News & Press Releases

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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.