Brian Church Named 2026 Agricultural Leadership Honoree by Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce; Steve Church Comments

SALINAS, CA - Church Brothers Farms announced that CEO Brian Church has been named the 2026 Agricultural Leadership honoree by the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to agriculture in the Salinas Valley through leadership, innovation, and community involvement. Church will be recognized at the Chamber’s 105th Annual Awards Luncheon on April 9th.

Church Brothers Farms, a family-owned grower-shipper headquartered in the Salinas Valley, was founded in 1999 by Tom and Steve Church. Built on generations of farming experience, the company has grown into a vertically integrated producer and marketer of fresh vegetables and value-added products serving foodservice and retail customers across North America.

Brian Church, son of Tom Church, was named CEO in 2017. He has become widely recognized for his operational expertise and his role in shaping the company’s fully integrated model. Early in his career, Church led the development of the company’s in-house harvesting program, a strategic shift that gave Church Brothers greater control over product quality, consistency, and supply chain execution. That capability remains a cornerstone of the company’s operations today.

“Brian’s approach has always been grounded in the product and the people doing the work,” said Steve Church, Co-Founder and Chairman of Church Brothers Farms, in the recent release. “He’s not leading from behind a desk. He’s in the fields, working through challenges alongside our teams. That mindset has had a lasting impact on how we operate as a company.”

Under Church’s leadership, Church Brothers Farms has evolved from a company historically focused on foodservice into a more balanced business with a growing presence in retail. This has included expanding branded programs, investing in value-added product innovation, and strengthening capabilities to meet the needs of retail customers.

The most significant step in that evolution came on December 15, 2025, when Church Brothers Farms completed the acquisition of Mann Packing, one of the Salinas Valley's most established fresh vegetable brands. The deal expanded the company's value-added portfolio and accelerated its push into retail by bringing together two family-rooted Salinas Valley operations under one roof and giving Church Brothers the scale and breadth to compete across both foodservice and retail channels at a higher level.

For Church, the recognition is as much a reflection of the people around him as it is of his own leadership. “The Salinas Valley has given our family everything,” said Brian. “We take that seriously and will continue to invest in its future as one of the region’s largest employers and a committed partner in the community here.”