LEGRAND, CA - With harvest season kicking off in the Coachella, California, region, Live Oak Farms has announced two-fold growth as it is bolstering its pepper team and the category’s program. Recently, the supplier hired Pete Aiello as Vice President of Pepper Programs and Prescott Leyba as Vice President of Pepper Sales, both of whom will support the sales and marketing of the pepper program that now has longer availability and additional organic production.

“I’m excited to work for a company that takes such pride in its history but has thrived and succeeded for generations because the family recognizes the importance of evolving and changing to meet the challenges of farming and take advantage of new opportunities,” Aiello said.

Aiello has decades of experience, having served as General Manager and Owner of Uesgui Farms, a release explained. With his expertise, he will lead the strategic growth of the organic and conventional pepper programs of the company.

Joining Aiello on the team is Leyba, who most recently was Director of Sales at Country Sweet Produce. There, he marketed both organic bell peppers and sweet potatoes to customers across the United States.

Leyba commented that he is impressed that an important success component has stayed the same over the decades at Live Oak Farms, saying, “They remain a family-owned company with many of the original founding values still in place, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.”

These hires come as Live Oak Farms is expanding its organic pepper production from LeGrand and Coachella into the Central Coast region in order to extend the California growing season.

“Aiello and Leyba will be integral to executing this expanded program and providing the type of customer service we can be proud of,” Ed Beckman, Chief Operations Officer, commented.

To read more about the expansion, click here.

Congratulations to both leaders on their new roles!

Live Oak Farms