Achievement award goes to Andy D’Arrigo

Andrew D’Arrigo, board chairman of D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, received the E.E. “Gene” Harden award for lifetime achievement in Central Coast agriculture in Corral de Tierra, Calif.

The June 22 presentation was part of the 75th annual Grower-Shipper Association of Central California gala and golf tournament at Corral de Tierra Country Club. Past recipients of the award include Anthony Costa, George Tanimura, Bob Nunes and Jim Lugg.

D’Arrigo, 89, is the namesake of the Andy Boy label, based on a childhood photograph. In 1951, two years out of college, he took responsibility for West Coast operations upon the death of his father Stefano, co-founder of D’Arrigo Bros. Co.

Boston-based co-founder Andrea D’Arrigo, Andy’s uncle, succeeded Stefano as president, a role taken in turn by Andy.

D’Arrigo Bros. went from farming 28 acres in San Jose at its inception to more than 35,000 acres today in California and Arizona. John D’Arrigo, his son, succeeded Andy D’Arrigo as president in 1992.

Since then he has continued to chair the board. Recently he has developed a wine grape program and overseen production of cactus pears and nopalitos (cactus pads).

Over the decades he and his wife, Phyllis D’Arrigo, have supported many causes in the Salinas Valley area and beyond. Among them are Natividad Medical Center, the Boys and Girls Club, the American Cancer Society, Kinship Children’s Adoption Center, the National Steinbeck Center, Rancho Cielo Education Center for At-Risk Youths, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Source: thepacker.com