Ryan Talley

Talley Farms
Arroyo Grande, California

“We feed the nation and there’s a sense of responsibility with that.”

“We bring our produce home to our families – so we want the highest quality.”

“Excellence is everything...We live that everyday.”

Knowing Your Roots

Just off California’s Highway 101 in Arroyo Grande Valley, a stone’s throw from beautiful Lake Lopez is “Talley:” Talley Farms, Talley Vineyards and Las Ventanas Ranch at Talley Farms.

Ryan’s grandparents, Oliver and Hazel Talley, began farming in this area in 1948. If they had a good year, they’d expand. “It wasn’t easy back then,” explains Ryan, “but every year they could, they purchased more land.”

Prices for produce have not gone up very much since those early years. Yet costs of production have risen exponentially. “Each year, margins get smaller and smaller so we can never rest on what’s been done before,” Ryan says.

Oliver and Hazel had two sons, Ken, Ryan’s father, who passed away in 1976 and Don, Ryan’s Uncle, who passed away in 2006. Don Talley was a visionary, changing distribution models, improving cooling processes, continuing along his parents’ path with land acquisition and development, and creating a winery.

Today, Ryan, his brother Todd, and his cousin Brian are the senior managers of the Talley businesses.

Always Looking to Improve

Ryan bucked the family tradition by not going to Berkeley or SLO. “I went to Purdue and majored in financial planning. Studies were taken very seriously back there and I learned discipline. As a California kid, it wasn’t easy getting up in the dark for an early class with a 40 below wind-chill factor.”

“I’ve been working this land since I was twelve, but I believe it’s good to question – often – what we do and how we do it,” says Ryan.

Following Don’s example of always exploring the new, when Ryan came back from college, he reviewed the costs associated with the row crops, evaluated the science, and created new protocols to improve the production and the bottom line. Says Ryan, “The Talley motto is ‘Excellence is everything.’ Those aren’t just words for us. We live that every day.”

Work to be Proud of

When asked what he is most proud of, Ryan doesn’t hesitate. “Farming is a noble occupation and I am proud of my profession. My family and I are in good company with our fellow farmers. Yes, Talley Farms gives back to the community: donating to the Food Bank, supporting community activities, offering scholarships or coaching a little league team, but so do most farmers."

Personal Life

Ryan married his high school sweetheart, Christina. Ryan was on the basketball team and Christina was the head cheerleader. They have five children: Byron, Grant, Elliot, Catherine and Caroline. They enjoy skiing, fly fishing and being together.