Tanimura & Antle
1 Harris Road, Spreckels 455-2950, taproduce.com
The Tanimura & Antle families have grown vegetables in the Salinas Valley for over 90 years, initially focusing on the region’s longtime cash crop: lettuce. They have since continually expanded their operations, with more land and more types of vegetables, and they formally teamed up in 1982, when the Tanimura & Antle brand was born. But it’s not just their runaway success that has set them apart in the local ag community, it’s the company’s vision: In 2016, T&A completed a 100-unit farmworker housing project, which can house up to 800 employees, making a meaningful dent in the region’s acute shortage of housing. And in 2017, the company started an employee stock ownership program, so that everyone who works for T&A can have a continued stake in its success. And those priniciples continued to apply even during the difficultly of operating as an essential business during shelter-in-place.