Castroville
A local perspective.

Castroville: an artichoke-growing community with a longer town history

The town predates its best-known crop

The North Monterey County Chamber’s community account dates Castroville’s founding by Juan Bautista Castro to 1863. Its agricultural identity includes strawberries and lettuce as well as artichokes. A local history can start with the town before following the crop that became its best-known symbol.

A grower’s history adds a family perspective

Ocean Mist Farms’ own account traces its roots to the California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers Corporation in 1924. Daniel Pieri and cousins Amerigo and Angelo Del Chiaro leased land south of Castroville, with grower Alfred Tottino joining the venture. This is one company’s history within a larger agricultural community.

The story reaches beyond a single field

Ocean Mist identifies Castroville as its headquarters and describes farming in several growing regions. That distinction matters when reading a company story: its wider operations are not all located in Castroville. Name the particular farm or place when sharing a growing-season feature.

Community life offers other starting points

The Chamber’s introduction identifies a library, community activities and local businesses alongside agricultural processing and distribution. Those everyday institutions can be the focus of a story as readily as an artichoke field or a familiar roadside landmark.

Make a local contribution specific

A family interview, a food tradition or a feature about a business can bring more detail to this introduction. Identify the setting and date, and ask permission before entering working farmland or using someone else’s historical photographs.

Editorial review: 2026-11-10