History
The story of J. Marchini Farms is about family, close friends, and success. Without these, J. Marchini Farms may have never been, and radicchio would never have made it to America’s salad bowl.
1920s
Marchini Farms’ story is about radicchio, but it all started with tomatoes during the 1920s. Florindo Marchini made the long and uncertain journey from Lucca, Italy, to Ellis Island in New York, and then to San Francisco by train. Then in 1925, he met Carlo Giampaoli and they started Giampaoli-Marchini Company, specializing in tomatoes. Florindo’s success with Live Oak brand tomatoes planted the seeds of success for future generations in the Le Grand area.
« Florindo Marchini and Carlo Giampaoli in 1925
1940s - 1960s
After 10 years in the U.S., Florindo married Elisa Peretti. They had three boys: Leonardo, Giuseppe (Joe), and Ricardo (Richard). Joe always enjoyed being outside and watching his father farm, and he was growing his own 11-acre garden at the age of 13. At 20, Joe was invited by the owners of Giampaoli-Marchini to replace his father in 1960, and became a partner.
Out in the field with an early harvest »
1970s
In 1967, Joe decided to sell his portion of Giampaoli-Marchini, and went into business with his brother Richard. While still farming tomatoes, in the seventies and eighties The Marchini Brothers added bell peppers, onions, and almonds to their product line.
« A rare moment of relaxation
1980s
Joe is a true farmer at heart and has always liked to grow vegetables that no one had. In his garden, Joe started experimenting with a lettuce seed from Italy called radicchio, which made Joe the original radicchio grower in the United States. In the eighties, radicchio wasn’t known by many produce brokers, but Joe found one company in San Francisco that was familiar with the item and wanted to support local farmers. That company was their first radicchio customer. Soon after, more salad companies wanted to add the pop of radicchio color in their bagged salads, and before Joe knew it, radicchio was in salads across America.
Joe with a chicory harvest in 1980 »
1980s
In 1983, Joe’s son Jeff Marchini began working for Marchini Brothers Inc. He loved farming and saw market potential in radicchio. In 1985, he grew his own field and drove loads up to San Francisco to increase awareness of the delicious lettuce. In 1989, Jeff requested to be made a partner at Marchini Brothers; unfortunately it wasn’t possible, so the company was split. Richard started Marchini Inc., concentrating only on almonds, while with their half, Joe and Jeff started J. Marchini Farms.
« Jeff and his father Joe, in the field
1990s
The formation of J. Marchini Farms allowed Jeff to focus on perfecting the radicchio operation. He tried different varieties, hybrids, and growing techniques, most of them showing minimal success. But by 1995, Joe and Jeff finally started making progress. They had found a steady seed supplier and the correct times to plant and harvest. They built a packing and shipping facility, so that no matter what Mother Nature had in store, radicchio orders could be filled.
The denim and khaki days »
2000s
In 2008, Jeff’s two sons joined the ranks at J. Marchini Farms. Marc works in the sales and post-harvest side of the business, and Nic works in the farming operation side of the business. In 2012, his daughter Francesca hopped on board with sales and marketing. As J. Marchini Farms grows in its fourth generation of management, it is important to remember that J. Marchini Farms is built on strong values and heritage. Quality, satisfaction, and hard work are timeless attributes which Giampaoli-Marchini possessed 90 years ago, and which continue to this day.
« Three Marchini generations
