Five enter Valley of the World Hall of Fame
Five enter Valley of the World Hall of Fame
The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA, has announced that its Valley of the World Hall of Fame honored George Boutonnet, Joe Nucci, and Art, Dick and Gene Sbrana posthumously.
The new inductees will receive permanent recognition in a visual display to be installed in the fall in the museum. The National Steinbeck Center established the Valley of the World Hall of Fame in 2005 to recognize key pioneers of the Salinas Valley Agricultural Industry. The Hall of Fame will grow each year as new members are recognized.
A dinner was held Wednesday, April 18, at Corral de Tierra Country Club in Salinas to recognize the newest inductees as well as recipients of the Valley of the World Agricultural Leader Award and the National Steinbeck Center Education Award. Proceeds from the event benefit the education and public programs of the National Steinbeck Center.
The Valley of the World Ag Leader award was presented to Butch Lindley, and the Education Award recipient was Connie Quinlan of Monterey County Agricultural Education.
George Boutonnet, who died June 6, 2006, began his farming legacy in 1939 by growing potatoes and rhubarb in Marina, CA. Over the years, he built Boutonnet Farms by growing artichokes, cauliflower, lettuces, broccoli and other mixed vegetables. His son, Ed Boutonnet, joined the family business in 1966. In 1982, Boutonnet Farms became a major shareholder in what is now Ocean Mist Farms. Today, Ed Boutonnet is Ocean Mist's president, and Ed's son, Troy Boutonnet, is the current vice president of production.
As president of Boutonnet Farms and a member of the Ocean Mist Farms board of directors, George Boutonnet never retired from the family business and came to the Ocean Mist Farms office almost daily up until his last days. His recognized achievements include the following: president of Boutonnet Farms, board of directors of the ANIRAM Corp., board of directors of Ocean Mist Farms, board of directors of Mosquito Abatement District, member of the Salinas Elks Lodge No. 614, member of the Native Sons of the Gold West for more than 50 years, and founding board member of the Marina Coast Water District.
Art Sbrana formed the Nardi-Sbrana Partnership in 1926 and in 1931 formed his own company in Salinas, Ice-Kist Packing Co. He took his brother Dick into the business, and went into the lettuce shipping business in 1936, operating that company under the name W&S Packing Co. Another brother, Gene, and their new brother-in-law, Joe Nucci, came on as partners. Mr. Nucci was the father of the late Don Nucci of Mann Packing Co. Inc. The partnership between the Sbranas and Joe Nucci lasted from 1936 to 1967. Joe Nucci oversaw much of the production crews at W&S and wrote letters of recommendations for Braceros.
Around 1936, Art Sbrana became president of the very new Grower Shipper Vegetable Association, which today is the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, based in Salinas.
Ice-Kist became Liquid Ice and bought land from Spiegl Frozen Foods in 1952. In 1970, Liquid Ice sold the land back to the former Spiegl Frozen Foods, then owned by Simplot. It was at that time that H.W. Mann, having been a tenant of Liquid Ice, began buying land to relocate its business, which is where Mann Packing now stands. At that time, Bill Ramsey -- today a partner in Mann Packing -- and the late Don Nucci (former partner in Mann Packing) were employees of H.W. Mann.
The new inductees will receive permanent recognition in a visual display to be installed in the fall in the museum. The National Steinbeck Center established the Valley of the World Hall of Fame in 2005 to recognize key pioneers of the Salinas Valley Agricultural Industry. The Hall of Fame will grow each year as new members are recognized.
A dinner was held Wednesday, April 18, at Corral de Tierra Country Club in Salinas to recognize the newest inductees as well as recipients of the Valley of the World Agricultural Leader Award and the National Steinbeck Center Education Award. Proceeds from the event benefit the education and public programs of the National Steinbeck Center.
The Valley of the World Ag Leader award was presented to Butch Lindley, and the Education Award recipient was Connie Quinlan of Monterey County Agricultural Education.
George Boutonnet, who died June 6, 2006, began his farming legacy in 1939 by growing potatoes and rhubarb in Marina, CA. Over the years, he built Boutonnet Farms by growing artichokes, cauliflower, lettuces, broccoli and other mixed vegetables. His son, Ed Boutonnet, joined the family business in 1966. In 1982, Boutonnet Farms became a major shareholder in what is now Ocean Mist Farms. Today, Ed Boutonnet is Ocean Mist's president, and Ed's son, Troy Boutonnet, is the current vice president of production.
As president of Boutonnet Farms and a member of the Ocean Mist Farms board of directors, George Boutonnet never retired from the family business and came to the Ocean Mist Farms office almost daily up until his last days. His recognized achievements include the following: president of Boutonnet Farms, board of directors of the ANIRAM Corp., board of directors of Ocean Mist Farms, board of directors of Mosquito Abatement District, member of the Salinas Elks Lodge No. 614, member of the Native Sons of the Gold West for more than 50 years, and founding board member of the Marina Coast Water District.
Art Sbrana formed the Nardi-Sbrana Partnership in 1926 and in 1931 formed his own company in Salinas, Ice-Kist Packing Co. He took his brother Dick into the business, and went into the lettuce shipping business in 1936, operating that company under the name W&S Packing Co. Another brother, Gene, and their new brother-in-law, Joe Nucci, came on as partners. Mr. Nucci was the father of the late Don Nucci of Mann Packing Co. Inc. The partnership between the Sbranas and Joe Nucci lasted from 1936 to 1967. Joe Nucci oversaw much of the production crews at W&S and wrote letters of recommendations for Braceros.
Around 1936, Art Sbrana became president of the very new Grower Shipper Vegetable Association, which today is the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, based in Salinas.
Ice-Kist became Liquid Ice and bought land from Spiegl Frozen Foods in 1952. In 1970, Liquid Ice sold the land back to the former Spiegl Frozen Foods, then owned by Simplot. It was at that time that H.W. Mann, having been a tenant of Liquid Ice, began buying land to relocate its business, which is where Mann Packing now stands. At that time, Bill Ramsey -- today a partner in Mann Packing -- and the late Don Nucci (former partner in Mann Packing) were employees of H.W. Mann.
