A True Family-Operated Business
“Lakeside Organic Gardens is a family-run operation,” said Lindsey Roberts, marketing and communications director for the Watsonville, CA-based firm. “Dick Peixoto is the owner, farmer and the founder of the company. Dick’s sister, Joanne, is the company controller and Dick’s nephew, Brian, is the sales manager.”
Lakeside Organic Gardens workers. Peixoto’s children, Ashley, Amanda and Ricky, have also been involved in different aspects of the business over the years. Ashley and her father are also partner-owners in the California Grill of the Pajaro Valley restaurant, which Ashley also manages.
“Dick is also partners with his brother, Bob, in Pajaro Valley Laser Leveling, which does leveling and ground prep work for local farmers,” said Roberts. “Bob’s son, Chris, Brian’s brother, works for the laser leveling business. Dick’s brother, Gary, manages Pajaro Valley Irrigation, an irrigation supply company that Dick owns. Gary’s son, Ryan, works in the shop for Lakeside. This is what you’d call a true family operation.”
Peixoto brought organic produce to the company in 1996 by successfully converting more than 1,000 acres to certified organic land. Today he farms over 2,000 organic acres.
Today its product line reads like a virtual dictionary of fresh produce, with commodities, root crops, specialty produce and winter squashes representing the primary categories.
“We are also highly dedicated to our employees,” said Roberts. “Our popular Lakeside Farmers Market is available for employees to bring produce home to their families. The market features leafy greens daily, and often unique items like sweet baby broccoli, rainbow carrots, celery root, beets and rutabagas.”
The company also rewards employees who have no lost time accidents by gifting them with company apparel and gift cards.
Roberts said that the great things about growing on the central coast of California are the climate and the soil, besides the obvious: being able to live and work in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. With the variations in soil content throughout the valley — from sandy to heavy clay and everything in between — it has a wide variety of nutrient rich soil that cannot be found elsewhere.
“The microclimate here in this coastal valley surrounded by the mountains and the ocean are blessed with cool coastal weather that lettuces love, and near the mountains we have the warm weather that squash and Bell peppers love,” said Roberts. “Our climate enables us to grow 40 varieties of vegetables, and many of them are produced year-round.”
Peixoto, his family and staff all love the organic movement and philosophy. He has been farming since he was 16, and he repeatedly states that he loves farming and never wanted to do anything else.
“Being a conventional farmer for the first 25 years, and always enjoying a challenge, his decision to convert to organic made him fall in love with farming all over again,” said Roberts. “The variety of crops we grow, the connection to our customers, running our own cooler and producing quality organic produce for the consumer is like a dream come true for him, and that passion permeates down to all the employees.”
Lakeside is also committed to sustainable agriculture.
“We strive every day to grow the best quality under the safest standards and ship fresh product out as quickly as we can to our customers, where consumers are waiting for it all across the United States and Canada,” Roberts added. “We love what we do and we think it shows.”
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