The Farming Tradition.

A Look at Santa Clara County’s Agrarian Roots.

Did you know that the area around San Jose is amongst the most fertile land in all of California? That cherry, apricot, peach, and prune blossoms once blanketed what is now Silicon Valley?

From the 1930s through the 1950s, the city of San Jose, now the “capitol” of Silicon Valley, was once a powerful agricultural center. That began to change, however, during the post WWII boom. Slowly, orchards disappeared as an increased demand for housing from veterans returning home, and aggressive expansion through the annexing of land, took place.

It was during this era that Vito Chiala, a first generation Italian immigrant and Tim Chiala’s grandfather, decided to move his farm from Cupertino, CA where he grew apricots and prunes, to Morgan Hill CA.

Vito Chiala

The Chiala & Teresi Families: Third & Fifth Generation Santa Clara County Farmers.

The Teresi Family.	The Chiala Family.
(Above) Ian Teresi, Farm Manager, and his wife, Nancy, with their two children, Claire & Jack. Ian Teresi has a B.S. in Crop Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He is a fifth generation farmer, following in the footsteps of his father, Phillip Teresi, a local organic direct marketing grower, his grandfather, Edward Anthony Teresi, his great grandfather, Antonio Teresi, and his great, great grandfather, Salvador Teresi.	“(Above) Tim Chiala, Director of Fresh Market Sales & Procurement and Founder of Timptations, with his wife, Corre, and their two children, Brinn & Tim Jr. Tim Chiala has a B.S. in Crop Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He is a third generation farmer, following in the footsteps of his father, George Chiala, of George Chiala Farms, and his grandfather, Vito Chiala.

Also during this era, Edward Anthony Teresi (Ian Teresi’s grandfather), a World War II Major and local prune, cherry, walnut and apricot grower, was president of the farm bureau. As president, he represented a long line of agricultural pioneers. His grandfather, Salvador Teresi (Ian Teresi’s great, great grandfather), planted one of the very first artichoke crops in the county.

The Chiala and Teresi families are amongst a few remaining farm families in the area who have stayed in agriculture throughout the last six decades, during which time, they have witnessed incredible industry change. In order to remain “a Santa Clara County farm family,” as the Chiala family proudly regard themselves, they have had to evolve their business model considerably. Changes in consumer demand, and increased competition due to globalization, has greatly affected them. For this reason, you will not see many orchards in Santa Clara County any longer; many have been replaced with more profitable crops such as garlic and peppers. But even growing the crops that consumers demand most is not without considerable challenge.

Ian Teresi explained that although there are many challenges farming next to urban areas, there are advantages too. Tim Chiala added with a smile, “Where else can a farmer have immediate access to millions of consumers?”

Due to the county’s technology revolution, farm families like the Chialas and Teresis are now the exception, not the norm. Despite this, and the new problems facing modern day farmers, Tim and Ian are confident the future will be good for their children. They are determined to do all they can to keep Santa Clara Farming alive and prosperous.

And, Tim Chiala is very excited about his vegetable box program because it presents a unique way in which the technology companies (through corporate vegetable box pick-up locations) and the local farmers he will source from, can support one another.