Workers harvest romaine lettuce on the D’Arrigo farm near King City, California, in the heart of the Salinas Valley. Co-founder Stephano D’Arrigo, a Sicilian immigrant, was among the first to grow fresh produce in the valley and ship it by railcar to his brother Andrea in Boston in the late 1920s, providing fresh vegetables to eastern cities in the winter. As in Noord Holland, the cool, damp maritime climate of the Salinas Valley proved perfect for growing cool-season vegetables, earning it the nickname of the “salad bowl of the United States.” During parts of the year 90 percent of the lettuce sold in US groceries comes from the valley. Today, four generations of D’Arrigos manage a produce empire of 47 square miles of vegetables sold under the Andy Boy brand—their trademark since 1927.
