John D’Arrigo to receive Western Growers' highest accolade
Western Growers plans to honor John D’Arrigo with its most prestigious award at the trade association's 2023 annual meeting in November.
The Western Growers executive committee announced at a recent board meeting that D'Arrigo — the president, CEO and chairman of D'Arrigo Bros. Co. — will receive the 2023 Award of Honor. As Western Growers’ highest accolade, the award is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community, according to a news release.
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“Some say that maintaining a family legacy is both a blessing and a curse, but in his years at the helm of D’Arrigo Bros., John D’Arrigo has opted not only to count his blessings but to also build upon them,” Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia said in the release.
Celebrating John D'Arrigo's legacy
D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California is a vertically integrated grower, packer and shipper of fresh fruits and vegetables in California, Arizona and Mexico. D'Arrigo, a third-generation farmer, began his farming career cutting and packing lettuce, loading celery and planting fields in the Salinas Valley during the 1970s.
Under his leadership, D'Arrigo Bros. Co. became pioneers in developing automated robotic harvesting equipment and drip irrigation systems. In addition, the company is the largest privately owned net-energy-metered solar-powered operator in Monterey County. It recently received the Clean Air Leader Climate Change Advocate Award from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District.
“His pioneering innovations as a grower, packer and shipper are only matched by his dedication to lifting up those around him through his extensive charitable endeavors and advocacy to improve the lives and business opportunities for everyone in agriculture,” Puglia said in the release.
D’Arrigo served on the Western Growers board of directors for 28 years and as chair in 2004. He also served on the Western Growers Assurance Trust board of directors from 1997 to 2022.
“Given my family’s three generations of involvement in Western Growers, this award is particularly meaningful for me,” D’Arrigo said in the release. “I am humbled and honored to be joining my father, Andy, and the many legendary award recipients who have come before me. Together, we have built an industry we can be proud to leave to the next generation.”
D'Arrigo was an inaugural appointee by the California agriculture secretary to the board of the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. He is a founding member and on the advisory council of the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, an innovative public-private partnership with the University of Arizona to improve all aspects of desert crop production.
“John is widely admired for decades of support of his family, his company and his community. No less important to him and to our industry is John’s long and deeply engaged service on both the Western Growers Board of Directors and Western Growers Assurance Trust Board of Trustees. John D’Arrigo is among the most impactful leaders in our industry and is a natural selection to receive Western Growers’ highest honor at our annual meeting in November,” Puglia said in the release.
D'Arrigo's charity work includes supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. His organization, D’Arrigo California, has donated over $2 million to fund more than 42,000 hours of breast cancer research. In 2010, he founded The Agricultural Leadership Council, known as TALC, which is dedicated to changing and saving lives of agricultural workers and their families at Natividad Medical Center.
D'Arrigo's achievements will be celebrated at the Award of Honor Dinner Gala at Western Growers' 2023 annual meeting at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, Nov. 12-15.
