LSMV Newsletter | October
On October 3, the 2026 Leadership Santa Maria Valley, or LSMV, had the opportunity to visit multiple industry-leading agriculture companies to learn about their day-to-day operations, their innovative approaches to sustainable and eco-friendly farming, and their broader contributions to the industry.
The day started with an engaging leadership development presentation,
Path to Success, from Dr. Lee-Volker Cox. This interactive session empowered LSMV participants with tangible tools for aligning personal and professional goals with their unique talents and core values. The class then heard from Lazaro Sanchez, a current LSMV class member, who shared his inspiring story of personal resilience and his path to becoming an IT professional with the City of Santa Maria.
Following the morning’s professional development, class members headed to Windset Farms, where they learned how this family-owned operation became home to the U.S.’s largest single-site greenhouse vegetable facility and the world’s largest Ultra-Clima greenhouse. Windset’s cutting-edge greenhouse approach, combined with their unique growing methods and pest management techniques, enable them to grow tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers year-round. In addition to learning about their growing methods, the gained insight into Windset’s broader operations, which include locations in British Columbia and Mexico.
After Windset, the class visited Bonipak, where they learned about daily operations, leadership and logistics. Notably, Bonipak offers comprehensive leadership training to first-line supervisors and leaders to promote a healthy and high-performing work environment. In addition to touring Bonipak’s coolers and various freezing methods, the class observed their logistics process in action – with a small-team managing multiple data screens while simultaneously coordinating driver schedules, pickups, and planning for both current and next-day operations. Their state-of-the-art approaches and technology ensure their produce makes it from the field to the consumer in as little time as possible, guaranteeing freshness.
Later that afternoon, the class toured Plantel, an organization that specializes in growing vegetable transplants for commercial farms. Through their advanced greenhouse approach, Plantel grows a variety of plants year-round, including organic transplants. Class members were able to view their humid germination room and one of the greenhouses, where celery was currently being grown for the holiday
season. Plantel also provided an overview of seed tape, which allows for large-scale crop production through a highly efficient and automated transplant process.
Through these experiences, the LSMV Class of 2026, gained invaluable insights into how Santa Maria Valley’s agricultural organizations drive innovation while contributing to both the local economy and the nation’s food supply.
