen Alameda to Director of Supply Chain and Compliance.

In Bellew’s new role, he will oversee and guide Ocean Mist Farm’s Northern California farming operations and work to increase cost efficiencies, quality, and yield. Bellew’s expertise and detailed focus on farming will allow him to continue building and coaching talent across the Production and Farming Department and focus on areas where Ocean Mist Farms can utilize science and technology to foster efficiency.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the performances of these three individuals,” said Chris Drew, President and CEO of Ocean Mist Farms. “Bellew, Ruiz and Alameda have all shown growth in their individual areas of expertise year over year. As a result of this development, the promotions of these three key figures at our company positions Ocean Mist Farms for a new era of continued success.”

Ruiz’s background and experience with Ocean Mist Farms harvesting operations and equipment engineering has propelled him to lead the way to increasing efficiency, minimizing product loss, capitalizing on higher yields, and placing a stronger focus on mechanized harvest opportunities. In his new role, Ruiz will manage the Commodity Management Department including both internal and external harvest companies and procurement operations across Ocean Mist Farms’ different production regions.

Alameda’s past role as Logistics Manager has allowed him to glean knowledge of Ocean Mist Farm’s entire supply chain, how it works, and where we have opportunity to improve. In his new role Alameda will oversee all our post-harvest supply chain operations including inventory management and flow, packaging, QA, as well as Customer and Regulatory Compliance.

“We look forward to seeing the shining future these three individuals hold at Ocean Mist Farms and greatly anticipate their work ahead,” said Drew.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (January 24, 2022)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the launch of the Coachella artichoke production season. Growing in the region for over 20 years, 2022 also marks the fourth consecutive year of Ocean Mist Farms’ highly successful Peace Love & Artichokes messaging campaign.

“Every year is different, with Mother Nature being in charge. said Jeff Percy, VP Production in Coachella for Ocean Mist Farms. “Artichoke harvest is in full swing a bit earlier than last year, and we are pleased with the demand for our Frost Kissed® chokes. Looking at production volumes we have good quality and supply for the balance of the Coachella artichoke season.”

Promotable volumes of Ocean Mist Farms artichokes will be available for the majority of the Coachella season and Artichoke buyers are encouraged to connect with their Ocean Mist Farms salesperson to discuss opportunities.

Artichokes traditionally grow in a Mediterranean-like climate, as the vegetable requires mild temperatures and plenty of moisture. However, Ocean Mist Farms has honed a desert-grown proprietary seed variety specifically for the Coachella Valley climate. By utilizing Coachella’s optimal growing conditions during the winter-to-spring months, Ocean Mist Farms is able to maintain their high-quality standards year-round.

Ocean Mist Farms will be issuing a bi-weekly video field report as part of their Trade Email campaign to show off Coachella artichoke production during February. This is just one trade activation being employed to elevate Ocean Mist Farms branded artichokes with decision makers. 

To further incentivize shoppers to put artichokes in their baskets, Ocean Mist Farms is launching a multifaceted campaign, launching next week and lasting through April 8. The campaign will include email marketing to a robust community of artichoke shoppers and produce buyers, social media & Google advertising, and sweepstakes prizes – all to drive sales, brand engagement and in-store demand.

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com. To receive weekly trade information, please sign up HERE. For more recipe inspiration and tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.


 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2021) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, welcomes the first Frost Kissed® crop of the season. The Frost Kissed artichokes are shipping now and will be intermittently available throughout the winter. Each Frost Kissed® Artichoke includes a petal insert to let the shopper know about this unique condition.

Once the temperature drops below 32 degrees, the artichokes’ skin darkens due to the freezing conditions, which seals in more flavor and provides a nuttier flavor profile for Ocean Mist Farms’ Frost Kissed artichokes. While this limited time offering has a slightly darker exterior, the brown outer layer peels off once cooked resulting in the green artichoke shoppers are familiar with.

“Frost Kissed artichokes offer a unique flavor for a limited time that many shoppers look forward to experiencing when available,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “These artichokes have a unique color to them that is strictly cosmetic and does not impact the quality and actually intensifies the artichoke flavor that artichoke aficionados enjoy.”

In an effort to elevate the Frost Kissed artichokes as a satisfying menu item, Ocean Mist Farms will provide recipe inspiration through its social media channels, as well as sharing information on the website to educate consumers. All Frost Kissed artichokes are packed with a Frost Kissed® petal insert so shoppers can easily recognize them on shelf, and Frost Kissed POS materials are available for order on the Ocean Mist Farms’ website HERE.

“The Frost Kissed artichokes are a seasonal treat we look forward to as we don’t see a freeze every season,” added McClean. “This fall, we’re working to ensure our shoppers are educated on ways to prep the artichoke so they too can enjoy its unique flavor for a limited time when they are available.”  

For additional Frost Kissed® inspiration and to learn more, visit www.oceanmist.com/products/frost-kissed-artichokes and follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 #  #  #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business based in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (December 13, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., will showcase its conventional & organic commodity lines and feature the Season & Steam product line extension in the “New Product Showcase” at this year’s New York Produce Show in booth #242.

The value-added Season & Steam product line extension includes five new additions to the award-winning microwavable cut vegetable product line. The entire line includes 10 varieties, each with the same convenience, customizable seasoning and exclusive resealable bag technology shoppers love.

“We look forward to being back at the New York Produce Show and to speak to customers in person about our Season & Steam product line extension for the first time,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We had great engagement and conversations with our trade partners in 2019 considering the Northeast is known for its heavy distribution of artichokes. This show gives us a great opportunity for us to put our new items from Season & Steam on display.”

The Season & Steam varieties from Ocean Mist Farms include:

  • Sweet Baby Broccoli
  • Artichokes
  • Whole Brussels Sprouts
  • Brussels Sprouts Shreds
  • Brussels Sprouts Halves
  • Broccoli Florets – NEW!
  • Floret Medley – NEW!
  • Vegetable Medley – NEW!
  • Cauliflower Florets – NEW!
  • Cauliflower Rice – NEW!

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, stop by booth #242 at the New York Produce Show December 13-16 or visit https://www.oceanmist.com/trade-resources. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (December 7, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is pleased to announce Jeff Hutterer has joined Ocean Mist Farms as Director of Value-Added Sales and Christa Schuck has joined as Sales Representative.

As Director of Value-Added Sales, Hutterer will be responsible for developing value-added business for Ocean Mist Farms. Prior to accepting the position, Hutterer served as Director of Retail Sales at Mann Packing. He earned his Bachelor of Science, Marketing at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

“We are glad to have Jeff join our team and to have his experience in developing our value-added business,” said Rick Bravo, VP of Sales & Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “With his experience, he will make us stronger, and we look forward to his work with us.”

In her new role as Sales Representative, Schuck will work closely with Director of Sales, Joseph Angelo, to develop Ocean Mist Farms’ foodservice customer portfolio. Prior to joining Ocean Mist Farms, Schuck served as Senior Director of Foodservice Sales / National Account Manager at Tanimura & Antle Fresh Foods, Inc. She earned her B.S. in Agricultural Business – Marketing from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA.

“With Schuck’s vast experience, we look forward to the impact she will have at Ocean Mist Farms,” said Joseph Angelo, Director of Sales at Ocean Mist Farms.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (October 14, 2021) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S. and premium supplier of fresh vegetables for nearly 100 years, is pleased to announce the promotion of Christopher Drew to President and Chief Executive Officer.

In his new role, Drew will be responsible for leading all commercial, operational, financial, and administrative aspects of Ocean Mist Farms. Drew will provide a clear vision allowing for organizational growth and financial success in addition to fostering innovation and cultivating strong relationships internally and with external stakeholders. His role as President and CEO will require the analysis and evaluation of product line offerings, building business plans to drive expansion, and ensuring Ocean Mist Farms has the proper infrastructure to support such growth.

The Board of Directors unanimously selected Drew from among many distinguished Produce and Consumer Packaged Goods executives sourced through a national search conducted by executive search partner Kincannon & Reed.

“Chris has been integral to executing the strategic growth plan and Ocean Mist Farm’s vision of becoming the partner of choice for produce solutions in his role of Chief Operating Officer here,” commented Kirk Martin, Ocean Mist’s Board Chair. “His history with our company spans nearly two decades in various roles and his knowledge base is unparalleled. The passion he has for this industry and our organization is apparent and we are confident he will be instrumental in the future success of Ocean Mist Farms.”

In his previous role as COO, Drew collaborated with teams across the organization to streamline strategies and processes in addition to overseeing the operational departments and facilities across the organization: cooling, shipping, production, harvesting, food safety, quality assurance, and value-added operations.

Prior to joining Ocean Mist Farms, Drew earned his Bachelor of Science in Crop Science from California Polytechnic University – San Luis Obispo followed by his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix – San Jose.

Drew is active in several affiliations including the Cal Poly - SLO Horticulture and Crop Science Advisory Council, where he is Chairman of the Board and is a member of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement Advisory Board among others.

“Chris embodies the spirit of Ocean Mist Farms and embraces our company values,” Martin commented. “We are excited to be a part of this next chapter with him.”

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business based in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (October 14, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., welcomes the Cardone vegetable for retail distribution and shopper consumption ahead of the annual holiday season.

“Cardone is an Italian favorite that we seasonally grow between October and Jan in two California regions, Castroville and Coachella,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We take pride in growing Cardone that is extremely tender with a robust flavor, anticipated each holiday season Ocean Mist Farms Cardone is among the finest examples of the vegetable in North America and is anticipated each year by home cooks and professional chefs alike.”

Ocean Mist Farms provides tips, like storage and eating, as well as recipes for how to incorporate Cardone into weeknight meals on their website for shoppers to learn more about the multifaceted vegetable.

Cardone, also known as Cardoon, is a traditional Mediterranean vegetable considered a delicacy by many who specialize in traditional French and Italian cuisine. A cousin of the artichoke, Cardone has an edible stalk like celery; however, it is not eaten raw. The best Cardone stalks are a grey-green color very similar in color to the artichoke plant. Stalks should feel heavy and moist. They will not be crisp like celery.

The Cardone stalk is hand-harvested from the plant and packed and cooled within four hours. Ocean Mist Farms’ strict cut-to-cool standards ensure quality product is delivered to retail stores. To learn more about Cardone and Ocean Mist Farms, please visit https://www.oceanmist.com/products/cardone.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business based in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (September 21, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., has the perfect fresh solution for busy families this fall with five new additions to the award-winning microwavable cut vegetable product line, Season & Steam. The line includes 10 varieties that are sure to spice up dinner time, each with the same convenience, customizable seasoning and exclusive resealable bag technology shoppers already love.

The varieties include:

  • Sweet Baby Broccoli
  • Artichokes
  • Whole Brussels Sprouts
  • Brussels Sprouts Shreds
  • Brussels Sprouts Halves
  • Broccoli Florets – NEW!
  • Floret Medley – NEW!
  • Vegetable Medley – NEW!
  • Cauliflower Florets – NEW!
  • Cauliflower Rice – NEW!

“We’ve found busy families want Season & Steam because of the packaging technology that uniquely allows them to customize seasoning for their personal taste preferences and reseal the microwavable bag prior to cooking,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms.

Per the FMI’s “Power of Produce 2021” study, value-added produce items have increased 8.1% to reach $15.5 billion in sales, with an 11.4% increase for vegetables in 2020 versus a year ago. More shoppers (37%) purchased value-added vegetables frequently or whenever available, and shopper expectations point to accelerated growth in the year to come.

Recipe Inspiration

The Season & Steam line is completely customizable and includes endless ways to make a meal for everyone. In line with this thinking, Ocean Mist Farms has launched their fall “Meals in Minutes” campaign driving home this point with a variety of recipe options to choose from. In addition to this, Ocean Mist Farms provides shoppers with recipes and cooking class videos year-round at www.oceanmist.com/season-steam-meal-inspiration.

This is the only steam bag that gives the option to pre-season your vegetables, reseal and steam by microwave all within the same bag. This exclusive technology is available for artichokes, sweet baby broccoli, broccoli, cauliflower, vegetable medleys, and three Brussels sprouts items (SuperShreds SuperFood®, Quick Cook Sprouts® and Microwavable Wholes).

Recipes are inspired by culinary flavors that can be found around the world, including:

To build consumer awareness and demand for this easy-to-use and customizable product line, Ocean Mist Farms will engage a wider audience with a fall consumer promotion and sweepstakes that will engage shopper audiences and drive store traffic. To learn more about Season & Steam, please visit oceanmist.com/products/season-steam. Ocean Mist Farms, please visit www.oceanmist.com/.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business based in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (August 19, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is once again investing in partnerships with national influencers for the 2021-2022 crop year. Ocean Mist Farms will partner with The Real Food Dietitians, What Great Grandma Ate and Food With Feeling to create entertaining and educational content and expand the brand’s reach to new audiences.

 “We are pleased to announce our influencer partnerships for the next 12 months, , which includes previous partners as well as some new faces as we continue to evolve our reach with our influencer program,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing for Ocean Mist Farms. “This year, we will be expanding the program further with the addition of more TikTok influencers over the next few months.  We’re excited to have this additional engaging platform to share our brand story with shoppers.”

The influencer partners chosen cover a wide range of audiences. The Real Food Dietitians are registered nutritionists and dietitians who create credible and nutritious dishes, while What Great Grandma Ate and Food With Feeling are creating TikTok and Instagram Reel content to continue driving brand and product awareness across every platform.

For more information and to stay up-to-date on these partnerships, follow Ocean Mist Farms on social media or visit the website at: www.oceanmist.com.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business based in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (July 21, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is pleased to announce the 2021 scholarship recipients. Since 2018, the Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship Program annually awards seven scholarships to recipients who demonstrate the guiding values of Ocean Mist Farms – integrity, quality, passion, and success – with $1,000 toward their college tuition.

“We are thrilled to announce our scholarship recipients for the class of 2021,” said Jonelle Wong, Scholarship Committee Chairperson at Ocean Mist Farms. “At Ocean Mist Farms, one of the most rewarding things we do each year is to support our local students through this scholarship program. We look forward to continuing in this tradition of recognizing students for their hard work for years to come.”

After reviewing 23 applications, the committee selected seven students to receive the $1,000 scholarship:

DEPENDENT SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

  • Layla Ruiz, daughter of Serafin Ruiz (Operations Manager, Sea Breeze Harvesting – Castroville).
    • Layla will be attending UCLA and majoring in Biology.
  • Victoria Sager, daughter of Jonelle Wong (Operations Controller, Ocean Mist Foods – Castroville).
    • Victoria is currently attending San Jose State and was awarded her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from San Diego State University.

PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

  • Erick Torres will attend Stanford University (North Salinas High School)
    • Majoring in Aerospace Engineering
  • Katherine Hodges has been accepted to Pepperdine, St. Marys, UC Davis, UC San Diego and UCLA (Notre Dame High School)
    • Majoring in Human Biology, Pre Med
  • Lena Noya will attend Brown University (Santa Cruz High School)
    • Majoring in Neuroscience
  • Consuelo Vidal-Perez will attend USC (Watsonville High School)
    • Majoring in Law, History and Culture
  • Julia Hicks will attend Boise State University Honors College (San Benito High School)
    • Majoring in Criminal Justice

The scholarships are open to local residents of Monterey, Riverside, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA or higher, and submissions require an essay, letters of reference, completed scholarship application and proof of higher education acceptance.

For more information, please view the application and full list of requirements at: oceanmist.com/scholarship-program.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (June 14, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is pleased to announce Louis Rakoczy has joined Ocean Mist Farms as Chief Finance Officer and Kevin Healy has joined as the new Grower Relations Manager.

As CFO, Rakoczy will oversee the Accounting, Finance and Information Technology departments to include Risk Management and Tax & Audit practices. Prior to joining Ocean Mist Farms, Rakoczy spent 25 years in finance and was previously Sr. VP of Finance with Curation Foods / Landec Corp. Louis graduated with a degree in Math and Operations Research with a Specialization in Computing from the University of California, Los Angeles.

“We are glad to have Louis join our team in this key role,” said Joe Pezzini, CEO and President of Ocean Mist Farms. “We look forward to the experience Louis brings to this role and the impact he will make for the company.”

In his new role as Grower Relations Manager, Healy will be responsible for emerging and cultivating relationships with the company’s grower partner community. Prior to his new position, Healy was the VP of Operations for Sambrailo Packaging. Healy has been actively involved in agri-business for more than 25 years and earned his Master of Science degree in Agriculture, with a specialization in Crop Science from Cal Poly.

“With Kevin’s prior experience and years in the industry at hand, we know his impact as Grower Relations Manager will be instrumental to Ocean Mist Farms' future success,” said Paul Scheid VP of Production of Ocean Mist Farms.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (June 09, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms has announced that CEO / President, Joe Pezzini will step down from this role effective June 30, 2021. Mr. Pezzini has been a consistent face and voice of this nearly 100-year-old brand for 21 years, and his legacy will be evident as the Company moves forward toward their centennial celebration.

“There is never a good time to make a change of this magnitude.  Ocean Mist Farms will celebrate its centennial in 2024.  In that long and rich history, we have grown from very humble beginnings in 1924 to a full-service year-round supplier of the finest artichokes and fresh produce.  I am proud to have been a part of that journey along with all the other Ocean Mist Farms team members over the years,” comments Joe.

An executive committee and senior management team is in place to continue the success of this well-known Company during this transition. “This is a very significant change for Ocean Mist Farms, however, I have no doubt that the service and supply expectations that the industry has come to expect from the Ocean Mist Farms brand will continue at the highest levels,” comments Kirk Martin, Chairman of the Board. “On behalf of the Board and the family owners of Ocean Mist Farms, we thank Joe for his steadfast service and leadership. We will miss his passion, professionalism and commitment to our collective success. In the meantime, we will move forward with confidence in our growers, people and leadership team to continue to serve the needs of our customers and stakeholders as a valued produce solutions provider. “

The Company has initiated an executive search for Joe’s successor. Please help us to wish Joe success in his future endeavors as we look forward to continuing our connection with this Ag Industry Legend. 

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (June 1, 2021) Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., recently concluded its two annual promotions: Peace, Love & Artichoke winter promotion (February 15 - March 15, 2021) and the annual Gold Standard spring promotion (April 19 - May 19, 2021). Since 2019 these annual promotions have grown engagement with Ocean Mist Farms consumer audience - proving there is an audience ready for information about fresh artichokes. As a result, Ocean Mist Farms has realized a 5% increase YOY in artichoke cases sold over the duration of the two promotions.

Consumer response to the 3rd annual Gold Standard promotion proved shoppers were receptive to and eager to engage with helpful and entertaining content. With the third year of the promotion complete, Ocean Mist Farms earned a total of:

  • 273,832,480 total brand impressions since 2019
  • 25,997 total growth in shopper database since 2019
  • 337,770 total shopper participation in the sweepstakes opportunity since 2019

“These annual promotions are proof that there is an audience hungry for inspiration and education with both Ocean Mist Farms, and artichokes,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Because of the tremendous consumer following we’ve developed, we have become a reliable and trusted resource for artichoke information that encourages shoppers to purchase Ocean Mist Farms artichokes for health benefits, eating experience and from a trusted supplier of the highest quality of fresh produce.”

The response to the Coachella Peace, Love & Artichoke also saw dramatic response and engagement from shoppers. With the third year of the promotion complete, Ocean Mist Farms earned a total of:

  • 525,201,102 total brand impressions since 2019
  • 36,502 total growth in shopper database since 2019
  • 503,422 shopper participation in the sweepstakes opportunity since 2019

With these promotions and other marketing efforts to shoppers, we have seen above average performance confirming that people do look to fresh produce brands for information and inspiration. Whether it be news about nutrition benefits, how to keep their produce fresh or different ways to spice up their dinner routine, we have continued to grow this engaged shopper audience.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2021 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (May 5, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms (OMF), the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is pleased to announce the hiring of John Georgalos as Sales Commodity Manager. In this role, Georgalos will be responsible for managing iceberg lettuce, Ocean Mist Farms’ leaf program (red, green and romaine), and will handle select key accounts for the company.

“We are glad to have John join our team and have a key role in our iceberg and leaf programs,” said Joseph Angelo, Director of Sales of Ocean Mist Farms. “With his experience, he will make us stronger and bring value in the day-to-day management of our operations.”

Prior to accepting the position, Georgalos served as Commodity Manager at Tanimura & Antle for 16 years. Georgalos earned his Associates degree at Hartnell College and has since taken sales classes at Pete Purcell Sales School and an intensive Marketing Class at Cornell University.

“I look forward to being part of the Ocean Mist Farms team,” said Georgalos. “I’m honored to work with this team and make a difference along the way.”

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2020 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (April 19, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the launch of its annual spring promotion elevating the health and nutrition of their famous Gold Standard artichokes. Ocean Mist Farms is building on the 24,762,290 consumer impressions achieved with the Gold Standard promotion over the last two years - proving there is an audience ready for artichoke engagement and information sharing.

With this promotion, Ocean Mist Farms will highlight their artichoke expertise to assure their trade partners are aware of what goes into the Gold Standard distinction as well as shine a light on the phenomenal nutritional qualities of fresh artichokes and the value that can bring to their shoppers.

“In the midst of an uncertain year, we are proud to share one of the few things we know for certain, our Gold Standard artichokes,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Ocean Mist Farms artichokes are THE Gold Standard for superior immune boosting nutrition and a top source of fiber, as one whole, cooked artichoke packs nearly 7 grams of fiber, about a third of the daily minimum target. Today, more than ever, this superior nutrition coupled with Ocean Mist Farms artichoke expertise brings the Gold Standard to your produce department.”

For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated artichokes in California and has harnessed the expertise to claim the Gold Standard distinction. This legacy and experience are defined by their unique growing and harvesting practices, and steadfast commitment to care for the community and land. Chosen for its optimal soil and microclimate, Castroville, CA is home to Ocean Mist Farms’ spring artichoke production, with the heaviest supply production being in April. “Artichoke ad volumes are available as we want to make certain that our shoppers have easy access to the nutrition we are promoting,” comments Philip Barrientos, Artichoke Commodity Manager.

Ocean Mist Farms is supporting retail sales for the Gold Standard promotion with a variety of marketing activations centered on the premium standard of artichokes they are known for. On-pack messaging will reinforce shopper awareness of Ocean Mist Farms branded artichokes and their Gold Standard commitment. The brand will also drive visitors to the artichoke nutrition webpage and encourage shoppers to purchase artichokes at their local grocery store with the help of the new Destini locator tool found on www.oceanmist.com.

To further engage with consumers, Ocean Mist Farms is hosting the Gold Standard Giveaway from April 19 - May 14, giving participants the opportunity to win 20 prizes for a grand total of $2000, including 20 $100 gift cards. 

Earlier this year, Ocean Mist Farms conducted its annual Peace, Love & Artichoke promotion from February 15 - March 15 to kick-off the 2021 Coachella artichoke season. Consumer response to the Peace, Love & Artichoke promotion proved shoppers were receptive to and eager to engage with helpful and entertaining content. With this promotion, Ocean Mist Farms earned a total of 391,728,968 brand impressions and 177,688 promotion-specific website visits, and 29,154 shoppers participated in the sweepstakes opportunity.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2020 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Artie & Viola Return For A 2nd Annual Social Media Promotion Supporting The Limited Variety             ArtiViola_Image

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (March 15, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the arrival of the second season of their proprietary purple artichokes. This limited addition to the Ocean Mist Farms artichoke family is supported by a social media promotion in tandem with the season.

Ocean Mist Farms is supporting retail sales for the purple artichokes with a variety of marketing activations to highlight this unique “limited edition “variety and drive purchase intent. Alongside adding this unique item to the store locator on the website, Ocean Mist Farms has a second chapter to the 2020 Arti and Viola social media promotion. This promotion, “Arti’s Spring Fling” continues the summer romance from last season with Viola returning to visit Arti the Artichoke, Ocean Mist Farms’ artichoke mascot.

The social media storyline will unfold over the course of four weeks and encourage consumers to follow along. Shoppers are invited to comment and like each promotion post for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

“We are happy to re-introduce this new variety of artichokes with our customers through an engaging promotion once again,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Not only are they striking in appearance, but we’ve found these artichokes to have a superior texture when steamed, and are as flavorful and meaty as the original Castroville Green Globe artichoke.” 

This year, Ocean Mist Farms is introducing a 4-count clamshell packed with size 30 (medium) artichokes. This is in addition to the loose artichokes with the tag. The purple artichokes are a colorful variety selected for superior flavor and appearance. Grown in Castroville, CA., Ocean Mist Farms expects the heaviest production period to be March 15 – April 30.

For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated superior artichoke varieties in California. Tapping into this experience, they have developed a purple artichoke variety to enjoy alongside the lineup of other Ocean Mist Farms products and their traditional green varieties.

Characteristics of the Purple Artichokes include a vibrant purple exterior that when cooked may transform into shades of green and purple depending on seasoning and cooking method; the look and flavor of a Mediterranean old-world variety; tender, meaty leaves; and a rich, earthy artichoke flavor. This artichoke variety tends to grow towards the large and medium sizes with limited jumbos.

For interest in purchasing the purple artichokes for retail, please contact a member of our sales team by calling 831-633-2144.

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2020 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand onFacebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

MEDIA ALERT

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (March 1, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the availability of their proprietary purple artichokes. This seasonal, limited addition to the Ocean Mist Farms artichoke family is a colorful variety selected for superior flavor and appearance.

WHO: Ocean Mist Farms

WHAT: Ocean Mist Farms proprietary purple artichokes are back. For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated superior artichoke varieties in California. Tapping into this experience, they have developed a purple artichoke variety to enjoy alongside the lineup of other Ocean Mist Farms products and their traditional green varieties.

Characteristics of the Purple Artichokes include a vibrant purple exterior that when cooked may transform into shades of green and purple depending on seasoning and cooking method; the look and flavor of a Mediterranean old-world variety; tender, meaty leaves; and a rich, earthy artichoke flavor. This artichoke variety tends to grow towards the large and mediums sizes (rather than jumbo).

This year, Ocean Mist Farms is introducing a 4-count clamshell packed with size 30 (medium) artichokes. This is in addition to the loose artichokes with the tag (pictured above).

WHEN: Ocean Mist Farms expects the heaviest production period to be March 15 – April 30

WHERE: Grown in Castroville, California and available nationwide

# # #

About Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is committed to delivering the highest standards in the industry for food safety, product quality, customer service, innovation and sustainability. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines. To stay up to date on the 2020 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (February 15, 2021)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., launches the Coachella artichoke production season with the 3rd annual Peace, Love & Artichokes winter promotion. This multifaceted campaign, launching today and lasting through March 15, includes email marketing to a robust community of artichoke shoppers and produce buyers, social media advertising, and sweepstakes prizes – all to drive sales and in-store demand.

With this promotion, Ocean Mist Farms is leveraging an upward trend of artichoke sales in late winter and continuing to push the artichoke momentum forward. While aiming to increase consumption, Ocean Mist Farms is looking to also educate consumers on the health benefits, such as immunity boosting properties, that premium winter artichokes can hold and that shoppers are increasingly looking for in the foods they choose to eat.

“I have never seen our artichoke fields look so robust, and producing such big plants at this time of year,” said Jeff Percy, VP Production in Coachella for Ocean Mist Farms. “Big plants like these are good for both the buyer and consumer. The desert heat has made them a bit later than last year, but one of the most unique situations we have ever had!”

Artichokes traditionally grow best in a Mediterranean- like climate, as the vegetable requires mild temperatures and plenty of moisture. However, Ocean Mist Farms has honed a desert-grown proprietary seed variety specifically for the Coachella Valley climate. By utilizing Coachella’s optimal growing conditions during the winter-to-spring months, Ocean Mist Farms is able to maintain their high-quality standards year-round.

“We want consumers to know that our artichokes are grown to deliver consistent flavor as well as premium health benefits,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Artichokes contain prebiotic fiber and other immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties that will help you eat well, rest well, and play well in the new year.”

Ocean Mist Farms will be issuing video field reports as part of their Trade Email campaign, to show off Coachella artichoke production during February. To ensure artichokes are a prominent fixture during this promotion, please visit our POS order page HERE to receive an artichoke display bin and sweepstakes sleeve.

To further incentivize shoppers, participants can enter the Peace, Love & Artichokes Sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes. There will be 15 Grand Prize winners who will receive an Instant Pot Duo Nova Pressure Cooker 7 in 1, and 25 winners who will receive a Peace, Love, & Artichoke Swag Packs.

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit www.oceanmist.com. To receive weekly trade information, please sign up HERE. For more recipe inspiration and tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (November 18, 2020)Ocean Mist Farms (OMF), the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is proud to announce Progressive Grocer’s has named Kevin Tottino, value added manager at Ocean Mist Farms, a recipient of the third annual GenNext Award. 

This award recognizes individuals under the age of 40 who have demonstrated a commitment to a career in either the grocery or CPG industries; innovation through the work they are doing; leadership, including the capacity to inspire and lead others, a commitment to learn from others; and a commitment to getting involved in the industry, helping through charities or in the community, and bringing the industry into the future.

“We are very proud of the work Kevin has done here at Ocean Mist Farms and congratulate him on this well-deserved award,” said Chris Drew, Chief Operations Officer of Ocean Mist Farms. “Kevin has an innate sense for product innovation for the products we grow and his passion to support the local community where he lives and works, along with many others from the organization, is a heartfelt responsibility.”

For nearly 10 years, Tottino has built and managed the value-added operation of Ocean Mist Farms, the next generation focus for this nearly 100-year-old company, and shepherded the introduction of the first Ocean Mist Farms value added item, Season & Steam Artichokes. His ingenuity with production, and his innate sense for product innovation and consumer demand, made him an ideal candidate for the GenNext Award.

When he’s not at work, Tottino serves on the Annual Castroville Artichoke Festival Board of Directors and has been involved in this annual community outreach event since he was a child.

Tottino’s role as the 4th generation of a nearly 100-year-old family business allows for his forward-thinking perspective to have a unique forum.

“I am honored to be recognized in this way and am humbled to be among the other nominees in this category,” said Tottino. “I will take this recognition as a sign that I’m right where I need to be. I look forward to many more years of serving my community and Ocean Mist Farms.”

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2020)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, welcomes the first Frost Kissed® crop of the season. The Frost Kissed artichokes are currently being shipped to retailers and will be intermittently available throughout the winter.

Once the temperature drops below 32 degrees, the artichokes’ skin darkens due to the freezing conditions, which seals in more flavor and provides a nuttier taste pronounced in the Frost Kissed artichokes. While this limited time offering has a slightly darker exterior, the brown outer layer falls off once cooked resulting in the, green artichoke shoppers are familiar with.

“Frost Kissed artichokes offer a unique flavor for a limited time that many shoppers look forward to experiencing after a frost,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “These artichokes have a unique color to them that is strictly cosmetic and does not reflect the quality that are shoppers are accustomed to.”           

In an effort to elevate the Frost Kissed artichokes as a satisfying menu item, Ocean Mist Farms will be providing recipe inspiration through its social media channels, as well as sharing information on the website to educate consumers. Additionally, the Frost Kissed artichokes will carry a petal insert so shoppers can easily recognize them and Frost Kissed POS materials are available for order on the oceanmist.com website here, https://www.oceanmist.com/pos-frost-kissed-artichokes.

“The Frost Kissed artichokes are such a seasonal treat as we don’t see a freeze every season,” added McClean. “This fall, while more meals are being prepared at home, we’re working to ensure our shoppers are educated on ways to prep the artichoke so they too can enjoy its unique flavor for a limited time when they are available.”  

For additional Frost Kissed® inspiration and to learn more, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/products/frost-kissed-artichokes and follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (October 12, 2020)Ocean Mist Farms (OMF), the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is pleased to announce the hiring of Jesse Lopez as commodity account manager. In this role, Lopez will work closely with Joe Angelo and the rest of the sales team, as well as current commodity, field, and harvest managers.

“We are glad to have someone of Jesse’s caliber join our team,” said Joe Angelo, director of sales at Ocean Mist Farms. “With his veteran experience, he will add immediate strength and value to our team.”

Lopez will handle key retail and wholesale accounts and work with promotion and pricing, touching many aspects of the business. In his previous role, Lopez was a sr. account manager, director of business development with Tanimura & Antle for 15 years.

“I’m excited to be joining the Ocean Mist Farms team,” said Lopez. “and look forward to working with one of the leading commodity shippers in California.”

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (September 28, 2020)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in North America, announces the launch of five new products in their award-winning Season & Steam convenience vegetable line. All five new items are among the top ten value-added vegetables to post growth in the past year according to a July 2020 Nielsen Answers on Demand report.

The new Season & Steam items include: Broccoli Florets, Floret Medley, Vegetable Medley, Cauliflower Florets and Cauliflower Rice - all with the same convenience, customizable seasoning and exclusive resealable bag technology shoppers already love. The new item roll-out comes after a recent Nielsen Concept Test where more than half of respondents indicated they would “definitely” or “probably” purchase a Season & Steam product compared to other fresh and frozen vegetable concepts.

“We’ve found shoppers want Season & Steam because the technology uniquely allows them to add their own seasoning and reseal the microwavable bag prior to cooking,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We are excited to extend the line and include more options for our shoppers to add convenience and a personal touch to their meals.”

According to the United Fresh Nielsen FreshFacts on Retail Q1 2020 Report, in the current COVID-19 climate, consumers increasingly value convenience, nutrition, and the ability to cook vegetables before consumption due to the perception of being less risky. The report also found value-added vegetables, including Brussels sprouts - the cornerstone of the Season & Steam line - have consistently shown year over year sales growth since 2017.

The new products will be available to ship November 1, 2020. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, please visit www.oceanmist.com/.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (August 24, 2020)Ocean Mist Farms (OMF), the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., is pleased to announce the promotions of Chris Drew to Chief Operations Officer and Gladys Valenzuela - Corzo to Vice President of Human Resources.

In his new role as COO, Drew will oversee both production and harvesting as part of his expanded operations role. For the past sixteen years, Drew has enjoyed a career with OMF where he utilized and expanded on his background in production agriculture. Before assuming the role of COO, Drew was the Vice President of Operations for the past three years.

Prior to joining OMF, Drew earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Crop Science from California Polytechnic University – San Luis Obispo as well as an MBA. He maintains a strong relationship with the university and acts as chairman of the Horticulture and Crop Science Advisory Council where he and industry colleagues help to provide insight into today’s trends and challenges in production agriculture.

“Chris’ depth of knowledge for all facets of our operation makes him ready for his expanded role as our new Chief Operations Officer,” said Joe Pezzini, CEO of Ocean Mist Farms.

In her new role as Vice President of Human Resources, Valenzuela - Corzo will play an expanded role in strategic planning. Before assuming her new position, Valenzuela - Corzo joined OMF in May 2015 as Director of Human Resources. She has an extensive HR background, with 17 years of progressive human resources leadership experience in Ag and the Publishing/Media industry.

Prior to joining OMF, Valenzuela - Corzo earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Economics and Business Administration from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Chapman University.

 “Gladys' passion for Human Resources and broad expertise are the right combination for her promotion as Vice President of Human Resources,” said Pezzini.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (June 30, 2020)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the Blue Zones Project approval of their Monterey worksite. Ocean Mist Farms received approval in May 2020 after meeting 78 points on the worksite pledge and engaging 44% of their staff in a Blue Zones Project activity (88 individuals).

“This is a huge accomplishment for Ocean Mist Farms,” said Lupita Renteria-Galvan, HR Benefits Manager and the Wellness Committee Chair, at Ocean Mist Farms. “Becoming an approved worksite demonstrates the commitment you have to your employees’ health and well-being. Ocean Mist Farms is recognized as a community leader in workplace wellness and joins a network of respected organizations across our community.”

With this recognition, Ocean Mist Farms is the 5th largest employer to become an approved worksite. They are represented among respected organizations such as Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, Taylor Farms Headquarters, Montage Health, VNA, and the Monterey County Office of Education.

Ocean Mist Farms’ well-being initiatives and accomplishments include the following:

  • A fitness center to all employees, including easy access to physical fitness activities, showers and changing facilities that encourage physical activity during the workday.
  • Five Blue Zones Parking spaces located the furthest distance from the entrance are available for employees. Creating Blue Zones Project parking spaces that reminds employees parking farther away is one way to easily add more physical activity to their day.
  • Free annual onsite biometric screenings (blood pressure, body mass index, glucose, cholesterol, etc.) in an effort to educate employees about their health risks and, if needed, how to improve their health.
  • Consistent social activities for Ocean Mist Farms staff members and their families to encourage teamwork and collaboration by having healthy relationships among co-workers.
  • Ongoing onsite developmental workshops, seminars and/or lunch-and-learns to all employees. Ocean Mist Farms partners with community wellness programs such as Health Promotion at Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System and Blue Zones Project to offer these workshops.

Together, Blue Zones Project Monterey County and Ocean Mist Farms will continue the work of empowering employees to take charge of their health through continued Blue Zones Project activities and principals.

To learn more about how you can get involved in Blue Zones Project Monterey County, visit their website at montereycounty.bluezonesproject.com.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (June 16, 2020) Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., conducted its annual Gold Standard spring promotion from April 13 - May 13 this year to elevate the health and nutrition of their famous Gold Standard artichokes. This promotion was launched during a nation-wide shut down due to COVID-19, an uncertain time that still remains. Yet despite these circumstances, the promotion yielded incredible results.

Consumer response to the Gold Standard promotion proved shoppers were receptive to and eager to engage with helpful and entertaining content. Ocean Mist Farms earned a total of 23,000,000 brand impressions and 545,000 promotion-specific website visits, while over 28,000 shoppers participated in the sweepstakes opportunity. As a result, when looking at year-over-year artichoke sales volume for the 4-week Gold Standard promotion period, we see an increase 3.6% for the 2020 season.

“We questioned if now was the right time to run this annual promotion,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Because of the tremendous consumer following we’ve developed that relies on Ocean Mist Farms, we wanted to not only encourage consumers to purchase artichokes for their health benefits, but to also assure them that the produce they are purchasing is of the highest quality.”

With this promotion and our other marketing efforts to shoppers during the nation-wide shut down, we have seen above average performance confirming that people do look to fresh produce brands for information and inspiration. Whether it be a welcome of news related to how to keep their produce fresh or different ways to spice up their dinner routine, we’re finding a new, more engaged audience during this time.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (June 15, 2020) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the launch of their proprietary purple artichokes. This newest addition to the Ocean Mist Farms artichoke family is a colorful, seasonal artichoke variety selected for superior flavor and appearance.

For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated superior artichoke varieties in California. Tapping into this experience, they have developed a purple artichoke variety to enjoy alongside the lineup of other Ocean Mist Farms products and their traditional green varieties.

Characteristics of the Purple Artichokes include a vibrant purple exterior that when cooked transforms to a familiar deep green; the look and flavor of a Mediterranean old-world variety; tender, meaty leaves; and a rich earthy artichoke flavor.

“We are happy to share this new variety of artichokes with our customers,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Not only are they striking in appearance, but we’ve found these artichokes to have a superior texture when steamed, and are as flavorful and meaty as the original Castroville Green Globe artichoke.” With this first season, the artichokes are harvesting in 12, 18 and 24 sizes, with a majority being the 18 and 24 size, that will be labeled with a unique tag and company specific UPC.

Ocean Mist Farms is supporting retail sales for the Purple Artichokes with a variety of marketing activations centered on the unique variety and short season.

Ocean Mist Farms has launched “Arti’s Summer Romance”, a social media-based promotion that debuts purple artichokes with the introduction of Viola, a promotional purple artichoke mascot to complement Artie, the green artichoke. The social media storyline will unfold over the course of four weeks, starting with their meeting at the bus station upon her arrival in Castroville and then in four subsequent dates around town. Shoppers are invited to comment and like each promotion post for a chance to win a $25 gift card.

 CASTROVILLE, Calif. (April 8, 2020) Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the launch of its annual spring promotion elevating the health and nutrition of their famous Gold Standard artichokes. With this promotion, Ocean Mist Farms will highlight their artichoke expertise to assure their trade partners are aware of what goes into the Gold Standard distinction as well as shine a light on the phenomenal nutritional qualities of fresh artichokes and the value that can bring to their shoppers.

“We debated whether now was the right time to run this annual promotion,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “But we have developed a tremendous consumer following that relies on Ocean Mist Farms for fresh vegetable information and meal inspiration every day. So, we decided to highlight the strong immunity boosting nutritional properties of artichokes and encourage consumption now, when maintaining optimum health is critical. With this promotion, we want to not only encourage consumers to purchase artichokes for their health benefits, but to also assure them that the produce they are purchasing is of the highest quality.” 

For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated artichokes in California and has harnessed the expertise to claim the Gold Standard distinction. This legacy and experience are defined by their unique growing and harvesting practices, and steadfast commitment to care for the community and land. Chosen for its optimal soil and microclimate, Castroville, CA is home to Ocean Mist Farms’ spring artichoke production, with the heaviest supply production being in

April. “Artichoke ad volumes are available as we want to make certain that our shoppers have easy access to the nutrition we are promoting,” comments Philip Barrientos, Artichoke Commodity Manager. 

Ocean Mist Farms is supporting retail sales for the Gold Standard promotion with a variety of marketing activations centered on the premium standard of artichokes they are known for. Onpack messaging will reinforce shopper awareness of Ocean Mist Farms branded artichokes and their Gold Standard commitment. The brand will also drive visitors to the artichoke nutrition webpage and encourage shoppers to purchase artichokes at their local grocery store with the help of the new Destini locator tool found on www.oceanmist.com.

To further engage with consumers, Ocean Mist Farms is hosting the Gold Standard Giveaway from April 13 - May 13, giving participants the opportunity to win 20 prizes for a grand total of $2500, including 5 $250 gift cards, 10 $100 gift cards, and 5 $50 gift cards, plus a case of fresh artichokes for every winner. 

 

# # #

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (February 6, 2020)Ocean Mist Farms is pleased to announce the hire of Tom Botelho as Sales Representative. In this role, Botelho will work closely with Sales Manager, Joe Angelo, to build Ocean Mist Farms business in key territories. He comes to the company with a proven sales track record and industry relationships that will be key in his and Ocean Mist Farms’ success.

“We are glad to have someone of Tom’s caliber join our team,” said Joe Angelo. “His extensive knowledge of sales within the agriculture industry makes him a vital addition to our team.”

Botelho joins Ocean Mist Farms with over 30 years of experience in the agricultural industry. As Director of East Coast Sales for Tanimura and Antle, Botelho encouraged customer loyalty, satisfaction and profitable growth among existing and target customers, and supported the sales and marketing efforts across all company products.  

“I am happy to join the Ocean Mist Farms family and look forward to this new opportunity with a respected company,” said Botelho. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the continued success of Ocean Mist Farms.”

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Jan. 23, 2020)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S. and the only growers of winter globe artichokes in Coachella Valley, announces the launch of Coachella artichoke season.

While traditionally the peak season for artichokes has been in the spring, Ocean Mist Farms has leveraged their 100 years of artichoke expertise to develop a proprietary seed variety to go above and beyond this. The seed is highly compatible with Coachella Valley’s cool winter temperatures and desert soil, and yields the same high standards in flavor and quality that the brand is known for.

Building on the success of their 2019 winter promotion, Ocean Mist Farms is again supporting retail sales of their desert-grown winter artichokes with a variety of marketing activations centered on the expansive nutritional value of artichokes. Well-aligned with health and wellness goals that are amplified at the start of each new year, Ocean Mist Farms is hosting the “Get Up & Groove” giveaway from February 3 - March 13, giving participants the opportunity to win 1 of 10 music-themed grand prizes, or 25 secondary prizes.

“Now is the peak time to purchase artichokes,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Because Ocean Mist is committed to being a helpful resource for our shoppers, we created a giveaway to align with our shoppers state of mind going into the new year - one that is health focused and set on encouraging active lifestyles.”

In addition, the Ocean Mist Farms is inspiring new ways to enjoy artichokes with influencer partnerships, blog posts inclusive of cooking tips and tricks, and newly updated digital cookbooks. The brand will utilize Google advertising and targeted social media advertising to promote the sweepstakes, drive visitors to a newly launched artichoke nutrition webpage and encourage shoppers to purchase artichokes at their local grocery store with the help of the new Destini locator tool found on www.oceanmist.com.

To stay up to date on the 2020 artichoke season, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (December 5, 2019)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, will showcase its Organic Artichoke retail packs in the “New Product Showcase” at this year’s New York Produce Show in booth #242.

Following the debut at this year’s Fresh Summit, Ocean Mist’s organic artichoke packaging is now available in a two-count handle bag and a two-count recyclable corrugated clamshell pack. These include size 24 or 30 artichokes, the ideal size to prepare a side dish during the holidays. Understanding the strong demand for Italian vegetables in the Northeast, Ocean Mist will also be displaying its winter vegetables, including Italian staples like brussels sprouts, cardone and fennel.

“We’re looking forward to another great year at the New York Produce Show,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We had great engagement and conversations with our trade partners last year considering the Northeast is known for its heavy distribution of artichokes. This show is a great opportunity for us to put our fresh artichokes and other winter Italian vegetables on display.”

During the month of December, Ocean Mist will prepare for its winter promotion, “Peace, Love & Artichokes,” beginning January 15. The campaign aims to increase artichoke demand by focusing on healthy eating at the start of the New Year and promoting the nutritional benefits of artichokes to encourage in-store purchases.

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, stop by booth #242 at the New York Produce Show December 10-13 or visit www.oceanmist.com.  For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2019)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, welcomes the first Frost Kissed® crop of the season. The Frost Kissed artichokes are currently being shipped to retailers and will be available for the next several weeks.

Once the temperature drops below 32 degrees, the artichokes’ skin darkens due to the freezing conditions, which seals in more flavor and provides a nuttier taste pronounced in the Frost Kissed artichokes. While this limited time offering has a slightly darker exterior, the brown outer layer falls off once cooked resulting in the soft, green artichoke shoppers are familiar with.

“The appearance of Frost Kissed artichokes is strictly cosmetic and doesn’t reflect the quality,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “While these artichokes are not as vibrant in color, they offer a limited-time flavor that many shoppers look forward to experiencing after a frost.”

In an effort to elevate the Frost Kissed artichokes as a satisfying menu item, Ocean Mist Farms will be providing recipe inspiration through its social media channels, as well as sharing information on the website to educate consumers. Additionally, the Frost Kissed artichokes will carry a petal insert so shoppers can easily recognize them. Ocean Mist Farms will also provide display cards to retail customers who stock Frost Kissed® artichokes. 

“The Frost Kissed artichokes are such a seasonal treat as we don’t see a freeze every season,” added McClean. “We’re working hard to ensure our shoppers are educated on ways to prep the artichoke so they too can enjoy its unique flavor for a limited time when they are available.”  

For additional Frost Kissed® inspiration and to learn more, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/products/frost-kissed-artichokes and follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (November 5, 2019) Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, announces a partnership with Harry & David, the premier choice for gourmet gifts in the U.S., to offer long-stem artichoke gift packs during the holiday season.  

Harry & David is now accepting online orders for long-stem artichoke gift packs, each containing four long-stem artichokes for $29.99.

“Over the years, shoppers have increasingly asked where they can find long-stem artichokes,” said Diana McClean senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Because not all retailers carry long-stem artichokes, our partnership with Harry & David is a great way for us to make this item easily accessible during holiday season when we see interest spike.”

This partnership is just one of many ongoing marketing initiatives to educate shoppers and encourage artichoke consumption. These efforts work together to drive demand for Ocean Mist Farms artichokes at the retail level. 

Shoppers can purchase the Harry & David artichoke gift pack using this link, as well as find Ocean Mist products using the new Destini locator tool found on www.oceanmist.com. 

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For more recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 28, 2019)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, announces the launch of its Friendsgiving Flavor campaign, a fall promotion to elevate the Season & Steam product line to shoppers during the holiday season through inspiring content and a prize-winning opportunity.

The campaign includes a sweepstakes component called the Friendsgiving Flavor Giveaway which will run on Instagram from November 1 through November 22 and provide entrants 10 opportunities to win a $50 Visa gift card and free Season & Steam products. Shoppers can expect to see additional details and instructions to enter the giveaway by following @OceanMistFarms on Instagram.  

In addition, the brand is making holiday entertaining less stressful and sharing a variety of ways to use the Season & Steam line during the holidays with a new “Fall Feasting” webpage that offers unique fall recipes, “how-to” videos, blog posts inclusive of cooking tips and tricks, and digital cookbooks.

“Our fall Friendsgiving Flavors campaign will serve both our retail partners and shoppers by providing content that engages, educates, and ultimately drives foot traffic to stores as the holiday season quickly approaches,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Because Ocean Mist is committed to being a helpful resource for our shoppers, we created a few new fall recipes and recently launched new instructional videos to help shoppers have the best experience with their Season & Steam purchases. And while supporting in-store sales this holiday season is our #1 goal, this campaign also serves to increase our national brand reach and build shopper connections in preparation for future campaigns – in particular our upcoming Coachella artichoke season.”

Ocean Mist Farms will partner with Running to the Kitchen, a social media influencer, and will utilize Google advertising and targeted social media advertising to promote the campaign and encourage shoppers to purchase Season & Steam items at their local grocery store with the help of the new Destini locator tool found on www.oceanmist.com.

Season & Steam includes five vegetables options, including Sweet Baby Broccoli, artichokes, whole Brussels sprouts, Brussels sprouts shreds and Brussels sprouts halves. The line is an award-winning microwavable steam package that allows consumers to season the vegetables before putting them in the microwave to ensure ease and convenience.

To stay up to date on the Friendsgiving Flavor Giveaway, follow Ocean Mist on Instagram. To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For more recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (October 7, 2019)Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, announces three new organic artichoke packaging options to the Ocean Mist Organic®  line.  The new packaging options will be displayed at PMA Fresh Summit Oct. 17-19, 2019, and shoppers can expect to see them in stores in time for the November and December holidays.

Ocean Mist’s organic artichokes will now be offered in a two-count handle bag, three-count clamshell and two-count ReadyCycle® packaging. The organic artichoke packs will include a size 24 or 30 artichoke, depending on pack style. These mid-sized artichokes are ideal to prepare as a side dish at home during the holidays.

“We are pleased to now offer a variety of organic artichoke options for purchase,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “The new merchandise-ready artichokes are convenient for our retail partners and packed in quantities that shoppers have shared with us that they want to buy. Plus, the packaging material used is both recyclable and made with recycled material.”

Each pack style offers retailers relevant and sustainable packaging options for the produce department.

Ocean Mist’s clamshell packaging uses 90 percent recycled material, while the new 2ct handle bag is made with High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), the most commonly recycled plastic. The new ReadyCycle® corrugated clamshell is fully recyclable and uses vegetable-based inks.

Shoppers will be able to easily find these newly packaged organic artichokes in the stores by using Ocean Mist Farms’ new Destini locator tool found on www.oceanmist.com. Each pack includes a simple preparation recipe and an easily scanned QR code linking to a “how-to” video on Ocean Mist’s website.

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/ or stop by booth #2085 at PMA Fresh Summit October 17-19, 2019, to see the new organic artichoke packaging. For recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (September 19, 2019) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, is pleased to announce the launch of the Destini Store Locator platform to the official brand website. 

In addition to enhancing in-store sales by offering shoppers a way to identify local retail availability, the Destini Store Locator tracks product searches by region to help retail partners better understand what consumers want and what is available in a specific area. This new online resource, along with geo-targeted email communications and retailer-specific social media advertising, is the latest tool Ocean Mist Farms is leveraging to support their customers and drive sales of products.

“We’re excited to be launching the Destini Store Locator on Ocean Mist Farm’s website,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We anticipate this tool will not only help to nurture our shopper base, but also strengthen relationships with current retail partners as well as create opportunities for further growth in stores.”

Items available for shoppers to search on the store locator include the full line of Brussels sprout, artichoke and baby broccoli Season & Steam items, as well as other fresh vegetables including cauliflower, romaine hearts, fresh artichoke retail packages and bulk artichokes.

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For more recipe inspiration and preparation tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (July 30, 2019)Ocean Mist Farms is pleased to announce the hire of Paul Scheid as Vice President of Production for Ocean Mist Farms. As the Vice President of Production, Scheid will work closely with Jeff Percy, VP of Production South, on year-round supply for both the Ocean Mist Farms and Ocean Mist Organic brands. He will manage and coordinate the supply of conventional and organic produce for the Salinas Valley, Huron and Oxnard production regions.

Scheid joins Ocean Mist Farms with over 25 years of farming and production experience. As Director of Northern Production Supply for Laguna Mist Farms and Boutonnet Farms, Scheid built and maintained the Salinas planting schedules and oversaw all production operations for each of these farming operations. 

Graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Crop Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Scheid is originally from Camarillo, CA. He currently lives in Salinas with his wife.

“I am happy to join the Ocean Mist Farms family and look forward to this new opportunity with a respected company,” said Scheid. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the continued success of Ocean Mist Farms.”

Castroville, Calif. (July 22, 2019) Ocean Mist® Farms, premier grower of fresh artichokes and over 30 other vegetable varieties, is excited to bring Executive Chef Christopher Vaca of the renowned Hyatt Carmel Highlands to this year’s PMA Foodservice Conference & Expo where he will prepare and sample Tuscan Style Braised Baby Artichokes.

Chef Christopher has extensive experience in the restaurant industry as a culinary consultant, menu developer, owner and executive chef. He has served in a wide variety of culinary settings - from fine dining and fast‐casual to catering and food trucks. He is an alumnus of The Culinary Institute of America, served as the former executive chef at award‐winning Cantinetta Luca in Carmel, and brings a wealth of knowledge to share with attendees at this year’s show.

“It’s an honor to bring this caliber of chef to an industry event like the annual PMA Foodservice Conference where his experience is so highly valued,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Chef Chris has always done an incredible job elevating artichokes at the annual Castroville Artichoke Festival, so we’re really looking forward to him sharing insight on foodservice trends with our partners.”

In addition to sampling Ocean Mist Farms Baby Artichokes in booth #219, the company will showcase several of its washed and ready-to-use convenience products specifically designed with foodservice professionals in mind. Products on display will include Brussels Sprouts (whole, halves, and shreds) in 3 and 5 lb. bags, Broccoli Florets in 3 lb. bags, and Spinach in 1, 2, and 2 ½ lb. bags.

To schedule an appointment with Ocean Mist Farms, please email dmcclean@oceanmist.com or stop by booth #219 on July 27.

Castroville, Calif. (July 2, 2019)Ocean Mist® Farms is proud to celebrate a significant increase in artichoke sales through strategic creative retail displays and well-executed promotions in partnership with Four Seasons Produce. In June, Four Seasons Produce worked directly with Lexington Co-op Markets in Buffalo, NY to move thousands of Ocean Mist Farms artichokes in just five days.

Lexington Co-op Markets held “The Great Artichoke Adventure” in June during an optimal time for artichoke promotions. Between two of its stores, the company sold 3,209 artichokes from Wednesday to Sunday and hosted live demonstrations and tastings alongside the one of the largest artichoke displays the market has ever seen. In addition to a few house recipes, the stores made and packaged Ocean Mist Farms’ Artichoke Butter, which sold 11 lbs.

“Our stores saw tremendous success from this promotion! We gave people the opportunity to experience all that fresh artichokes bring to the summer table,” said Caitlin LoVullo, fresh category manager for Lexington Co-op Markets. “For those who wanted to go home and recreate recipes that they had seen, we had plenty of fresh artichokes for them; but for those who wanted a quick way to enjoy Ocean Mist Farms artichokes, we also had several fresh prepared items for them to purchase.”

In February, Four Seasons Produce also promoted Ocean Mist Farms Frost Kissed Artichokes, which are only available during the winter months and with limited supply. The company’s commitment to elevating fresh produce has been evident in the way that they actively collaborate with brands like Ocean Mist Farms to ensure that shoppers have a personal experience with their products in-store.

“Our partnerships are very important to us and we want to be a resource between our fresh produce suppliers and the retailers,” said Brian Dey, senior merchandiser at Four Seasons Produce. “Producing top-quality in-store experiences like the one Lexington Co-op Markets did in June is a shining example of how strategic merchandising can move product efficiently.”

“We’re grateful for partners like Four Seasons Produce who take initiative to find creative ways to elevate our brand at the retail level,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “It’s incredible to see the success that stores like Lexington Co-op Markets have when they utilize their expertise in artichoke merchandising and sampling.”

For more Ocean Mist Farms merchandising tips, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/merchandising-artichokes.

Castroville, Calif. (July 8, 2019) Ocean Mist® Farms, proud sponsor of the Organic Produce Summit, will be in attendance at this year’s show with new Organic Product Manager Katie Tossie, in addition to showcasing Ocean Mist Organic® Artichokes, Brussels Sprouts, Romaine Hearts, and Iceberg Lettuce.

Prior to her new role, Katie was a sales representative with Ocean Mist Farms for over 15 years. As Organic Product Manager, she will manage daily harvests, setting market pricing, managing budgeted volumes for each growing season, and growing organic business with key wholesale and retail accounts.

“We are thrilled to promote Katie as our new organic product manager,” said Joe Angelo, sales manager at Ocean Mist Farms. “Katie has a proven track record of success with both the wholesale and retail customer base, so we look forward to her bringing additional value to our organic program.”

In addition to introducing Katie at the Organic Produce Summit, Ocean Mist will debut the new Ocean Mist Organic one-pound Brussels Sprouts, on display in the New Product Showcase and alongside other Ocean Mist Organic products in booth #204. Show attendees can also take advantage of the Ocean Mist Farms’ field tour on July 10 to learn more about the brand’s commitment to growing excellence.

“Retailers can expect to see the same gold standard growing practices with our organic products as they would trust to see with any Ocean Mist Farms products,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We’re pleased to showcase products that directly meet the need of organic shoppers, based on what they have told us they want from our brand.”

To schedule an appointment with Ocean Mist Farms, please email dmcclean@oceanmist.com or stop by booth #204 to learn more about Ocean Mist Organic.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (May 28, 2019) – Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes, is excited to announce the results of its Reach for the Gold promotion designed to reinforce its brand position as the Gold Standard in artichoke production to both trade and consumer audiences during the peak spring season.  

Rather than a traditional sweepstakes approach, the Reach for the Gold campaign uniquely leveraged weekly email trivia with the brand’s existing database of over 63,000 shoppers that strategically included four key areas of brand messaging: family farming legacy, growing region, sustainability and meal inspiration to truly engage them in educational content for an opportunity to win.  In addition, mass brand awareness was generated through both social media and advertising campaigns that drove visitors to a new Reach for the Gold webpage, which informed visitors about how Ocean Mist Farms is committed to upholding the gold standard in artichoke production.

To directly benefit trade partners and incentivize foot traffic to their stores, 10 participating retailers were supported through an individualized social media ad campaign reaching their specific communities with details about Ocean Mist Farms’ gold standard artichokes being on-shelf. Furthermore, each of these partners also received email marketing support targeting the brand’s shoppers who identified themselves as frequenting that specific store. Shoppers could easily locate Ocean Mist Farms artichokes on the shelf by way of new, on-pack messaging that included a gold standard sticker on clamshells and a gold standard petal insert on bulk artichokes.

In response to the brand’s ongoing collection of shopper preferences that indicated typically two or four artichokes are purchased at a time, this spring Ocean Mist Farms launched a new 4-pack clamshell with size 30 artichokes. This along with the 2-count Season & Steam artichoke package ensures that retail partners are offering ease and convenience based on the shopper’s preferences.

“We have had an exciting spring season launching a marketing campaign that expresses so well the expertise and quality that the Ocean Mist Farms brand had been built on,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Our sales results tell us that trade partners and shoppers alike understand that our commitment to maintaining the gold standard in artichoke production equates to a superior quality and flavor that is hard to beat. And, of course, our shoppers have played a critical role in helping to identify their needs and address them through ongoing product innovations.” 

The comprehensive results of the Reach for the Gold campaign were nearly 2 million brand impressions and over 140,000 confirmed shopper engagements in a one month period.  Ocean Mist Farms’ marketing efforts during this critical spring sales window resulted in increases in retail sales of 20 – 30% with various retailers throughout the United States.

Ocean Mist Farms is wrapping up a successful spring season by sharing the joy of artichokes with Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival attendees as the main sponsor of their 60th annual event happening June 1 – 2, 2019, in Monterey, CA.

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For more recipe inspiration and tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Mar. 26, 2019) – On the heels of a successful winter promotion, Ocean Mist Farms is proud to announce the launch of its spring campaign, Reach for the Gold, to support sales of its “gold standard,” or premier spring artichokes.

The brand’s Peace, Love & Artichokes promotion that wrapped up March 1, was Ocean Mist Farms’ first-ever marketing campaign aligned with their exclusive winter growing region in Coachella Valley, California.  Spurred by an upward trend in artichoke consumption during the winter months, the brand leveraged their strong winter supply and excellent product quality to engage shoppers and drive purchase intent.

The diverse campaign included a Coachella growing region webpage, a sweepstakes, Google and social media advertising and email marketing.  As a result, the brand earned 152,000 sweepstakes submissions, preference data from more than 27,000 shoppers, and 7.8 million brand impressions.

Beginning April 1, Ocean Mist Farms will launch its 30-day Reach for the Gold promotion to nurture their growing database of loyal customers with weekly prize-winning opportunities through email-based trivia.  The promotional content is designed to educate shoppers about the company’s 90 year farming legacy as well as their industry leadership as the gold standard in artichoke growing. In addition, the promotion will provide shoppers with tips and inspiration for enjoying artichokes.

“We take great pride in the unparalleled eating quality of our artichokes and the level of farming excellence that goes into maintaining our position as the gold standard in artichoke production,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Given the great success of the Peace, Love & Artichokes promotion, which elevated Coachella as the premier growing region for our winter artichokes, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on our core growing region in Castroville, California - the artichoke center of the world!”

Castroville is the original home to Ocean Mist Farms’ artichokes. The coastal, Mediterranean-like climate in this central California area is a natural fit for this Italian vegetable that thrives best in the area’s mild temperatures.  The company’s vertically integrated production has allowed them to implement gold standard best practices at every stage of the production cycle, from planting all the way through harvesting, processing, cooling and distribution. These best practices are a culmination of the expertise gained from a 95 year old artichoke farming legacy.

 For more recipe inspiration and tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (March 5, 2019)Ocean Mist Farms is proud to announce the opening of applications for its fourth annual Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship Program to recognize students who embody the four guiding values of Ocean Mist Farms – integrity, quality, passion and success. Each scholarship recipient will be awarded a scholarship of $1,000 towards their college tuition.

“Supporting education and the youth in our community is a very important outreach initiative for us,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing. “Each year we host a Scholarship Ceremony at the annual Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival in June to celebrate each scholarship recipient.”

Applicants must reside in Monterey, Riverside, San Benito or Santa Cruz Counties and maintain a high school GPA of 3.0 or better. Along with a 500-word essay, applicants will need to submit letters of recommendation along with proof of college acceptance and enrollment. In addition to the five public scholarships, Ocean Mist Farms will be granting two scholarships exclusive to dependents of the company.

“As a company that values family, education and community, we’re happy to offer a program that embodies these values to our employees and their families,” said McClean.

The deadline to submit applications to scholarships@oceanmist.com is April 1, 2019, and scholarship recipients will be notified by phone or email May 1, 2019.  For additional questions regarding the application process, visit the Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship website.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (February 4, 2019)Ocean Mist Farms, the premier grower of fresh artichokes, is excited to announce their Coachella artichoke production season with the Peace, Love & Artichokes winter promotion. This multi-faceted campaign, launching today and lasting through March 1, includes email marketing to a robust community of artichoke shoppers, social media advertising, and sweepstakes prizes – all to drive sales and in-store demand.

With this promotion, Ocean Mist Farms is leveraging an upward trend of artichoke sales in late winter and continuing to push the artichoke momentum forward. While aiming to increase consumption, Ocean Mist Farms is looking to also educate consumers that Coachella is not only home to the world-renowned music festival in April, but also home to premium winter artichokes.

Artichokes typically grow best on coastal plains, as the veggie requires mild temperatures and plenty of moisture. However, Ocean Mist Farms has honed a dessert-grown proprietary seed variety specifically for the Coachella Valley climate. By utilizing Coachella’s optimal growing conditions during the winter-to-spring months, Ocean Mist Farms is able to maintain their high quality standards year-round.  

“We want consumers to know that our artichokes are grown to deliver consistent flavor to the plate. With well trained, seasoned harvesting teams and dedicated marketing professionals, we work 365 days of the year to keep artichokes top of mind,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Furthermore, we hope to build and enhance our community through this promotion. We also seek to inspire those who align with the Coachella festival to give artichokes a try!”

To further incentivize shoppers, participants can enter the Peace, Love & Artichokes Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $1,000 VISA gift card to create their own Coachella experience. The first 1,000 entrants will receive a Peace, Love & Artichokes bumper sticker and will be automatically entered to win an additional Coachella music festival prize pack valued at $500.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2018) – Following a successful launch at PMA Fresh Summit’s Fresh Ideas Showcase, Ocean Mist Farms is excited to offer three new products this winter to meet the needs of today’s shoppers looking for organic and convenience items. The company has expanded its organics line to include Brussels sprouts and green onions and added washed and ready-to-eat Brussels sprouts to its convenience line.

“We recognize the increased consumer demand for both organic and convenience items,” said Diana McClean senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Therefore, we are pleased to be able to offer three new items in these growing categories and continue our dedication to providing quality solutions to our retail partners.” 

Ocean Mist Organic Brussels sprouts are offered in 1 lb. bags while the convenience line of Brussels sprouts are available in 2 lb. packaging. The convenience Brussels sprouts are ready to ship to retailers immediately, just in time for the holiday season. Ocean Mist Organic green onions will also offered in 5.5 oz. bags and both the green onions and organic Brussels sprouts will be available to retailers in January.

Retailers can be the first to know about the latest products from Ocean Mist Farms, like these, by subscribing to the company’s bi-monthly crop update newsletter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 15, 2018)Ocean Mist Farms is excited to share that its fall consumer promotion is underway and actively educating and incentivizing shoppers to incorporate artichokes and Season and Steam® products into their meals this fall. The strategy includes a Fall Flavor Giveaway sweepstakes, food influencers and brand ambassadors, geo-targeted mobile couponing technology, targeted social media advertising and strategic media placements – all in an effort to ignite sales and drive in-store demand.

The promotion timeframe aligns with the fall holiday season and all the eating occasions that come with this busy time of year. Ocean Mist Farms seeks to elevate its artichoke and Season & Steam vegetable line as a fresh, flavorful and convenient solution for holiday entertaining as well as every day meals during this hectic season.

For this reason, the promotion utilizes the support of two key food influencers, Chrissa Benson from Physical Kitchness and Kaleigh McMordie from Lively Table, who will be to educating and empowering consumers to incorporate Ocean Mist Farms products into their holiday meal plans.

Additional campaign investment includes Carissa Bealert, registered dietician and nutritionist, who will represent the brand in 6 televised media segments to emphasize the nutrition and simplicity of these items, and iBotta, an easy to use couponing app, to generate trial, which the brand’s influencers are all encouraging their readers and viewers to take part in.

“We know that this time of year can be especially busy for our shoppers, and we want to make sure they know that our products are perfect for a quick, delicious, and nutrient packed meal,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We have invested in a marketing strategy that we know increases sales based on coupon redemptions. The Fall Flavor Giveaway is another fun, on-trend and engaging promotion to elevate this message and inspire shoppers to purchase our products during the months ahead.”

To further incentivize shoppers, every week between Sep. 27– Nov. 9, shoppers can enter the Fall Flavor Giveaway for a chance to win an Instant Pot® Duo 6-Quart cooker and receive a free Instant Artichoke e-cookbook full of quick and easy meal inspiration.

To learn more about how Ocean Mist Farms is igniting sales for its retail partners, visit them in booth #1132 October 19-20 at PMA Fresh Summit!

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 25, 2018) – Ocean Mist Farms, is proud to announce the hire of Rick Bravo as its new Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Bravo brings nearly 35 years of experience serving the fresh produce industry and a wealth of knowledge in sales and leadership, which is highly valued by the team at Ocean Mist Farms.

As a veteran of the industry, Bravo joins the company with past experience at Dole Fresh Vegetables and Tanimura & Antle with a strong dedication to customer service. His extensive background within the vegetable category will be instrumental as he spearheads the sales and marketing efforts at Ocean Mist Farms. 

“We are delighted to have someone of Rick’s caliber join our team,” said Joe Pezzini, president and CEO of Ocean Mist Farms. “His substantial knowledge of the industry and established relationships with retail and foodservice partners makes him an invaluable addition to our team.” 

Graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Administrative Justice, Bravo found his way into the produce industry as a sales manager and has never left. His commitment to fresh food and adept ability to lead well, drive profits and improve efficiency has brought him to where he is today.

“I am thrilled to join the team at Ocean Mist Farms and look forward to this new opportunity while still serving an industry I care deeply about,” said Bravo.

Follow the Ocean Mist Farms brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Aug. 6, 2018)Ocean Mist Farms, leading grower of fresh artichokes, continues to move the dial on artichoke purchases and consumption through its investment in a 360-degree marketing strategy. In an effort to learn more about the artichoke shopper, the brand’s spring promotion served as a resource for consumers searching for educational material on the benefits and usage tips for artichokes, recipe inspiration and digital coupons through iBotta. In turn, the brand earned more than 15,000 new shopper contacts that are interested in learning more about the brand.

Through the retail specific data Ocean Mist has gained from its partnership with iBotta, the brand is able to verify that more than 9,500 shoppers used the technology to download a coupon for Ocean Mist branded products and completed an in-store purchase. As a result of this interaction, the brand is able to measure in-store purchases while learning more about the shopping behaviors on a new demographic of consumers buying Ocean Mist products.

“While we saw a tremendous amount of engagement with our online communities during the spring promotion, we’re also able to confirm in-store traffic which created a unique touchpoint for us to learn more about the Ocean Mist shopper,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Now that we have new contacts that have indicated they would like to receive more information on Ocean Mist Farms, we are able to nurture their unique preferences to keep them engaged to become stronger artichoke advocates who are motivated to continue to purchase artichokes.”  

In conjunction with the digital coupon campaign, the brand employed strategic influencer partnerships to speak to a national audience on trending topics in an effort to further spark creativity and recipe inspiration. By utilizing these influential partnerships, the brand was featured on a nationally syndicated television segment in addition to gaining coverage on NBC News Better for Instant Pot recipe content.

“We seek to continue to inspire and educate our online communities with enriched content from influencers who can speak to these trends. We believe that Ocean Mist Farms can be a resource for the inexperienced artichoke cook as well as the polished chef by keeping a pulse on what’s going on in the artichoke enthusiast’s world,” McClean adds.

The brand looks forward to nurturing the new shopper contacts and its existing community throughout the year with content specific to their needs. Additionally, the company is eager to support its retail partners with comprehensive content on the Ocean Mist shopper through its bi-weekly trade emails. To subscribe to the Ocean Mist trade emails, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/crop-update.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (July 5, 2018)Ocean Mist Farms, leading grower of fresh artichokes, is proud to announce a significant increase in organic vegetable acreage to meet growing shopper demand while remaining committed to the company’s long-standing sustainable farming practices. Born out of the same quality growing principles that date back to 1924, the Ocean Mist Organic® brand has seen large-scale growth since its inception in 2015.

The fourth generation family owned and operated organization started farming organic artichokes in 2000 and now provides 16 additional vegetables sold under the Ocean Mist Organic label. To guarantee continuous production of high-quality products, the Ocean Mist R&D department is steadfast in conducting comprehensive and on-going seed research that aligns with organic production parameters.

“We have been thoughtfully expanding the Ocean Mist Organic brand over the past three years, strategically increasing production, while ensuring Ocean Mist Farms’ strict standards are being met,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “At Ocean Mist Farms, each individual takes personal pride and responsibility in their role to grow and deliver the very best fresh vegetables every day.”

In addition to the increase in acreage, the company is expanding the Ocean Mist Organic team and welcomes Dan Soloman as the new organic production manager. With more than 22 years of experience in the fresh produce industry, formerly with Earthbound Farm, Soloman brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Ocean Mist Farms.  

“I am excited to join the Ocean Mist Farms team and look forward to contributing to Ocean Mist Organic’s brand growth,” said Dan Soloman, organic production manager at Ocean Mist Farms. “This team’s dedication to providing the best quality products and customer service to our industry is evident by their commitment to grow this organization from the inside out.”

To showcase the growth of Ocean Mist Farms’ organic production, the company is sponsoring two field tours the morning of July 11th to kick-start the Organic Produce Summit. Following the field tours, the Ocean Mist Organic team will be exhibiting at the Organic Produce Summit July 11-12 at booth #303. 

For more information about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/ and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more artichoke inspiration.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (June 4, 2018)Ocean Mist Farms, leading grower of fresh artichokes, is elevating the artichoke category by investing in marketing efforts tied to driving in-store traffic. To encourage consumption, Ocean Mist Farms has produced downloadable resources for recipe inspiration, partnered with a mobile technology company to administer geo-targeted coupons, teamed up with an influential registered dietitian to educate consumers, and empowered food bloggers to help spread awareness of how easy it can be to include fresh artichokes into every diet.

As part of its 360-degree marketing strategy, the brand has partnered with iBotta, a mobile technology company, to incentivize shoppers to purchase Ocean Mist products through the mobile app. Since launching the national campaign, the brand has received a total of 20,029 completed brand engagements and activated in-store purchases of Ocean Mist products.

“We understand how intimidating cooking with fresh artichokes can be for consumers who have never explored that method before, so we are maximizing our marketing efforts and relationships with influencers to gather educational and inspirational content that helps break down those barriers,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “As a result of empowering people with the tools they need, we expect significant movement of product at the store level.”

In an effort to leverage peak artichoke season, Ocean Mist Farms also partnered with Carissa Bealert, registered dietitian and nutritionist, for a nationally-syndicated television segment that reached more than 150 of the largest markets across the United States. Bealert demonstrated easy, approachable methods of cooking fresh artichokes, educated viewers on the vegetables’ nutrition value, and encouraged over 97 million households to enter the brand’s Instant Artichoke Giveaway.

Additionally, Ocean Mist Farms’ brand ambassador program consists of four influential food bloggers – Chrissa Benson from Physical Kitchness, Dani Meyer from The Adventure Bite, Kaleigh McMordie from Lively Table, and Kelsey Preciado from Little Bits Of. Each ambassador creates unique content on behalf of the brand to inspire demand for fresh artichokes, drive traffic to the promotion, and to ultimately increase consumption. The brand received more than 400 million impressions from influencers since the promotion launched.  

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/ and check out how the brand is actively inspiring shoppers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Apr. 30, 2018)Ocean Mist Farms is pleased to announce the start of its spring season with an ample supply of fresh artichokes and an exciting, multi-faceted digital promotion that encourages consumers to experience the delicious flavor of the brand’s beloved vegetable. From April 30 - June 22, shoppers can enter the Instant Artichoke Giveaway for a chance to win one of 18 prize packs including an Instant Pot® Duo 6-Quart plus a variety of cooking utensils.

Ocean Mist Farms is leveraging the springtime as an opportunity to showcase peak season, fresh artichokes as a versatile and flavorful solution for a nutritious appetizer or a filling main course. To support this promotion, the brand is aligning with food influencers and registered dieticians to help spread the message of Ocean Mist Farms’ artichoke category leadership position as the premier grower of fresh artichokes.

“We hope to inspire people to reach for fresh artichokes when they are planning the menu for their next gathering or weeknight dinner,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We are excited to be able to leverage one of the hottest, new cooking tools with this giveaway and to partner with these key influencers to showcase how quickly and easily artichokes can be added to your dinner table.”

To incentivize purchases and drive foot traffic to support an increase in sales, Ocean Mist Farms is partnering with iBotta, a mobile technology company, to provide coupon incentives during this high demand artichoke season. To redeem the offer, app users will be prompted to visit the Instant Artichoke Giveaway sweepstakes entry page creating a fully integrated promotional experience.

To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/. For more recipe inspiration and tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2018) – With the most recent freeze in California, Ocean Mist Farms is pleased to welcome its Frost Kissed® artichokes, available for the next several weeks, and currently being shipped to retailers.

Once the temperature drops below 32 degrees, the artichokes’ skin darkens due to the freezing conditions, which seals in more flavor and produces a nuttier taste only found in the Frost Kissed® artichokes. While the Frost Kissed® artichokes have a slightly darker exterior, the brown outer layer falls off once cooked resulting in the soft, green artichoke shoppers are familiar with.

“Since we do not always see a freeze, the Frost Kissed artichokes are a real seasonal treat,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “We’re trying to educate consumers on the best practices for handling and prepping as any menu could benefit from these nuttier tasting artichokes.”

In an effort to elevate the Frost Kissed® artichokes as a satisfying menu item, Ocean Mist Farms will be providing recipe inspiration through its social media channels as well as sharing information on the website to educate consumers. Ocean Mist Farms also provides display cards to the retail customers who stock Frost Kissed® artichokes for the next few weeks. 

“The frosting of the Frost Kissed® artichokes is strictly cosmetic. While these artichokes are not as vibrant as the fresh, green artichokes we sell, they offer a limited-time flavor that many shoppers look forward to experiencing when it freezes,” McClean added.

As an extension of the brand’s commitment to third-party influence, Ocean Mist Farms continues to leverage its partnership with thefeedfeed to further educate shoppers on Frost Kissed® artichokes through a video explaining the flavor benefits and proper cooking techniques. The video will be shared through Ocean Mist’s social pages to inspire consumers to actively seek out Frost Kissed® artichokes in their grocery stores now through March 2018.

For more Frost Kissed® inspiration, visit https://www.oceanmist.com/products/frost-kissed-artichokes.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2017)With convenient meal solutions on the rise, leading fresh artichoke grower Ocean Mist® Farms looks to support shoppers with its Season & Steam® product line including high-quality, nutritious vegetable options. The product line features ready-to-use fresh vegetables in unique, award-winning packaging. 

While the concept of steaming vegetables is not new, the Ocean Mist Farms’ Season & Steam product line is the only product line that gives users the option to pre-season the contents, reseal with the zip lock and steam by microwave all within the same bag. Season & Steam vegetables include whole artichokes, sweet baby broccoli as well as whole, halved and shredded Brussels sprouts.

“We recognize that some of our products may be intimidating to people who are unfamiliar with these vegetables,” said senior director of marketing for Ocean Mist Farms Diana McClean “The Season & Steam product line features many different options and encourages people to try them with a more approachable preparation method.”

In an effort to further assist shoppers looking to add a fresh side to their holiday menus, Ocean Mist Farms will be launching ‘Tis the Season to Steam Sweepstakes, a 7-week consumer promotion Nov. 13 through Dec. 29 providing recipe inspiration, preparation tips and cookbook resources. The promotion will award consumers with a steam-themed prize pack including Ocean Mist products, a Williams Sonoma® vegetable steamer and more!

For additional information, please visit www.oceanmist.com, or follow Ocean Mist Farms’ social media platforms for daily inspiration at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 16, 2017)Leading artichoke grower Ocean Mist® Farms continues to provide high-quality products available in various packaging, cuts and sizes that supplies consumers with options when looking for fresh, tasty produce. Utilizing Nielsen data, the brand remains committed to understanding and responding to consumers with on-trend solutions for the growing Brussels sprouts, convenience and organic fresh vegetable categories.

According to shopper data, artichokes and Brussels sprouts result in valuable basket sizes, making each of these items a priority for produce department success. To support these categories, the brand continues to expand the award-winning Season and Steam microwaveable fresh vegetable line that provides shoppers with a variety of fresh produce items.

“Our Season & Steam product line continues to grow parallel to the demand for convenience in the produce aisle,” said director of marketing for Ocean Mist Farms Diana McClean. “We are gratified to see such a positive response as the intent of these products is to provide quick, easy meal solutions to consumers focused on health and wellness.”

To further support consumers reaching for Ocean Mist Farms products, the brand aligns its interactive marketing efforts during each season to educate and inspire with unique recipe options and promotional assets. In addition, Ocean Mist Farms provides resources through its website, blog and social platforms to help consumers better understand the brand’s promises, tips for application of the products and recipe inspiration.

“Supporting consumer education and in-store sales is at the forefront of our brand’s mission, so being able to provide solutions that enhance the consumer’s experience with fresh produce is something that we care deeply about,” added McClean.  

Ocean Mist Farms will be showcasing the complete Season and Steam product line, fresh artichokes and the Ocean Mist Organic line of fresh produce during PMA Fresh Summit in booth #2407 and at the Fresh Ideas Showcase.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 25, 2017)Leading artichoke grower, Ocean Mist® Farms is pleased to announce its new blog, From the Heart. The blog is an extension of Ocean Mist’s commitment to educating people on how to prepare and eat fresh artichokes and the other fresh vegetables they grow.

Publishing new content once a week, From the Heart features seasonal recipes, company updates, community involvement news and highlights from the field. Content contributors include Ocean Mist Farms employees, Chef Adrienne Saldivar-Meier, and blog contributor Kelsey Preciado from Little Bits of Real Food. This optimized searchable content extends the reach of this leading brand influence on topics like family farming, cooking, entertaining and artichokes.

 “The blog is a way for us to connect to our readers on a more personal level sharing timely content about our both our company and products that they’ve asked us for,” said director of marketing for Ocean Mist Farms Diana McClean. “Our intent is to provide a space where creativity, storytelling, and inspiration become part of a daily interaction with people who want to know more about eating fresh.”

Ocean Mist Farms strives to equip people with resources to help them enjoy fresh vegetables in new and unique ways. Each of the blog’s contributors have a personal connection to the brand, and their expertise is what will shape the collaborative nature of From the Heart – everything from chefs tips to stories from the farm will allow audiences to see the Ocean Mist Farms brand in a more personal light.

“I’m thrilled to contribute fun, healthy, and most importantly delicious recipes and ideas to the From the Heart blog by Ocean Mist Farms,” said blogger of Little Bits of Real Food Kelsey Preciado. “Ocean Mist Farms products and company values are aligned with everything Little Bits of Real Food stands for, which makes this partnership that much more rewarding.”

Visit www.fromtheheart.oceanmist.com/blog for more information, or visit Ocean Mist Farms’ Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for additional inspiration.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Aug. 8, 2017)Ocean Mist Farms is proud to announce the expansion of its product line to include 3 lb. Brussels sprouts halves. On display at PMA Foodservice’s Fresh Ideas Showcase, the company extended the product line to the Foodservice segment as a natural progression of its dedication to the value-added program.

The halves come pre-washed, sliced and ready to prepare, diminishing prep-time for foodservice operators. Reducing the prep-time gives foodservice operators the liberty to exert more energy in recipe development and increases efficiencies.

“We’re passionate about expanding our product lines to better serve the end user,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Our value-added items have done well at retail, so we are excited to offer a similar approach to the Foodservice industry."                                                                         

Brussels sprouts, high in Vitamin C, were one of the first vegetables the Ocean Mist Farms family grew beginning in the early 1990s. Currently, Ocean Mist packages Brussels by the stalks, in clamshells, and ready-to-eat microwavable bags.

“It’s humbling to see how Ocean Mist has transformed over the years,” McClean said. “Our hope is to continue to spread our family farm values and high-quality products to our customers.”

Halves are available in 4x3, 6x3, or 8x3 case sizes. For more information about the company or products, visit www.oceanmist.com.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (July 20, 2017) – As a presenting sponsor, Ocean Mist® Farms is proud to announce that this year’s Artichoke Food & Wine Festival experienced a record 27% increase in attendees from last year, confirming that the California state vegetable continues to excite people seeking to explore new flavorful applications featuring the celebrated artichoke. 

This year’s Artichoke Food & Wine Festival, held at the Monterey Fair Grounds, celebrated the iconic vegetable, the community, and the growing region where nearly two-thirds of America’s fresh artichoke supply comes from. Ocean Mist Farms donated nearly 32,000 pounds of artichokes for chef demos, Agro Art competitions, and the Farmers Market.

“We’re honored to participate and support the Festival each year because of the positive impact it brings to our community,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms and board member for the Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival. “This year’s attendance growth is a testament to the success of the event by bringing people together to experience great food, good fun, and a spirit of giving back.”

Twenty-four students and adults from this year’s Agro Art Competition took home cash prizes for their creative use of fresh vegetables in 3D art sculptures and included everything from sea creatures to Brussels sprout basketball players.           

This year’s Scholarship program, presented by Ocean Mist Farms, recognized students who demonstrate the company’s guiding values of Integrity, Quality, Passion and Success in their daily lives and in their pursuit of higher education. Recipients included:

  • Charles Baily, Soquel High School, attending Duke University for Environmental Engineering
  • Maria Barajas, Everett Alvarez High School, attending UC Davis for Bio Medical Engineering
  • Krista Arellano, Watsonville High School, attending Yale for Ethics, Politics & Economics
  • Isabel Cushman, Pacific Grove High School, attending UC San Diego for Structural Engineering
  • Sarah McClean, Salinas High School, attending Seattle University for Nursing

Next year’s Artichoke Food & Wine Festival is June 2-3, 2018. For more information about the event, please visit www.artichokefestival.org.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (July 18, 2017)Ocean Mist® Farms is proud to announce their participation in the Tour de Fresh three-day cycling event, supporting the Salad Bars to Schools initiative, for a second year. The event begins July 25 in Pismo Beach and will conclude with a loop of Monterey, prior to PMA Foodservice Conference & Expo July 27, where two Ocean Mist employees – John Pattullo and Paul Scheid – will ride along with 50 peers in the industry to make fresh fruits and vegetables accessible to schools across the country.

John Pattullo, riding for Boulder Valley School District in Colo., and Paul Scheid, riding for Fairfax County Public Schools in Va. have raised a combined $1,725 toward their $7,000 goal. Over the next three weeks, both John and Paul will be training for their ride and asking for fundraising support in order to place a salad bar in each of their school districts.

“It’s important to Ocean Mist Farms to provide nutritious meals for the younger generation because they are the ones who will help carry out our vision one day,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing for Ocean Mist Farms. “We are motivated to give back to causes that align with our company’s core values and couldn’t be more proud of John and Paul for making the time to train and fundraise for a cause they believe in personally as well.”

The 93-year-old legacy at Ocean Mist Farms is to continuously invest in the community, health and wellness, which aligns with the mission of Tour de Fresh. As previous salad bar donors through the Grower-Shipper Association, Ocean Mist Farms expects their riders will be able to provide both salad bars in their respective districts.

Tour de Fresh has a goal to raise at least $150,000 to privately finance 50 salad bars in U.S. schools this year. The combination of efforts from riders’ friends, family members, and industry leaders supporting the event have successfully raised $113,000 to date, and Ocean Mist Farms encourages donations through the website at www.tourdefresh.com through July 27 in order to make this year’s goal a reality.

As a presenting sponsor, Ocean Mist® Farms is proud to announce that this year’s Artichoke Food & Wine Festival experienced a record 27% increase in attendees from last year, confirming that the California state vegetable continues to excite people seeking to explore new flavorful applications featuring the celebrated artichoke.

The company has been a key supporter of this two – day festival for several years with the intent to elevate artichoke awareness, inspire consumption, and give back to the local community where the vegetable is notoriously grown. Their efforts included bringing several local media to cover the event and encourage local community members to stop by and experience all things artichoke.

In order to support their trade partners’ sales of artichokes throughout the year, the Ocean Mist Farms event sponsorship helps host the ever popular Farmer’s Market and Agro Art competition, 13+ chef demos, field tours & food booths featuring artichokes as the hero.

The annual Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship presentation took place on Saturday afternoon. This Scholarship program recognizes students who demonstrate the Company’s guiding values of Integrity, Quality, Passion and Success in their daily lives and in their pursuit of higher education.

“This year’s recipients each received scholarship funds toward their college education, which supports our community education initiative,” said director of marketing for Ocean Mist Farms Diana McClean.

In addition to helping spread the word about artichokes, both locally and nationally, this event is a celebration of the Castroville community and heritage. Proceeds from the Festival support several local programs including like Ag Against Hunger, the local community centers, school libraries, and senior activity centers.

“Looking toward next year, we’re hopeful that more and more non-residents of Central Calif. will continue to join us, as this event becomes a highlight of the year for artichoke enthusiasts all over the country,” McClean added.

Next year’s Artichoke Food & Wine Festival is June 2-3, 2018. For more information about Ocean Mist Farms, please visit www.oceanmist.com or visit Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2017)Ocean Mist® Farms seeks to honor their customers as well as local families with more than just high-quality service, products and leadership. To support the youth of local communities surrounding the Ocean Mist Farms production areas in Monterey, Riverside, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties, The Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship Program recognizes deserving students each year by awarding a total of five $1,000 academic scholarships.

The 93-year legacy of Ocean Mist Farms is embodied by the company’s strong belief in the Guiding Values of integrity, quality, passion and success. The chosen recipients of the scholarship exhibit the use of the four Guiding Values in their daily decisions and in their pursuit of education.

While there is no age requirement, applicants must reside in Monterey, Riverside, San Benito or Santa Cruz county and have a high-school GPA of 3.0 or higher. To apply, applicants must submit an essay, 500-word maximum, two letters of reference and proof of higher education acceptance and enrollment. The application will close March 1, 2017. To apply, submit materials to scholarships@oceanmist.com or print copies of each item and mail to Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship Committee, 10855 Ocean Mist Parkway, Castroville, CA 95012.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Feb. 3, 2017)Ocean Mist® Farms plans to connect with consumers on a deeper level in 2017 with a year-long marketing approach that includes digital and permission-based marketing, public relations, and social media.

As part of the brand’s commitment to engaging more personally with consumers, Ocean Mist Farms will focus on four major consumer promotions throughout the year, including peak artichoke promotion seasons and holiday entertaining times. Through permission-based marketing, the company expects to learn more about shoppers’ preferences, which will support more customized content for future outreach. Ultimately, Ocean Mist Farms will be able to leverage the intel gathered from these four promotions to create smarter, more engaging content that inspires people to purchase more of the products they sell.

“At the end of the day, we want people to feel empowered to choose unique fresh vegetables like artichokes and Season & Steam Brussels sprouts because Ocean Mist Farms will be there to help them prepare it for the table,” said director of marketing for Ocean Mist Farms Diana McClean. “The best way for us to deliver on that promise is to listen to what our consumers want and how they prefer to engage with us. This is why we’ve committed to this level of marketing.”

The priority for this year’s marketing efforts will be to highlight the brand’s top-selling products, including artichokes, Brussels sprouts, and the expanding Season & Steam line, by sharing content that is approachable and easy to engage with, whether you are a brand-new or long-time fan.

Ocean Mist Farms will partner with nationally recognized food influencers, including thefeedfeed and others, to support each of its promotions while continuing to grow its social media communities. As a result of this years’ marketing efforts, the brand expects to grow its shopper community by tens of thousands.

For more information on Ocean Mist Farms, please visit www.oceanmist.com or visit their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Dec. 19, 2016) – As this season’s temperatures begin to cool down, Ocean Mist Farms is planning for its highly flavorful artichokes, known as Frost Kissed® artichokes.

Artichokes are Frost Kissed® when the temperature drops below 32 degrees, causing the skin of the artichokes to darken slightly. Similar to the way human skin reacts to a sunburn, the artichokes produce a dark brown outer layer that can flake or peel. What most people do not realize is that Frost Kissed® artichokes are actually richer in taste because the frost seals in a more intense nutty flavor. Once cooked, the brown outer layer falls off, resulting in the soft green artichoke shoppers are familiar with.

“Frosting is strictly a cosmetic condition – while the brownish color may not look the prettiest, Frost Kissed® artichokes are a favorite amongst the chef and foodie community,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms.

Because Frost Kissed® artichokes look different than green artichokes, Ocean Mist Farms is implementing an education program to teach shoppers about how wonderful they taste. The company has information on its website with pictures and recipes and is sending that information to members of its artichoke club and sharing it through its digital channels. Ocean Mist Farms also provides display cards to the retail customers who stock Frost Kissed® artichokes the new few weeks.

“A Frost Kissed™ artichoke is a unique item that we don’t have every season,” McClean said. “Because they are limited, we are committed to educating and encouraging shoppers to keep an eye out for them at their local retailers throughout the winter season.”

A partnership with social media influencers at thefeedfeed will follow the first freeze of the season, where recipe posts will be shared on their social media and blog platforms of more than 2 million fans to educate people about the flavor benefits and proper cooking technique for Frost Kissed® artichokes. This commitment to third-party influence has Ocean Mist Farms feeling confident that consumers will actively seek Frost Kissed® artichokes in their grocery stores now through March 2017.

The company will notify buyers as soon as a frost hits, and is available to support educating the “front line team” of produce managers. For more information about the company, or to order a quantity of the Frost Kissed® POS, visit www.oceanmist.com.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Oct 14, 2016 – Ocean Mist Farms was named a packaging innovator by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), which bestowed its annual Impact Awards: Excellence in Packaging at the organization’s international convention and exposition in Orlando today.

The award recognizes companies with exceptional produce packaging that demonstrates “out-of-the-box-thinking” and makes an impact with consumers.

The newest addition to Ocean Mist Farms’ value-added Season & Steam product line, Sweet Baby Broccoli, received the 2016 PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging.  The company’s SuperShreds SuperFoodÒ, Quick Cook SproutsÒ, Baby Sprouts and whole Brussels sprouts received the award in 2012; microwaveable artichokes in 2011; and KalettesÒ in 2015.

All items in the Season & Steam product line use Ocean Mist Farms’ Steamfast microwavable package that gives users the option to pre-season the contents to their flavor preference, reseal with the zip lock and steam by microwave all within the same bag.

The PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging recognizes and encourages excellence in fresh produce packaging. PMA received multiple entries from several countries that were narrowed down to 20 finalists and submitted to a panel of judges who selected the winners based on the following attributes: Marketing, sustainability, food safety, and convenience and supply chain efficiency/functionality.

SweetBabyBroccoliOMF.Season.Steam.Line6stacked[1]IMPACT AWARD PMA 2016

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Sept. 20, 2016 – Ocean Mist Farms will debut the newest member of its award-winning Season & Steam value-added fresh vegetable line at PMA in booth 642.

Ocean Mist Farms’ Season & Steam Sweet Baby Broccoli is packaged in an innovative Steamfast microwavable pack that gives users the option to open the bag, pre-season the contents to their flavor preference, reseal with the zip lock and steam by microwave all within the same bag.

The SteamFast packaging is gusseted for a stand up, face forward shelf presentation and has a suggested retail price of $3.50 per bag depending on the region.  The 8-ounce package is bilingual, in French and English, for export and includes cooking instructions and usage ideas on the bottom gusset.

Diana McClean, director of marketing, said with the line extension the company wants to experience the same success in the broccoli category as it did with the Brussels sprouts category.

“Our Season & Steam bag addresses multiple culinary and consumer trends,” McClean said. “We want to meet consumer demand and make Sweet Baby Broccoli easy and convenient to cook at home.”

Ocean Mist Farms’ Season & Steam Sweet Baby Broccoli is a finalist for PMA’s annual packaging innovation awards.

In addition to the full Season & Steam line, Ocean Mist Farms will showcase its organic line, Ocean Mist Organic, and the more than 30 other fresh vegetables the company grows at the show.  And, through the Produce for Better Health Foundation, the company will host retail registered dieticians for a portion of the show, demonstrating the fast and easiest ways to prepare a fresh artichoke.

“We are looking forward to educating these important group of influencers about artichokes so they in turn can educate their shoppers,” McClean said.

SweetBabyBroccoli_render_front OMF.Season.Steam.Line6stacked[1]

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Sept 7, 2016 – Chris Drew, vice president of operations at Ocean Mist Farms, has been accepted into Class 47 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP).

The Ag Leadership Program, operated by the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF), is one of the premier leadership development experiences in the United States. More than 1,200 men and women have participated in the program and are influential leaders and active volunteers in agriculture, communities, government, business and other areas. Applicants must be growers, farmers, ranchers or individuals working in allied businesses and organizations who are emerging or mid-career leaders in agriculture.

The 17-month program, from October 2016 to February 2018, includes 56 days of formal program activities. Four partner universities—Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State and UC Davis—deliver comprehensive, diverse and high-impact curriculum designed to improve leadership skills. In addition to monthly seminars, fellows participate in an eight-day national travel seminar and a 15-day international travel seminar as valuable extensions to their studies.

CALF invests approximately $50,000 per fellow to participate in the Ag Leadership Program. The costs are underwritten by individual and industry donations.

Drew has been with Ocean Mist Farms since 2004, his duties include directing activities associated with the post-harvest of Ocean Mist Farms products; managing the cooling and shipping facilities; overseeing food safety and quality assurance, sustainability and value-added operations; and directing new product and service innovation.

“We are excited to see Chris participate in the Cal Ag Leadership Program,” said Joe Pezzini, company CEO.  “He has a team approach to solving complex problems; has leadership and intellectual acumen and he is a product expert.  We are thrilled that he will bring this additional training and perspective to senior management.”

Drew holds a bachelor of science degree in crop science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an MBA. He has more than 16 years of experience in nursery crops and vegetable production. He lives in Hollister, Calif., with his wife and two daughters.

OMF.ChrisDrew16

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Aug. 29, 2016 – Artichokes will be part of the 80th celebration at the Monterey County Fair Aug. 31-Sept. 5.

Ocean Mist Farms will help celebrate the fair’s 80th anniversary by sending Arti the Artichoke to the fair on “Ocean Mist Farms Day” Friday, Sept. 2, to meet fans throughout the fairgrounds.  Interested visitors can visit Arti's Facebook for more details about his appearances.

At the fair, Ocean Mist Farms will be serving fried artichokes and artichoke sourdough bisque while entering Ocean Mist’s product line of fresh vegetables, including artichokes, for judging against other locally grown produce. It is an annual tradition for the Ocean Mist Farms harvest managers, crew supervisors and quality assurance team to demonstrate their expertise at putting together special fair packs for the vegetable commodity judging competition.

As part of its fair participation, Ocean Mist Farms donates product to the Country Store located in the Ag Building each day of the fair; all Country Store sales proceeds benefit the Monterey County Fair exhibit program and Ag department.

“Monterey County is filled with such a great community of people,” said Mary Catherine Langford, marketing and media specialist.  “We love interacting with them and sharing samples of our delicious produce.”

Photo 31[2]

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – JULY 26, 2016 – As record-setting heat blazes across most of the country, retailers could see scorching sales of artichokes this summer with a little promotional help.

Ocean Mist Farms, the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, researched historical summer sales as it related to promotional activity and found there is an opportunity to increase sales in August.

“Our production has stabilized to a consistent year-round supply and the data points show that August is great potential time period for creative promotions that will drive sales,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing.  In addition to having promotable supply, the company also has almost all sizes of artichokes available this season.

Ocean Mist Farms is doing its part to increase sales of artichokes during the summer by developing new uses and recipes for artichokes such as its award winning Season & Steam package that allows users to enjoy artichokes without heating up their kitchens, same with throwing artichokes on the grill or for something completely new and different, Artichoke Ice Pops.

Nielsen data found summer sales of artichokes have experience steady year over year growth between 4 percent and 5 percent (Source: Perishables Group FreshFacts® Powered by Nielsen).

“There is a lot of competition for attention in the produce department during the summer months” McClean said. “But research shows retailers can increase sales with creative promotions.”

spotlight-01Artichokes-Microwavable

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – JULY 21, 2016 – As record-setting heat blazes across most of the country, artichokes could be America’s favorite new summer vegetable with recipes that don’t require work in the kitchen.

Ocean Mist Farms, the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, now sells two cleaned and ready to cook fresh artichokes in its award winning Season & Steam package.  What makes this value-added bag unique is the ability to open prior to cooking, season the contents reseal and cook in the microwave for seven minutes.  The culinary experts at Ocean Mist Farms suggest throwing the microwaved artichokes on the grill for a few last minutes to gain a charred/nutty flavor.

For something really different, however, the company created Artichoke Ice Pops. The secret again is using the Season& Steam artichokes to whip up these cool pops.

“We know families are busy this summer and helping parents get healthy, delicious meals on the table is our goal,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing. “People love the lime flavored artichoke ice pops; we hope everyone gives them a try.”

Easy_Grilled_Artichokes_Detailspotlight-01

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – June16, 2016 – Ocean Mist Farms is harvesting significant volumes of everyone’s favorite new vegetable, Kalettes®, just in time for summer cooking events.

Introduced in 2014, Kalettes® are the first new vegetable to enter the world in more than a decade – a marriage between Brussels sprouts and kale – which created a super food.

Kalettes® are a colorful combination of green and purple. Each “kale sprout” is gently hand harvested and may vary in size due to how they are grown on the plant stalk. Kalettes® are easy to prepare and are very versatile.

“We have a great crop now and we are excited to be able to meet customer demand,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing.

Ocean Mist Farms is shipping bulk Kalettes® as well as packaged in the company’s award-winning Season and Steam microwaveable bag.

kalettes_render_front[1]kalettes-3group

Monterey, Calif. — Ocean Mist Farms presented academic scholarship on Saturday, June 4, at the 57th Annual Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival in Monterey, Calif.

OceanMistFarms.AdademicScholarship

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – May 18, 2016 – Ocean Mist Farms received a 2016 Produce Trailblazer Award from Grocery Headquarters for its value-added Season & Steam line of fresh vegetables.

Each year, Grocery Headquarters recognizes the hard work, vision and commitment put in by the country’s most notable growers, packers and distributors of fresh produce. According to the magazine, winners of Grocerypro Headquarters’ 2016 Produce Trailblazer Awards have flourished both at the farm and on grocery store shelves.

This year’s award was handed out in five categories: Beverages; dips and dressings; fresh fruits; fresh vegetables; value-added; and organic. Ocean Mist Farms received the 2016 Produce Trailblazer Award for the value added category for its Season & Steam line and in recognition of the company’s deep roots in Monterey County.

Print

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – May 16, 2016 – We have our #ArtiAdventurer! 

Congratulations to Trissina Kear from Valley Village, Calif., in the greater Los Angeles area, she is the winner of the Ocean Mist Farms’ Artichoke Adventurer Contest and will attending the 2016 Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival.

Kear was selected by Ocean Mist Farms, the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, as the winner of its nationwide sweepstakes, Be an Artichoke Adventurer.  

Earlier this spring, home cooks were invited to upload a picture or video of themselves preparing or eating a fresh artichoke for a chance to win a trip for two to Monterey, Calif., including tickets to the Annual Castroville Food & Wine Artichoke Festival.

Entries were judged on creativity of the photo or video, and how well it showcased the cook’s adventurous spirit.  Kear submitted the winning video after purchasing artichokes at a Whole Foods store.

“I'm a massive fan of artichokes but additionally a fan of fresh veggies from Monterey. Every time we go there we always bring home a bunch of veggies,” Kear said. “I was cooking (an artichoke) and read the tag announcing the competition to win a trip for two to our favorite vacation place.

“We combined my love of artichokes with Dave’s fancy chef twist and had a fun date night making the video, laughing together and being creative with food and wine. That's my favorite thing: All this came out of us just having fun together. We had no idea we'd get this far!”

Kear’s winning video showcases a recipe for a grilled artichoke accompanied by an adventurous sauce combining Habanero pepper, bacon and tzatziki – paired with a glass of Monterey wine.

Diana McClean, director of marketing for Ocean Mist Farms said, “We loved Trissina’s passion for artichoke and food.  She embodies what we’re looking for when we asked people to go on an artichoke adventure.”

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – The Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival returns to the Monterey County Fairgrounds June 4-5 to celebrate California’s iconic state vegetable. Now in its 57th year, the festival is anticipated to attract more than 30,000 visitors and will feature food and wine demonstrations as well as entertainment.

“We are excited that the festival continues to expand and is one of the region’s most anticipated events,” said Ron Stefani, president of the Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival. “This event is a unique opportunity to highlight the impact artichokes have in Castroville and Monterey, and our goal is to share the good fun, delicious flavors and long-standing festival traditions with the local community and visitors from around the world.”

Festival attendees can enjoy favorites such as a farmer’s market, the Ocean Mist Farms Agro Art competition, arts and crafts vendors, children’s activities, including an opportunity to meet beloved festival ambassador “Arti the Artichoke,” artichoke field tours and a competitive artichoke eating contest.

Festivalgoers can also expect delicious artichoke delicacies, prepared using freshly harvested artichokes. Options include artichokes creamed, steamed, pickled, deep-fried and grilled artichokes, and in burritos, soup, cupcakes and much more. Guests over 21 can enjoy wine tasting, micro brews and artichoke pairings.

The area’s finest chefs, including Tony Baker of Montrio Bistro and Baker’s Bacon; Todd Fisher of Tarpy’s; and Rene Herrera of Alfonso’s; will showcase the versatility of the artichoke and share unique preparation techniques.

The annual Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival started in 1959 in Castroville, where California’s first artichoke shoots were planted in 1922. Today, nearly all of America’s artichoke supply comes from California and nearly two-thirds are still grown in Castroville.

Over the years, the festival has become the primary source of funding for local nonprofit groups that thrive with the success of the festival. The festival continues to grow, and in 2014 moved to the Monterey County Fairgrounds to host more attendees and attractions. The festival still honors its artichoke legacy by name and through many of the Castroville events leading up to the two-day event, including a historic kick-off parade, car show and community dinner.

Castroville-based Ocean Mist Farms is the largest artichoke grower in the United States and a long-time supporter of the festival. Ocean Mist Farms has grown artichokes for more than 90 years and donated all artichokes being used at the event.

Joe Pezzini, chief executive officer of Ocean Mist, said “We’re proud to support the Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival and to celebrate Castroville’s long and storied artichoke history.”

This year for the first time, five, $1,000 Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarships will be awardedat the festival as part of Ocean Mist Farms’ community education initiative; the presentation will be on Saturday, June 4, at 12:30 p.m. on the Main Stage.

Also for the first time this year, Ocean Mist Farms gave a trip for two to attend the festival to the winner of its nationwide sweepstakes, Be an Artichoke Adventurer.

Earlier this spring, home cooks were invited to upload a picture or video of themselves preparing or eating a fresh artichoke for a chance to win a trip for two to Monterey, Calif., including tickets to the Annual Castroville Food & Wine Artichoke Festival.  Entries were judged on creativity of the photo or video, and how well it showcased the cook’s adventurous spirit.  The winning video was submitted by Trissina Kear from Valley Village, Calif.

For everyone else, tickets for the 2016 Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival are available for purchase at www.artichokefestival.org and may be purchased at the door. General admission for adults is $12; active military, seniors and children (4-12) $7; children 3 and under are FREE.

For more information about all of the exciting events in store for the 2016 Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival, visit the festival website page and follow festival happenings on Facebook and Twitter @ArtiFest.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – May 16, 2016 – Ocean Mist Farms will sponsor the Agro Art 2016 Competition at the Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival this year.

This event encourages family participation and creativity. The competition consists of creating a three-dimensional fruit and vegetable display sculpture.  The quirky competition fosters imagination, creativity and is fun for participants and the viewing public.

The competition takes place on Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  at the Monterey County Fairgrounds and Event Center and is open to everyone. Area artists, culinary whizzes and school teams are encouraged to participate, no prior experience is required.

Competition is in the following categories:

Adult – Individual or TeamHigh school (grades 9-12) – Individual or TeamMiddle School (grades 7 and 8) – Individual or TeamGrammar School (grades K-6) – Individual or TeamProfessional (chefs, florists and artists)

AGRO ART RULES:

- All competitors must fill out an entry form either in advance or at the entrance to the Competition.

- Spaces are limited: “First come – First Serve” basis.

- Only pre-registered entrants are guaranteed a table until 10:30 AM. After 10:30, hold on spot will be forfeited and given to person on waiting list.

- Each single entrant will be assigned one-half of a working table.

- Each team will be assigned a full working table.

- Sculptures must be constructed during the competition time of no earlier than 10 AM and no later then 1 PM.

- Entries must be at least 60% fresh product and 10% artichokes.

- Ocean Mist Farms will provide fresh artichokes and other “art pieces” such as cauliflower, broccoli and head lettuce. All is available on a first come, first served basis.

- Entrants must provide their own supplies except for veggies as noted above.

- No flowers may be used, however, it is permissible to use leaves, brush, grasses and other living foliage.

- It is permissible to use wire, wood, glue, tape and plastic to form a base for the sculpture or secure it.

JUDGING:

- Judging will begin at 1 p.m.; winners will be announced at 2 p.m.

- All sculptures must remain at the festival until Sunday

- All entries not picked up will become the property of the Castroville Artichoke Festival

Registration is free and there is more than $6,500 in cash prizes.  Interested participations may sign up online at AGRO ART 2016.

For more information on the Agro Art Competition and the festival, visit Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival.

IMG_3741 Artichoke fest-9

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – April 25, 2016 – Ocean Mist Farms named Chris Drew as the company’s vice president of operations.

In his new role, his duties will include directing activities associated with the post harvest of Ocean Mist Farms products; managing the cooling and shipping facilities; overseeing food safety and quality assurance, sustainability and value-added operations; and directing new product and service innovation.  He will report to Joe Pezzini, company CEO.

Drew has been with the company since 2004; his previous title was production manager for Sea Mist Farms, an Ocean Mist Farms-owned entity.

“Chris has a keen understanding of the supply chain,” Pezzini said. “He has a team approach to solving complex problems; has leadership and intellectual acumen and he is a product expert with the proficiency to interact with our customer base.  Chris is a strong addition to our senior management team.”

Drew holds a bachelor of science degree in crop science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an MBA. He has more than 16 years of experience in nursery crops and vegetable production. He resides in Hollister, Calif., with his wife and two daughters.

For more information about the company and its products, visit http://www.oceanmist.com/.

OceanMistFarms.ChrisDrew

April 6, 2016 — Castroville, Calif — Diana McClean, director of marketing, Ocean Mist Farms, received the Produce for Better Health Role Model award on behalf of the company at the annual Produce for Better Health conference  in Scottsdale, AZ., from Dr. Elizabeth Pivonka, CEO/president, Produce for Better Health.

IMG_5190IMG_5187IMG_5186

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – April 4, 2016 – Ocean Mist Farms is expanding its award-winning Season & Steam line of fresh convenient vegetables with cleaned and ready to cook fresh artichokes.

The Season & Steam line, first launched in 2012 with whole and multiple cuts of Brussels sprouts (SuperShreds SuperFood®, Quick Cook Sprouts®,  whole Brussels sprouts and Baby Sprouts), expanded with Kalettes® in 2015 and artichokes in 2016.

“Artichokes are what we’re known for but they are a highly fibrous vegetable and take longer to cook so we’ve perfected the offering,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing.

Ocean Mist Farms Season & Steam fresh vegetables are unique in that the package technology allows user to open the bag prior to cooking, pre-season the contents to their flavor preference, reseal with the zip lock and steam by microwave all within the same bag.

The ability to pre-season the fresh vegetable contents (prior to cooking) is an exclusive convenience attribute to the produce department.

“Some people are intimidated by eating artichokes,” McClean said. “The Season & Steam bag takes all the fear out of the process with home cooks easily making perfectly cooked artichokes in seven minutes.”

Ocean Mist Farms Season & Steam artichokes are available to customers in the United States; the company is supporting the launch with media relations and other activities designed to generate awareness for the new product.

2ArtiBag_Render_Final_Front

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – March 15, 2016 – Research shows that some people are intimidated by eating artichokes, but hopefully not the adventurous who will enjoy the fresh vegetable that is all heart.

This spring Ocean Mist Farms, the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, is inviting home cooks to Be an Artichoke Adventurer.

We want to help people overcome their artichoke fears by encouraging them to be bold and adventurous,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing. “We want to encourage people, specifically Millennials, who have never tried or prepared a fresh artichoke, to do so. At the same time, we want to celebrate our loyal fans by allowing them to show off their artichoke culinary know-how.”

From March 20 to April 16, home cooks can upload a picture or video of themselves preparing or eating a fresh artichoke for a chance to win a trip for two to Monterey, Calif., including tickets to the Annual Castroville Food & Wine Artichoke Festival, June 4-5.  Entries will be judged on creativity of the photo or video, and how well it shows off the cook’s adventurous spirit. See official rules for entry requirements.

“We are engaging with people who love to cook,” McClean said. “Whether you’ve been a fresh artichoke fan for years, or have never cooked or eaten one, we want to see what you create.”

Spring is an ideal time to be an Artichoke Adventurer because it is peak season for the vegetable grown in mild climates along the coastline of the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California where Ocean Mist Farms family of farmers has been growing fresh vegetables for more 90 years.

sweepstakes compassSweepstakes Petal-Insert-500

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – March 7, 2016 – Spring is the beginning of peak artichoke season and Ocean Mist Farms is supporting sales with multiple activities designed to generate awareness for the company’s fresh artichokes.

Peak volume of the Castroville crop is March through May, said Diana McClean, director of marketing, and this year most Ocean Mist Farms’ artichokes will carry branded petal inserts to help consumers find them in store.

“During peak season we activate a strong promotional strategy that includes display and sales contests with Northern California retailers, radio ads in Northern California, a nationwide new product launch featuring cleaned and ready to cook fresh artichokes in our award-winning Season & Steam packaging,” McClean said.  “This year we are excited to target Millenials with a consumer contest.

“Research shows that some people are intimidated by eating artichokes – but not the adventurous at heart. Our new consumer contest, Be an Artichoke Adventurer, is designed to help people overcome their artichoke fears, by encouraging them to be bold and adventurous. We want to encourage people, specifically Millennials, who have never tried or prepared a fresh artichoke to do so. At the same time, we want to celebrate our loyal fans by allowing them to show off their artichoke culinary know-how.”

From March 20 to April 16, home cooks will be asked to upload a picture or video of themselves preparing or eating a fresh artichoke for a chance to win a trip for two to Monterey California including tickets to the Annual Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival, June 4-5.

“We are engaging with people who love to cook,” McClean said. “Whether you’ve been a fresh artichoke fan for years, or have never cooked or eaten one, we want to see what you create.”

Ocean Mist Farms will also leverage the more than 60,000 artichoke fans who are now members its Artichoke Club to communicate information about the contest as well as retail promotions throughout the peak season.

“We are looking forward to a strong season with good volume throughout the spring months of March through the artichoke festival in June,” McClean said.

Petal-Insert-500 compass

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2016) Ocean Mist Organic is expanding its product line this month with the addition of green onions and Romaine hearts.  The addition brings the total number of items sold under the Ocean Mist Organic label to 18.

The green onions are available in 48-count iced bunches and the Romaine hearts are available in a case of 12, three-count packages.  The items are added in response to continued demand for the Ocean Mist Organic fresh produce, said Joe Feldman, vice president of sales and marketing at Ocean Mist Farms.

“We are excited to be able to offer our partners new items in the organic space and anticipate continued growth as we move forward,” Feldman said.

The items are shipping from the expanded cooler in Coachella.

Organic-Romaine-Bag-&-1-head[2]

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2016) This Valentine’s Day enjoy the vegetable that’s all heart – the artichoke – while you do something GOOD for your heart.

Aside from its impressive abilities at fighting cancer, artichokes are considered a heart-healthy food for a variety of reasons.

Certain ingredients in the leaves of artichokes have been found to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the levels of good cholesterol (HDL, or omega-3 fatty acid).  Artichokes are also rich sources of potassium, the essential mineral that has an impact on numerous organ systems throughout the body. Potassium helps to neutralize the effects of excess sodium, which is notorious for increasing blood pressure.  A reduction in blood pressure can reduce the chances of heart attacks and coronary heart disease.

The artichoke is one of the most nutritious vegetables available during the winter months and Ocean Mist Farms, the largest grower of artichokes in North America, is shipping beautiful artichokes now to grocery stores nationwide.  For Valentine’s Day, heat things up with fire-roasted artichokes.  Your heart will love you.

chimichurri-yogurt-dip

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Dec. 28, 2015) — Local agriculture leader Ocean Mist Farms will award four, $1,000 scholarships to local high school graduates in April 2016 for the next academic school year.

Applicants must be a high school graduate with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Application deadline is Jan. 31, 2016. Applications and additional information can be found at www.oceanmist.com/scholarships.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – (Dec. 16, 2015) – As a result of the recent widespread frost in California, highly flavorful artichokes known as Frost Kissed™ artichokes are now in stores for a short time.

The impact of frost on artichokes is similar to how human skin reacts to sunburn, said Diana McClean, director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms.  Frost turns the outside layer of the artichoke dark brown, and then it flakes and peels.

Once cooked, the brown outer layer is gone resulting in the soft green artichoke shoppers are familiar with.

“Frosting is strictly a cosmetic condition,” McClean said.  “While the brownish color may not look pretty, Frost Kissed™ artichokes taste wonderful.  The cold weather concentrates the natural artichoke flavors into a more intense, nutty flavor.”

Because Frost Kissed™ artichokes look different than green artichokes, Ocean Mist Farms is implementing an education program to teach shoppers about how good they taste.

The company has information on its website with pictures and recipes and is sending that information to members of its artichoke club and sharing it through its digital channels.

Ocean Mist Farms also provides display cards to the retail customers who stock Frost Kissed™ artichokes the new few weeks.

“A Frost Kissed™ artichoke is a unique item that we don’t have every season,” McClean said. “Because they are so seasonal, we have to teach shoppers to look for them and be sure to buy them during the short time they are in the stores.”

Artichokes are Frost Kissed™ when the temperature drops below 32 degrees.  Following a freeze, artichoke plants take two to three weeks to start producing frost free artichokes again.

spotlight-03

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2015) — Ocean Mist Organic hired Joe Angelo as sales manager.

Angleo comes to Ocean Mist Organic from Dole Vegetables and Dole Berry Company where he held district sales and commodity manager positions.  He is a graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz.

“Joe Angelo is an impressive individual,” said Joe Feldman, vice president of sales and marketing. “We are honored to have him join our company to further the success and growth of the Ocean Mist Organic program.”

Angelo will manage customers accounts throughout the country and work in the company’s Castroville location.

IMG_2184.JoeAngelo.v12

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Dec. 9, 2015) — Ocean Mist Farms opened its expanded cooler facility in Coachella, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 8, with an official ribbon cutting ceremony.

Ocean Mist Farms has operated in Coachella since 1988 and has expanded its produce cooling and distribution facility twice during that time. The latest expansion, which has been more than two years in planning and execution, is a result of increased business.

Construction started March 23; the facility now has double the cooling and storage capacity and twice as many bays for receiving and loading trucks.

The company grows and cools artichokes and 30 other fresh vegetables at the Coachella facility during the winter season from December to April, said Ocean Mist Farms CEO Joe Pezzini. In addition, the facility serves other growers in the surrounding area as a year-round produce cooling and distribution center.  Ocean Mist Farms employs more than 70 at the facility.

“We built our reputation on superior product quality and food safety practices,” Pezzini said. “This new facility allows us to further improve product quality and shelf life as well as food safety and security.”

In addition to improving efficiencies, product quality and customer service, the expansion of the Coachella facility strategically positions Ocean Mist Farms for future growth, Pezzini said.

“We are investing in the Coachella valley for the future,” Pezzini said. “We expanded the facility to handle our crops and to serve our growing partners in the area.  We believe in the future of agriculture here and are committed for the long term.”

Pezzini was joined for the ribbon cutting ceremony by Mayor Steven Hernandez.  The mayor declared Dec. 8 as official Ocean Mist Farms day.  More than 40 people attended the opening event and enjoyed refreshments and tours of the facility.

OMF591_coachella plant ribbon cutting

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – OCT. 23, 2015 – Ocean Mist Farms is one of the five fresh produce companies named a packaging innovator by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), which bestowed its eighth annual Impact Awards: Excellence in Packaging at the organization’s international convention and exposition in Atlanta today. 
The award recognizes companies with exceptional produce packaging that demonstrates “out-of-the-box-thinking” and makes an impact with consumers.
The newest addition to Ocean Mist Farms’ value-added Season & Steam™ product line, Kalettes™, received the 2015 PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging.  The company’s SuperShreds SuperFood™, Quick Cook Sprouts™, Baby Sprouts and whole Brussels sprouts received the award in 2012 and microwaveable artichokes in 2011.
 
All items in the Season & Steam product line use Ocean Mist Farms’ Steamfast microwavable package that gives users the option to pre-season the contents to their flavor preference, reseal with the zip lock and steam by microwave all within the same bag.
Ocean Mist Farms’ Season & Steam Kalettes™ are cleaned and ready to cook and have a suggested retail price of $3.29-$3.99 depending on the region.  The company is one of six Kalettes™ growers in the United States.
 
The PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging recognizes and encourages excellence in fresh produce packaging. PMA received more than 71 entries from 57 countries that were narrowed down to 20 finalists and submitted to a panel of judges who selected the five winners based on the following attributes: Marketing, sustainability, food safety, and convenience and supply chain efficiency/functionality.
 
kalettes_render_front[1]

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Oct. 7, 2015 – Ocean Mist Farm will feature the newest addition to the company’s award-winning value-added Season & Steam™ product line, Kalettes™, as well as it’s line of organic produce, Ocean Mist Organic, in booth #3547 at the PMA Fresh Summit in Atlanta.

Ocean Mist Farms’ Season & Steam Kalettes™ are a finalist for the 2015 PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging and join the four fresh-cut Brussels sprouts formats designed to meet current culinary and consumer trends including: SuperShreds SuperFood™, Quick Cook Sprouts™, Baby Sprouts and Microwaveable whole Brussels sprouts

All items in the Season & Steam product line use Ocean Mist Farms’ Steamfast microwavable package that gives users the option to pre-season the contents to their flavor preference, reseal with the zip lock and steam by microwave all within the same bag.

Ocean Mist Farms’ Season & Steam Kalettes™ are cleaned and ready to cook and have a suggested retail price of $3.29-$3.99 depending on the region.  The company recently redesigned the graphics on each of the Season & Steam packages to make the instructions clearer on the shelf and more user friendly.

Also on display in the PMA booth will be the full line of Ocean Mist Farm Organic produce; the company started packing the items in July under a new label, Ocean Mist Organic.

As the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America, the company will have an assortment of artichokes in multiple packages sizes available for review.

OMF481-Season&Steam_5ProductLine_

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 5, 2015) – The Ocean Mist Farms Board of Directors named Joe Pezzini as the company’s successor to current President and CEO Ed Boutonnet; the transition in leadership will occur over the next 12 months.

Joe joined Ocean Mist Farms in June of 1983.  In 2001, Joe was promoted to Vice President of Operations where he was responsible for cooling operations, food safety, research and development, quality assurance, human resources and strategic planning.  In addition to these responsibilities, Joe accepted the position of Chief Operating Officer at Ocean Mist in February of 2009, a position he took very seriously and proudly served.

“After a careful process, we are delighted to select Joe as our new President and CEO,” Boutonnet said. “His wide range of expertise and skills, including his previous experience with Ocean Mist Farms, will serve him extremely well in his new position.”

Joe Pezzini said, “I’m honored by the confidence expressed in me by the Ocean Mist Farms board.  I will work hard as we embark upon the next chapter in the company’s history.  Working with the talented professionals on the Board, the Senior Management Team and our dedicated employees, I anticipate an exciting and successful future.”

Joe succeeds Boutonnet who joined Ocean Mist Farms in 1970 and became President and CEO in 1990. Under his leadership, the company became the largest grower/shipper of fresh artichokes in North America. Boutonnet will remain as Chairman of the Board and will participate in special assignments, projects and other operations of the corporation.

Boutonnet said, “I've been privileged to lead one of the greatest produce companies in the country.  After almost five decades with the company and 25 years as CEO, it's time to transfer Ocean Mist Farms’ helm to a new generation of leadership. While I will continue a very active role at the company, I enthusiastically welcome Joe as our new leader.  I am confident in his abilities and excited for the future of Ocean Mist Farms.  I look forward to working with Joe and the board during the transition period, and to being an advisor to management in the years ahead."

Hugo Tottino, owner/partner of Ocean Mist Farms said, "Ed is a very strong, dedicated, and honest leader who encouraged our employees to look ahead to the future.  He was instrumental in working with management to position our company for long-term success.  We are grateful for his innumerable contributions to the company and we thank him for his distinguished tenure as President and CEO over the last 25 years."

Joe Pezzini Head Shot 4x6 300 dpi

CASTROVILLE, Calif.  – The first Ocean Mist Organic fresh produce items began shipping this week out of the Ocean Mist Farms’ cooler in Castroville, Calif., more than 15 items are available in the line to customers nationwide.

Organic Lettuce Final

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – JUNE 15, 2015 – Ocean Mist Farms hired two employees to work in departments at the company’s headquarters in Castroville, Calif.: Jonelle Wong is the new operations controller and Gladys Valenzuela-Corzo is the human resources director.

Wong comes to Ocean Mist Farms with more than 15 years of accounting, financial and administration experience related to agricultural operations and food service.  She was most recently the controller at Danna Farms, Inc., in Plumas Lake, Calif.

Valenzuela-Corzo also joins the company with several years experience in her area of expertise having been the human resources director at Growers Transplanting/Rocket Farms and the Monterey County Herald/MediaNews Group, Inc., in Salinas.

OMF.GladysValenzuelaCorzoOMF.JonelleWong

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (June 8, 2015) — Justin Grossman has joined Ocean Mist Farms as the organic sales manager for the company’s new organic line, Ocean Mist Organic.

Grossman has an extensive background in organic sales, most recently with Coke Farm in San Juan Bautista, Calif., where he managed accounts for large distributors and small retail chains.

At Ocean Mist Organic he will work in the Ocean Mist Farms Castroville sales office and report to Joe Feldman.

Grossman’s previous experience includes a national buyer for Albert’s Organics in Santa Cruz as well as other retail positions.

“Justin is a produce industry sales, sourcing and procurement professional with a broad-reaching background,” said Joe Feldman, VP of Sales & Marketing.  “He has excellent communication and outreach skills, with a strong track record of building relationships with key people in the industry.  We’re looking forward to having him help us meet the needs of our client base.”

JustinGrossmanPrint

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – May 27, 2015 – Ocean Mist Farms will sponsor the Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival as it returns to the Monterey County Fairgrounds May 30-31 to celebrate California’s official state vegetable.

Now in its 56th year, the growing festival is anticipated to attract more than 30,000 visitors and will feature more food and wine and bigger entertainment acts in 2015.

“We are excited that the festival continues to expand and is one of the region’s most anticipated events,” said Ron Stefani, president of the Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival. “This event is a unique opportunity to highlight the impact artichokes have in Castroville and Monterey, and our goal is to share the good fun, delicious flavors and long-standing festival traditions with the local community and visitors from around the world.”

Festival attendees can enjoy activities such as a farmer’s market, the Ocean Mist Farms Agro Art competition, arts and crafts vendors, children’s activities, the opportunity to meet Ocean Mist Farm’s ambassador “Arti the Artichoke,” artichoke field tours and a competitive artichoke eating contest.

Attendees can also expect a variety of foods prepared using fresh artichokes. Options include artichokes creamed, steamed, deep-fried and grilled, and in burritos, soup, ice cream, cupcakes and more. Guests over 21 can enjoy wine tasting, micro brews and artichoke pairings.

Northern California’s well-known chefs, Tony Baker and Ryan Scott, will showcase the versatility of the artichoke and share unique preparation techniques. Scott, host of San Francisco’s KGO radio cooking show and a Top Chef Season Four contestant, will broadcast live from the festival on May 30.

The annual Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival started in 1959 in Castroville, where California’s first artichoke shoots were planted in 1922. Today, nearly all of America’s artichoke supply comes from California and nearly two-thirds are grown in Castroville.

Over the years, the festival has become the primary source of funding for local nonprofit groups that thrive with the success of the festival. The festival continues to grow, and in 2014 moved to the Monterey County Fairgrounds to host more attendees and attractions.

Castroville-based Ocean Mist Farms is the largest artichoke grower in North America and a long-time supporter of the festival. Ocean Mist Farms has grown artichokes for more than 90 years and donated all artichokes being used at the event.

Ed Boutonnet, CEO of Ocean Mist Farms, said, “We’re proud to support the Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival and to celebrate Castroville’s long and storied artichoke history.”

Tickets for the 2015 Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival are available for purchase at www.artichokefestival.org and can be purchased at the door.

For more information about all of the events at the 2015 Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival, visit the festival website page follow festival happenings on Facebook and Twitter @ArtiFest.

Arti with Chef Ryan Scott

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (May 20, 2015) – Ocean Mist Farms and Lakeside Organic Gardens formed a strategic alliance to grow for one another and offer their customers wider organic product lines.

The strategic alliance will add organic artichokes to the Lakeside Organic Gardens product line.  For Ocean Mist, the company’s organic product line will expand to include beets, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, fennel, iceberg lettuce, kale, leeks, parsley, red leaf, green leaf, romaine and spinach.  Ocean Mist will market the items under the Ocean Mist Organic label.

Ocean Mist Farms and Lakeside Organic Gardens are both family-owned and operated.  In business more than 90 years, Ocean Mist Farms is the largest grower/shipper of artichokes in North America.

Lakeside Organic Gardens, based in Watsonville, Calif., is the largest family-owned and operated organic vegetable grower/shipper in the country; the company grows and sells more than 45 organic vegetables year-round.

“The purpose of the strategic alliance between the two companies is to meet the increasing shopper demand for organic produce,” said Ocean Mist Farms CEO Ed Boutonnet. “It’s important to the future of our business that we respond to the changes in the marketplace and meet the needs of our end consumer; adding organic produce to our product list is part of meeting that need.”

Lakeside Organic Gardens grower owner, Dick Peixoto, said, “At Lakeside Organic Gardens, we’re excited to offer our customers organic artichokes year-round. We appreciate the commitment Ocean Mist has made to grow the best quality organic artichokes. This is a win for both companies because both of our customers will have immediate access to wider organic product lines.”

The first products will ship in July from the Ocean Mist Farms cooler in Castroville, Calif. and the Lakeside Organic Gardens cooler in Watsonville, Calif.

Ocean-Mist-Values-BW-PNGLOG_withWhiteOutline

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (March 31, 2015) — Ocean Mist Farms is expanding its cooler facility in Coachella, Calif., this spring to be in operation for the Fall 2015 desert-growing season.

Ocean Mist Farms has operated in Coachella for more than 27 years and has expanded its cooler facility twice during that time. The latest expansion, which has been more than two years in the planning, is a result of increased business.

Construction began on March 23. When completed, the facility will have double the cooling and storage capacity and twice as many bays for receiving and loading trucks.

Ocean Mist Farms grows and cools artichokes and 30 other fresh vegetables at the Coachella facility, said Ocean Mist Farms CEO Ed Boutonnet.

“We built our reputation on superior product quality and food safety practices,” Boutonnet said. “This new facility will allow us to further improve product quality and shelf life as well as food safety and security.”

In addition to improving efficiencies, product quality and customer service, the expansion of the Coachella cooler will strategically position Ocean Mist Farms for future growth, Boutonnet said.

OMF.CoachellaCooler.Rendering

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – March 9, 2015 – March marks the beginning of peak Heirloom artichoke season and Ocean Mist Farms is supporting sales with multiple activities designed to generate sales and consumer awareness for this special variety of fresh artichokes.

The family farmers of Ocean Mist Farms, the largest grower of artichokes in North America, have been growing Heirloom artichokes for more than 90 years.

As it stands, Artichokes are produced and readily accessible year-round; though peak harvesting season for our Heirloom variety is during spring — more specifically, during the months of March, April, and May. An artichoke thrives in foggy, cool-coastal climates and requires regular nutrients through watering and feeding.  About 99% of the North American Artichokes are harvested in California, with Ocean Mist Farms being the largest grower.  Ocean Mist proprietary Globe variety produces during the times of year that the Heirloom variety is not in peak production:  May through the following March. The season for Artichoke is in a sense, all seasons.

The Heirloom artichoke variety is a perennial plant that grows from original rootstock that dates back to the start of Ocean Mist Farms in 1924. The formal classification of an Heirloom fresh fruit or vegetable is any distinct variety that grows and has been in trade for more than 50 years using the same lineage.

Like a family recipe, this unique variety of artichoke grows from the same rootstock that has been passed down to each generation of Ocean Mist family farmers for more than 90 years — never from seed. Artichokes have such a strong legacy in California that they were named the Official State Vegetable of California.

Ocean Mist Farms’ Heirloom variety is also the variety that chefs prefer. Many chefs refer to the Heirloom variety as the ‘red label’ referring to the red font color on the Ocean Mist Farms carton.

Peak volume of the Castroville Heirloom crop is expected in April, said Diana McClean, director of marketing. All the Heirloom artichokes will carry a red PLU/UPC sticker to help shoppers find the Ocean Mist Farms’ Heirloom variety in stores.

“During spring’s Heirloom artichoke season, we activate a multi-faceted promotional strategy that includes retail contests, radio ads in Northern California, a consumer sweepstakes, custom in-store point of sale, display bins and petal inserts,” McClean said.

The consumer sweepstakes will run in April and the theme is “Easy as 1-2-3.”

“Artichokes can be made in countless ways, but many people use the same cooking method and dip the petals in their favorite sauce,” McClean said.

For the Easy as 1-2-3 sweepstakes the players, who must be members of the Ocean Mist Farms’ Artichoke Club, can enter each day by selecting their favorite base, mixer and herb to create a unique artichoke dip. Daily prizes will be awarded and unique dip names will be generated to share across social media platforms.

The sweepstakes dipping game details will be communicated via social media channels and petal inserts in stores across the country. The petal inserts will be placed in every other artichoke for stores that agree to carry the item and labels will be added to the clamshell packages, which is a new packaging option for the spring season.

Daily winners will be entered in chance to win a grand prize of $1,000.

“We want to use the Easy as 1-2-3 theme to demystify the artichoke eating experience and add a fun engaging element to the process,” McClean said.  “We like that it gets people thinking creatively about cooking with artichokes.”

Ocean Mist Farms will also activate geo-marketing with its email Arti-Alerts sent to members of its Artichoke Club when retailers have Heirloom artichokes on sale-specific in their market. The same message is also shared via Ocean Mist Farms’ Facebook page and other social media channels.

The culmination of peak season will be the Annual Castroville Artichoke Festival held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds May 30-31. The festival features Arti the Artichoke, Agro Art, chef demos, artichoke field tours, wine tasting and assorted activities for artichoke lovers of all ages.

OMF_Easy As 1-2-3_logo OMF_EASY_PetalInsertinChoke OMF_HEIRLOOMARTICHOKES.FIELD

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – (Feb. 23, 2015) – Ocean Mist Farms will feature new-to-the-world vegetable Kalettes™ at the Southeast Produce Council Expo this week, along with its Heirloom artichokes and Season and Steam Brussels sprouts line.

All items will be on display in Ocean Mist Farms booth 300.

Ocean Mist Farms is one of six companies growing Kalettes™ in the United States; the company plans to add Kalettes™ to its award-winning line of Season and Steam vegetables later this year.

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – (Feb. 16, 2015) – Reggie Griffin, former vice president of produce and floral at The Kroger Co., was elected by the shareholders of Ocean Mist Farms as an outside director.

Mr. Griffin retired from The Kroger Co., the largest operator of supermarkets in the United States, in 2011 and has been working since then as a business consultant. He is the second outside director to join Ocean Mist Farms’ board; Dr. Roberta Cook of the University of California, Davis, was the first.

“I am honored to join the Ocean Mist Farms board,” Mr. Griffin said. “I’ve worked with the company for several years and have long respected the professional culture and the quality of excellence the company delivers. I look forward to moving into a productive future together.”

Ocean Mist Farms is a family-owned business that celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2014.

Company President and CEO Ed Boutonnet said, “We are extremely excited about Mr. Griffin’s recent election to the board and look forward to benefitting from his knowledge and expertise in the produce industry.  His insight and passion for the business will help guide and direct the future growth of Ocean Mist Farms.”

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – (Dec. 30, 2014) – As a result of the recent widespread frosts in California, highly flavorful artichokes known as Frost Kissed™ artichokes are now in stores for a short time.

“The impact of frost on artichokes is similar to how human skin reacts to sunburn,” said Joe Feldman, vice president of sales and marketing.  “Frost causes the outer layer of the artichokes to blister, eventually turns the outside layer of the artichoke brown, and then it flakes and peels.”

Once cooked, the brown outer layer is gone resulting in the dark green artichoke people are familiar with.

“Frosting is strictly a cosmetic condition,” Feldman said.  “While the brownish color may not look pretty, Frost Kissed™ artichokes actually taste wonderful.  The cold weather concentrates the natural artichoke flavors into a more intense, nutty flavor.”

Because Frost Kissed™ artichokes look different than green artichokes, Ocean Mist Farms is implementing an education program to teach shoppers about how good they taste.

The company has information on its website with pictures and recipes and is sending that information to all members of its Artichoke Club.

Ocean Mist is also sending display cards to the retail customers who are stocking Frost Kissed™ artichokes in their stores the next few weeks.

“A Frost Kissed™ artichoke is a very unique item that we don’t have every season,” Feldman said. “Because they are so seasonal, we have to teach shoppers to look for them and be sure to buy them during the short time they are in the stores.”

Artichokes become Frost Kissed™ when the temperature drops below 32 degrees.  Without further cold temperatures artichoke plants take two to four weeks to start producing frost free artichokes again depending on the severity of the cold and the continued duration.

Frost Kissed__Ocean Mist Farms[1]

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Dec. 16, 2014 – Ocean Mist Farms hires Diana McClean as the new director of marketing.

She will be based in the company’s headquarters in Castroville and report to Joe Feldman, vice president of sales and marketing.

McClean is a produce industry veteran with more than 15 years experience, most recently at Tanimura & Antle where her duties included developing and launching new products, consumer research, package development, managing vendor relationships and directing social media.

“Diana joins us with experience driving marketing strategy and execution,” said Joe Feldman.  “She has a sophisticated understanding of marketing disciplines and we are excited for her to join our organization.”

McClean holds a degree in business administration from CaliforniaPolytechnicStateUniversity in San Luis Obispo. She lives in Salinas with her husband and two children.

DianaMcCleanHS

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Dec. 12, 2014 – The holiday season is here and California fresh vegetable grower Ocean Mist Farms is ready to meet shopper demand.

 The company is a leading grower of celery as well as a variety of other key vegetables served during the holidays including artichokes, Brussels sprouts, several types of lettuce, green onions and fennel.

Ocean Mist is working with its retail partners to meet consumer demand for celery and other popular vegetable ingredients. For example, Brussels sprouts, a super food and staple on most holiday menus, are available now.

This is the first holiday season that Ocean Mist is offering its full Season & Steam Brussels sprouts product line. Headlined by the popular Quick Cook (halved) Sprouts™, SuperShreds Superfood™ and Microwavable Whole Brussels Sprouts packages, these convenient items can be found in grocery stores across the country as they continue to gain market share since making their debut last January.

Ocean Mist Farms’ beloved mascot, Arti the Artichoke and US Congressman Sam Farr helped send off the cyclists of the inaugural Tour De Fresh bike event this morning in Carmel, Calif.

Riders from the fresh produce industry are raising money for school salad bars by cycling over 250 miles to the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit in Anaheim over the next three days.

Ocean Mist Farms has two riders : John Pattullo and Paul Scheid (in photos)

Location of Photos attached: Carmel, CA

Time: 9am at Send off

Tour de Fresh is the first collaborative fresh produce industry event that brings the most significant produce brands and influencers together for a four-day cycling event that raises funds that will benefit the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign.  For more information about the inaugural event, please visit: www.tourdefresh.com/ride-info.php.

John Pattullo_Arti the Artichoke_&Paul Scheid of Ocean Mist FarmsTour De Fresh John Pattullo of OMF Representive Sam Farr_Arti the Artichoke_Paul Scheid of OMF

Tour De Fresh Riders with Sam Farr & Ocean Mist Farms Arti the Artichoke

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Oct. 7, 2014 – Ocean Mist Farms will complete a year-long celebration of its 90-year legacy of growing artichokes and premium fresh vegetables in Castroville, Calif. with several activities as part of PMA in Anaheim.

Joe Feldman, vice president of sales and marketing, said, “Our annual participation in Fresh Summit is something we plan for year-round as it is a unique opportunity to interact with our customers.”

Arti the Artichoke, the company’s award-winning mascot will help open PMA weekend with an appearance at the finish line of the Tour de Fresh inaugural bike fundraising on Thursday, Oct. 16 at noon; details available on Arti's Facebook page.

Also during the Expo, Ocean Mist Farms will debut four items: Lacinato kale, sweet baby broccoli, Heirloom artichokes and Kalettes™; and showcase the feature done on the company and its relationships with Chef Tony Baker in the October issue of Food and Wine magazine on newsstands now.

“You can imagine how excited we were when the Food & Wine magazine team contacted us to do a story about artichokes, sponsored by the California Grown program,” said Kori Tuggle, director of marketing and business development. “They wanted to share the story of our relationship with Chef Tony Baker of Montrio Bistro restaurant located 10 miles from our ranches. This was an incredible opportunity for us to educate their readers about Ocean Mist Farms’ Heirloom artichokes.”

The story also includes a feature on an Ocean Mist Farms grower/owner, Troy Boutonnet, and a short video that shows the shared passion Boutonnet and Baker have for working with fresh artichokes.

The fourth generation grower-owned company was founded by Italian Immigrants in 1924.  They began their business by growing artichokes and Brussels sprouts along the Pacific Ocean’s Monterey Bay. Today Ocean Mist Farms produces more than 30 different fresh vegetables in various locations throughout California, Arizona and Mexico.  On April 10, 2013, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed artichokes as the official state vegetable of California.

Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichokes Ocean Mist Farms Kalettes Ocean Mist Farms Sweet Baby Broccoli

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Oct. 1, 2014 – Ocean Mist Farms was honored by the WateReuse Association and Research Foundation for its unique and successful water reuse partnerships at the 2014 One Water Innovations Gala on Sunday, Sept. 28 in New Orleans.

“The WateReuse Association and Research Foundation works to promote water sustainability through research and education”, said Mike McCullough, the recycled water program assistant with the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency.

Dale Huss, Ocean Mist Farms’ vice president of artichoke production, accepted the award on behalf of the company.  Huss is chairman of the Water Quality and Operations Committee of the Monterey County Water Recycling Projects and vice chair of the Water Quality and Project Operations Committee of the Watsonville Water Recycling Project.

In his various roles, Huss ensures that Ocean Mist Farms takes numerous precautions throughout production to reduce and conserve water.

“The proximity of our ranches to the ocean in California’s Monterey Bay makes water conservation a critical component of Ocean Mist Farms’ field management,” Huss said. “Sea water intrusion is minimized through the most efficient use of water resources, making Ocean Mist Farms one of the leaders in water conservation for farming practices in the produce industry.”

OCEAN MIST FARMS HONORED FOR INNOVATION IN WATER REUSE Sept 2014

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Aug. 25, 2014 – Artichokes, the official vegetable of Monterey County and the state of California will be celebrated at the 78th Annual Monterey County Fair from Aug. 27-Sept. 1.

Ocean Mist Farms will help celebrate the fair by sending Arti the Artichoke to the fair on Friday, Aug. 29 to meet fans from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., in the Ag Building and then throughout the fairgrounds.  Interested visitors can visit Arti's Facebook for more details about his appearances.

At the fair, Ocean Mist Farms will be serving fried artichokes and artichoke sourdough bisque while entering Ocean Mist’s product line of fresh vegetables, including artichokes, for judging against other locally grown produce. It is an annual tradition for the Ocean Mist Farms harvest managers, crew supervisors and quality assurance team to demonstrate their expertise at putting together special fair packs for the vegetable commodity judging competition.

As part of its fair participation, Ocean Mist Farms donates product to the Country Store located in the Ag Building each day of the fair; all Country Store sales proceeds benefit the Monterey County Fair exhibit program and Ag department.

“We are excited to bring the majority of our local grown vegetables to this year’s Monterey County Fair,” Said Hilda Medina, Marketing Event Specialist and Report Analysis. “It’s a great way to demonstrate the quality and commitment we have as a local grower.”

Photo 54

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – August 22, 2014 – More than 45 staff in five departments participated in a custom training session led by the United States Department of Agriculture at Ocean Mist Farms’ headquarters in Castroville, Calif., recently.

Ocean Mist Farms Quality Assurance Manager Arlin Valenzuela invited the USDA to train staff on how the regulatory agency inspects and grades product at both shipping and receiving points.  Several of the more than 30 commodities that Ocean Mist Farms grows were reviewed in depth as part of the training.

“The session was highly beneficial and allowed our team to better understand our specifications compared to the USDA’s and any variations between the two,” Valenzuela said.  “It supports our culture of quality and our strategic initiative to consistently innovate our product quality assurance specifications and procedures.”

The company included staff from field harvesting, quality assurance, food safety, sales and senior management to ensure that Ocean Mist Farms employees have the opportunity to enhance consistency and reliability of product inspections, benchmarked to USDA specifications at all levels companywide.

Valenzuela said the USDA rarely executes a custom training session at a company’s headquarters.  The two USDA officials who conducted the training were Mike Morelli, senior training specialist, and Dave Horner, standardizations and master trainer.

Dave Horner of USDA training Ocean Mist Farms QA and Harvesting team employeesMike Morelli of USDA training session with Ocean Mist Farms Sales Team

SANTA MARIA, CALIF. — AUGUST 20, 2014 — Tozer Seeds announced that it has entered into marketing agreements with six companies to grow and market Kalettes, the kale and brussels sprouts hybrid. The companies who have entered into a marketing agreement with Tozer for Kalettes are 4Earth Farms, Classic Salads, Mann Packing, Ocean Mist Farms, Southern Specialties and WP Rawl.  As part of the agreement, seeds will be sold by Johnny’s Select Seeds to small farmers and home growers.

Tozer Seeds made the decision to enter a marketing agreement with these companies to market under the Kalettes brand to create a consistent name and brand identity, which would allow consumers to easily recognize this new vegetable.  Tozer and these companies have committed to supporting the Kalettes brand though public relations efforts, consumer and trade advertising and providing recipes, cooking tips and other forms of content to consumers through the website, www.Kalettes.com, and their social media channels.

Additionally, companies who are growing as part of the Kalettes brand are subject to strict product specifications and quality controls. Product specifications include sizing, color and condition which will ensure consistent, top quality product for customers.

“The collective goal is to successfully launch Kalettes in the retail and food service channels in the U.S. and Canada and build a strong awareness among consumers.  By working together, the joint marketing efforts of Tozer and these companies will be able to reach the consumer more effectively,” stated Kraig Kuykendall, sales manager of Tozer Seeds America. “We have been very pleased with the incredible response to Kalettes and predict it will be very successful.”

Kalettes are the product of more than a decade of research by Tozer Seeds, the largest family-owned vegetable breeding company in England.  The kale and brussels sprout hybrid offers a fresh fusion of sweet and nutty, combining the best traits of each of its parent vegetables.  Kalettes are not genetically modified and were developed by cross-pollinating brussels sprouts with kale through traditional methods.

Kalettes are now available in very limited quantities and distribution will continue to increase throughout the fall and winter as production increases.  Kalettes will be available to both retailers and food service distributors directly through the companies. For contact information please visit www.kalettes.com/trade-information.

For more information on Kalettes, including recipes, visit www.kalettes.com, and for updates on availability like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

kalettes

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – July 2, 2014 – Ocean Mist Farms’ mascot, Arti the Artichoke, won the Fan Favorite Contest against other Salinas Valley company mascots in a social media contest conducted by the California Rodeo Salinas.

The contest, held on the California Rodeo Salinas Facebook page  invited fans to vote for their favorite produce mascot by leaving comments in the photo album online.  The contest ran from June 16-30.

Arti won by earning 56 percent of the total votes and was declared the winner on July 1 with a special trophy presentation at the company’s headquarters in Castroville, Calif.

“We are thrilled to see Arti voted as the fan’s favorite; we know his fans are passionate about the California State vegetable he represents in his friendly way,” said Kori Tuggle, director of marketing and business development. “This is a great way to extend our company’s 90th anniversary celebration as we consider Arti part of the Ocean Mist family.”

Tuggle credits Ocean Mist Farms’ employees, Artichoke Club members and Arti’s Facebook page fans for voting for Arti throughout the contest.

Arti will make his next appearance, July 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the California Rodeo Salinas.

Arti the Artichoke

Arti with OMF Employees

Arti with Ocean Mist Farms fellow Employees

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – June 2, 2014 – Ocean Mist Farms celebrated a 90-year legacy of growing artichokes and premium fresh vegetables at the 55th Annual Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival.

The fourth generation grower-owned company was founded by Italian Immigrants in 1924.  They began their business by growing artichokes and Brussels sprouts along the Pacific Ocean’s Monterey Bay in Castroville, Calif.  Today Ocean Mist Farms produces more than 30 different fresh vegetables in various locations throughout California, Arizona and Mexico. On April 10, 2013, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed artichokes as the official state vegetable.

On Saturday, May 31, Ocean Mist Farms was honored for the impact it has made in the community since 1924 at a presentation that was part of the Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival’s official program.  On the Monterey County Fairground main stage, Monterey County Supervisor Lou Calcagno, State Senator Bill Monning and Amy Uber, Senior Agricultural Economist from the California Department of Food and Agriculture paid tribute to the company and presented Ocean Mist Farm’s CEO Ed Boutonnet and grower/owner Hugo Tottino with proclamations and commemorative plaques.

“The families and employees of Ocean Mist Farms have been the backbone of our community and festival for decades,” said Lou Calcagno, Monterey County Supervisor. “We are so happy to have had their support over the years and the festival is the perfect place to celebrate their 90 years of business in Castroville.”

In addition to the festival celebration, the company accomplished numerous projects this year to mark its anniversary including the redesign of the company’s two websites, oceanmist.com and artichokeclub.com, and the creation of a new site allaboutartichokes.com; rebranding its original root stock variety that dates back to 1924 as an Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichoke.  Ocean Mist Farms also produced a new video that shares the history of its 90 years in business.

Chief Executive Officer Ed Boutonnet said, “We are proud to reach this milestone together. Investing in quality people and farm land is the foundation of our success and longevity for generations of Ocean Mist growers.”

Artichoke fest-440

OMF Employee Group Photo

 

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – April 28, 2014 – This spring, Ocean Mist Farms is celebrating its 90th anniversary in business by giving away field fresh artichokes for 90 days.

Starting March 1, the beginning of Heirloom artichoke season, the company is giving away artichokes until the 2014 Castroville Artichoke Festival May 31-June 1 in Monterey, Calif.

Here’s how the giveaway works:  Ocean Mist Farms connects with consumers via its social media channels and its almost 40,000 Artichoke Club members.  Artichoke consumers and fans are notified to enter to win daily via text, Twitter or Facebook posts and artichoke club newsletters. Throughout artichoke peak season, the giveaway has increased the company’s direct artichoke consumer engagement and dialogue activity level.

“We wanted a unique way to celebrate our 90th anniversary with our artichoke fans this season and the one thing our artichoke club members respond to most is the opportunity to win free artichokes,” said Kori Tuggle, director of marketing and business development.  “The direct consumer promotion has been very successful in building awareness around the Heirloom artichoke season and gleaning consumer insight and feedback on where they buy their fresh artichokes across the country.”

Anyone can enter, but to win entrants must be members of Ocean Mist Farms’ Artichoke Club.

90 Day Giveaway_Facebook post samples_Ocean Mist Farms

90 Day Giveaway_On Twitter_OceanMistFarms

TheArtichokeClub_from Ocean Mist Farms

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – April 22, 2014 – This spring Ocean Mist Farms added a new commodity to the more than 30 fresh vegetables the company grows and sells: Sweet baby broccoli.

Starting this week, the company is offering a year-round program of this unique commodity in an 18-count pack: Iced or iceless format.

A cross between broccoli and Chinese kale, sweet baby broccoli has a sweeter flavor than ordinary broccoli.  It features long, thin stalks and small floret clusters that often contain edible yellow flowers.  The Ocean Mist Farms hang tag includes “quick cook” recipes to educate shoppers on how easy and versatile it is to cook with sweet baby broccoli.

Ocean Mist Farms added sweet baby broccoli to its product line in order to meet growing consumer demand for the vegetable, said Joe Feldman, vice president sales and marketing.

According to Nielsen Perishables Group sales data, the sweet baby broccoli category grew 12.7% in dollar sales and 12.6% in volume sales year-over-year, with dollar sales topping $9.5 million (latest 52 weeks ending 2/22/14, total U.S.) The top-selling item was the unbranded bulk baby broccoli, PLU 3277, where dollar sales were up 9.4% and volume sales were up 9.2% year-over-year, with dollar sales more than $3.8 million.

“This is a logical addition to our product line,” Feldman said.

Ocean Mist Farms SweetBabyBroccoli_Low Res

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – March 31, 2014 – Ocean Mist Farms rebuilt www.oceanmist.com  from the ground up in order to improve the online experience for all site visitors.

The improvements include an entire redesign of navigation and content that will promote the usage and retail sales of all Ocean Mist Farms’ products, said Kori Tuggle, director of marketing and business development

The new site is now in a fully responsive format that makes it user friendly for any device: desktop or mobile.

DeskTop Screenshot of New Oceanmist Website

“Whether the consumer is at home or in-store, recipes and product knowledge are now easier to find,” Tuggle said. “For our trade customers and consumers of our 30 fresh vegetables, we remodeled Oceanmist.com to make it easier to find the vegetable topic and be the online resource they look for.”

Beyond staple vegetables such as Iceberg lettuce and broccoli, Oceanmist.com is a largely visited online resource for specialty item content such as artichokes, Fava beans, cardone and Brussels sprouts.  Content includes helpful facts such as how and where the product is growing, and videos showing how the fresh vegetables are grown and harvested.

Specifically for artichoke consumers, the company moved and remodeled the Internet’s largest collection of artichoke content web pages into a separate URL: www.allaboutartichokes.com.  This will help the artichoke consumer find exactly content they are looking for in one location.  This website includes short, “how-to” videos for every artichoke cooking format as well as simple basics such as “how to remove the fuzzy artichoke center.”

For its exclusive audience of almost 40,000 Artichoke Club members, Ocean Mist Farms created a separate domain and site: www.artichokeclub.com  to help engage and grow membership.

“The goal of our website rebuilds was to modernize the backend and frontend content to make it more consumer friendly while improving the user experience,” Tuggle said. “Not very many people have seen how Brussels sprouts grow or are harvested. Our updated site will make it easy to find and watch this video directly on any device.

“It is a priority for us to keep our online presence and content up to date with emerging trends.  As technology improves and the use of mobile devices increases at an exponential rate, the way a web site is built is just as important as the content.  If not maintained, content will not reach our target audience.”

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – February 25, 2014 – March is the beginning of peak artichoke season and Ocean Mist Farms is supporting sales and celebrating the company’s 90th anniversary with multiple activities designed to generate sales and consumer awareness for fresh artichokes.

The family farmers of Ocean Mist Farms, the largest grower of artichokes in North America, have been growing Heirloom artichokes for 90 years. The HH Heirloom artichoke variety is a perennial plant that grows from original root stock that dates back to the start of Ocean Mist Farms in 1924.

The formal classification of an Heirloom fresh fruit or vegetable is any distinct variety that grows and has been in trade for more than 50 years using the same lineage.

Like a family recipe, this unique variety of artichoke grows only from the same root stock that has been passed down to each generation of Ocean Mist family farmers for more than 90 years — never from seed. Artichokes are such a strong part of California history that they were recently named the Official State Vegetable of California.

“Ocean Mist Farms’ Heirloom variety has also been the variety chefs preferred for years,” said Kori Tuggle, director of marketing and business development. “Most chefs refer to this variety as the ‘red label’ referring to the red font color of our carton for the last several decades.”

Peak volume of the Castroville Heirloom crop is March through May, Tuggle said, and all the Heirloom artichokes out of Castroville will be branded with a red PLU/UPC sticker to help consumers find the Ocean Mist Farms’ Heirloom variety.

ocean mist farms heirloom artichoke PLU Variety Sticker

Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichoke PLU Variety Sticker

“During the peak three months, we are focused on a multi-faceted promotional strategy with elements that include retail display contests, radio ads in Northern California, social media contests featuring the hash tag #heirloomartichoke that drive consumers to purchase, custom in-store point of sale, display bins and petal inserts. We will also activate geo-marketing with our emailed Arti-Alerts to promote with our artichoke club members when retailers have Heirloom artichokes on sale-specific to where shoppers live,” Tuggle said.

Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichoke Petal Insert

Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichoke Petal Insert

In addition, Chef Curtis Stone of Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters, came to Castroville yesterday for a field tour of the new Heirloom artichoke crop. Chef Stone brought his entire team from his new restaurant Maude to help prepare for their March menu that will feature artichokes in all nine courses of the fixed menu and will feature his visit on his popular blog.

Chef Curtis Stone harvesting Ocean Mist Farms heirloom Artichokes in Castroville Feb 2014

Feb. 24th-Chef Curtis Stone Harvesting Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichokes in Castroville

Chef Curtis Stone with Hugo Tottino Feb 2014

Feb. 24th-Chef Curtis Stone with Hugo Tottino

Team from Maude trying hand at harvesting Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichokes in Castroville

Feb. 24th-Team Maude Trying a Hand at Harvesting Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichokes in Castroville

Ocean Mist Farms is also leveraging its Artichoke Club of 40,000 members to communicate information about retail promotions during peak season. The company sends a weekly “Arti Alert” email to club members with retail ads specific to the region they live in to help them find where they can buy Ocean Mist Heirloom Artichokes on sale. The same message is also shared via Ocean Mist Farms’ 11,600 Facebook fans and other social media channels.

The highlight of peak season will be the Annual Castroville Artichoke Festival held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds on May 31 and June 1 where Ocean Mist Farms will be honored for its service and support of the Castroville community since 1924. The festival features Arti the Artichoke, Agro Art, chef demos, artichoke field tours, wine tasting and assorted activities for artichoke lovers of all ages.

For more information about the company and its products, visit www.oceanmist.com.

 

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Feb. 14, 2014 – Albert Pieri, a second generation family owner at Ocean Mist Farms, recently received the UnitedAg Lifetime Achievement Award. Pieri worked at Ocean Mist Farms starting in the 1940s, for nearly 50 years.

Albert Pieri_Jan 30 2014 at United Ag Ceremony

From the earliest days at California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers to the formation of Ocean Mist Farms, the largest artichoke operation in the United States, the Pieri family has devoted nine decades to agriculture in California with Albert Pieri playing a large part in the family’s leadership efforts.

“Throughout his many years in the agriculture industry, (Big Al) has been a truck loader, bookkeeper, sales manager, real estate negotiator, chairman of several different agricultural boards—including our own UnitedAg Board of Directors—and much more, said Bobbie Taylor, senior vice president, UnitedAg. “And through it all he has shown his commitment to quality in his products, quality in his service and quality in our industry’s progressive growth. Always touching the lives around him, his hard working values and keen wit have cultivated strong -- long term relationships throughout the agricultural industry.”

Intro to Awarding with Pat, Al, Bobbie, & Richard - 3

UnitedAg was founded in 1980 with a mission to unite agribusiness and is a leading voice for the industry in Arizona and California by providing economic solutions and benefits to members throughout the agricultural industry. UnitedAg is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with six regional offices throughout the state.

UnitedAg’s Legacy program was started in 2011 with the retiring of its founder William Goodrich. In December 2012 one of its founding members and longtime California produce leader Don Regan suddenly passed away and he was recognized posthumous with a special program and award – these two events created the Lifetime Achievement Award that is awarded annually.

Jeff Percy_Albert Pieri_Joe Pezzini_Art Barrientos of Ocean Mist Farms  Jan 30 2014

Al Seated with Bobbie giving acolades 2

For more information about UnitedAg visit (www.unitedag.org, for more information about Ocean Mist Farms visit www.oceanmist.com.)

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Feb. 4, 2014 -- Ocean Mist Farms received the Large Business of the Year Award from the North Monterey County Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 1; Dale Huss accepted the award for Ocean Mist Farms.

OMF-Recives_Award_Dale_Huss

“Since 1924, Ocean Mist Farms, originally California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers Corp, has pioneered the commercial planting and shipping of artichokes in Castroville, and today it is recognized as the largest artichoke operation in the United States,” said Denice Barker Amerison, executive director Artichoke Festivals, Inc., and North Monterey County Chamber Of Commerce. “In 2014 Ocean Mist Farms celebrates 90 years of quality, commitment and service to the consumer and first class community involvement.  It is because of this commitment that Ocean Mist Farms is recipient of the Large Business of the Year Award.”

CASTROVILLE, Calif. – Jan. 28, 2014 – Ocean Mist Farms will celebrate a 90-year legacy of growing artichokes and premium fresh vegetables with activities planned throughout the year ahead.

Castroville 1926

The fourth-generation grower-owned business was founded by Italian Immigrants in 1924 that started the business by growing artichokes and Brussels sprouts along the Pacific Ocean’s Monterey Bay in Castroville, Calif.  Today the company farms in multiple locations throughout California, Arizona and Baja Mexico and its famous artichokes have been proclaimed the official state vegetable of California.

Castroville_Artichoke Harvesters from 1930s

“Our land may be the foundation of Ocean Mist Farms, but it really is the people who build our legacy,” Mark Reasons, facilities manager and member board of directors.

Some of the activities Ocean Mist Farms has planned this year to celebrate its anniversary include the redesign of the company website and the creation of a new Artichoke Club website (artichokeclub.com); branding its original root stock variety that dates back to 1924 as an Ocean Mist Farms Heirloom Artichoke and sharing a new video that tells the company’s 90 year legacy story.

The highlight of the anniversary festivities will be at the annual Castroville Artichoke Festival – this year held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds May 31 and June 1 – where Ocean Mist Farms will be honored for being a part of the community since 1924.

Original Ocean Mist Farms Produce Crate labels

Chief Operating Officer Joe Pezzini said, “We are proud to reach this milestone together. Investing in quality people and farm land is the foundation of success and longevity for generations of Ocean Mist growers.”