Rosemary Talley

"I am very pleased that our family has been selected for this honor.

Don would have been very honored to have the family recognized as the Harvest Festival Grand Marshals.  Both he and Ken believed that you should participate in community events and make the community a better place to live. I think our families were the beneficiaries of this legacy.   

I came to Arroyo Grande in 1963 as Don’s wife and soon learned that there were few local people Don did not know.  When we would attend the Harvest Festival as a family, the kids and I would be a block ahead of Don.  He would be caught up in talking to all the people he met walking along the street".    
 

Todd and Ryan Talley

Todd Talley, is Ken and Karen Talley (now Miller’s) oldest son.

"Thank you for the honor of selecting our family for the Harvest Festival!"

Ryan and Todd are the two children of Ken and Karen.  They both grew up in Arroyo Grande attending local schools.  They both graduated from Coastal Christian School in Arroyo Grande.  Todd went on to UC Berkeley and Ryan went to Purdue University in Indiana.  After graduation they both returned to work in the family business, Talley Farms.  Ryan is currently Vice President and in charge of growing operations and Todd is the CFO. 

Todd and his wife Jill, two daughters – Karena, 3 ½, and Violet, 1 ½

Todd's wife Jill is on the board of directors of the San Luis Obispo Classical Academy, a K-8 school in SLO that teaches using the Classical Education model.   She is also on the board of director’s of their daughter’s preschool, Grandmother’s House Children’s Center in SLO. 

Todd sits on the board of directors of the Grower Shipper Assoc. of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
 

Ryan, his wife Christina and their 5 children
Byron, 14; Grant, 13; Elliot, 9, Catherine, 7 and Caroline, 2. 

They live in Arroyo Grande.  Christina is a stay at home mom.  The kids attend AGHS, Paulding Junior High and Branch Elementary School.  Ryan, Christina and family worship at Grace Bible Church in Arroyo Grande.

Their current community involvement includes Ryan coaching his kids in three different sports – basketball, baseball and soccer.  He is on the Board of Directors for the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Foundation, Board of directors for Western Growers Assoc., Board of directors for California Leafy Green Agreement and Board of Directors for the SLO Co. Agricultural Task Force.

Christina serves as a volunteer at Branch School and both she and Ryan volunteer at Grace Bible Church in various capacities.

In Todd's Words.....

Harvest Festival Memories: one year Ryan and I were asked to dress up in late 19^th century clothing along with some other families and ride on the back of a trolley car through the parade.  We were young kids then and I’m sure that we can thank dad and mom’s connection with the South County Historical Society for that experience.  Mom may still have pictures.  We always looked forward to the Harvest Festival weekend growing up.  I remember attending the Fish Fry on Friday nights when I was young along with the rest of the family, including our Grandpa and Grandma Talley (Oliver and Hazel).  It seemed like the whole town of AG would show up for this!  They use to have it in the old fire department, now city council chambers.  Finally, I think the highlight for any young kid at the Harvest Festival must have been the confetti eggs we would buy and crack over the heads of our friends and family.  It was the lowlight for our mothers, I am sure, as we would trail the little pieces of confetti around the house for days afterwards.

Reflections on AG: my family feels blessed to be a part of Arroyo Grande.  This city provides a sense of community and belonging that few places can match.  It’s a place where we as kids could ride our bikes anywhere.  We spent a lot of time at the old Burnardoz.  We hung out in the park by the swinging bridge and explored the creek under the bridge.  We got our bikes fixed at IRA’s.  It’s been amazing to see the growth in our hometown, but it’s easy to understand why so many people from out of the area decide to move to the Central Coast and choose to make Arroyo Grande their new home.  I love it that the Village still maintains is quaint charm, yet is economically vibrant.  We make it a point now to drive through the Village at night during the Christmas season to show our kids all the lights and decorations.  They love it!  Also, it’s been wonderful to see the growing physical presence of the South County Historical Society in the Village Area and to see so many people committed to preserving the history and heritage of Arroyo Grande. 
 

Brian Talley

Brian has lived his entire life (except 5 college years when he lived in Berkeley and Oakland) in Arroyo Grande.  He graduated from Arroyo Grande High School in 1984 and UC Berkeley in 1989.   He served as President of Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards.  Brian and Johnine are proud of their involvement in the community, especially the creation of the Fund for Vineyard and Farm Workers in 2004.  Since that time, this endowment has grown to over $250,000.

Brian and his family in Machu Picchu
Johnine, Rosemary, Olivia, Brian and Elizabeth

In Brian's Words...

"I am honored that our family has been chosen as Grand Marshals of the Harvest Festival.  Our commitment to family, community and quality in everything we do are values that were emphasized by my grandparents and my dad.  I know that they would be proud if they were here to enjoy this honor".

 “I'm proud of the fact that I was born and raised in the Arroyo Grande Valley.  I think it's the best place there is to live and farm”.

 “I remember looking forward to the Harvest Festival when I was a kid.  Friday night at the Harvest Festival was always one of my favorite nights of the year”.


Ken Talley and Karen (Talley) Miller Family

 
Santa Maria Produce Tournament Finals with Oliver & Ken Talley -
The Story Behind the Photo

 Father and son, Oliver and Ken Talley, are shown in the newspaper after playing off for the Santa Maria Produce Championship in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s.  With all the entries, it was a rarity to have father and son competing at this top level of this tournament.  There was much excitement the night before the play offs at the Produce Banquet. Oliver and Hazel loved to dance so stayed late to dance while Ken and Karen headed home earlier for Ken to rest up for the competition.  When Ken ended up with the championship the next day, Oliver and Hazel continued to be mercilessly kidded about the old folks partying too much.   

Ken Talley was the youngest son born to Oliver and Hazel Talley.  Oliver and Hazel had two sons, Donald and Kenneth.  Ken and Don were fourth generation Californians with three generations being born on the Central Coast.  Ken was born and spent a few early years in Santa Maria.  In the 1950’s he moved with his family to rural Arroyo Grande where he attended the old Branch School along with his older brother, Don.  Ken graduated from Arroyo Grande High School and Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.  He worked at Talley Farms from his preteen years to the time of his death in 1976 at the age of 30.

Ken met Karen at Cal Poly.  After marriage they settled in Arroyo Grande where they raised two sons, Todd and Ryan Talley.  Karen raised the boys after Ken’s death.

After being a widow for 20 years, in 1996 she married widower, Bob Miller, owner of the Wayne’s Tire chain here on the Central Coast and father of two children, Russell Miller and Susan Miller Scheetz.

Together Bob and Karen have four married children and twelve grandchildren ranging in ages 20 months through 16 years of age all living locally.  In 1999, Karen retired from Santa Maria High School after teaching for 31 years.  She presently works part time at Wayne’s Tire in Arroyo Grande.
 

Bob and Karen - July 6, 1996
on their wedding day in the Talley Vineyard Gazebo

After Ken and Karen married in 1967, they became active in local activities.  Ken was involved and held offices in the Lion’s Club, various agriculture related groups, the Arroyo Grande Chamber of Commerce, and in youth activities.  In 1976, after Ken’s death, the Arroyo Grande Chamber of Commerce named their new Achievement Award, the Ken Talley Achievement Award, in his honor.  This award is given to local people for their involvement in youth work.  Over the years Karen was active on boards and leadership positions in various service and professional groups including Beta Sigma Phi in the early years, Beta Theta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, Coastal Christian School, the South County Historical Society, plus many Grace Bible Church ministries involving all ages.  

Ken and Karen were two of the eight Founding Members of the South County Historical Society with the first meeting being held in their home in October 1975 just a few weeks before Ken was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  They had a goal of 50 members of their new historical group by Charter Day in June of 1976.  Instead they had a whopping 300 with it continuing to grow today in numbers of talented, industrious people who love the local history.  When Ken died in October of 1976 the museum fund was started with donations made in his memory.  Today the Village of Arroyo Grande is blessed with four museums/buildings in Heritage Square with History Hall (old I.O.O.F. Hall), the Paulding House, and the ‘Meat Locker’ near in the Village area.

Harvest Festival was a special time of year for them with their involvement with the Hamburger Booth for Lion’s Club, South County Historical Society, and the Arroyo Grande Chamber of Commerce plus other group booths, contests, parades, and events. 

In Karen's Words... 

"I remember bundling Todd and Ryan up over the years on Friday nights, walking over the swinging bridge into the village to work at the Lion’s Club Booth or others, eat the delicious home made apple pies one of the churches sold annually, and play carnival games with the boys.  Today it is such a delight to see the lovely green History Square alive with activity as we walk over the reconstructed, not so swinging bridge to our same special Harvest Festival.  It is a touch of old small town America in our own charming Village of Arroyo Grande!

Karen added,  "a note of interest is that the El Rincon adobe, Ramon Branch’s old adobe, was a key factor in our interest in forming the South County Historical Society. 

Ramon’s father was Francis Ziba Branch who was given the Mexican Land Grant where Arroyo Grande now is located.  We started researching this old house and discovered its fascinating history through Jean Hubbard, our local history expert.  We teamed together with Jean and others to make a dream of having a local history group for our area become a reality with the chartering of the South County Historical Society in June 1976.  This old adobe was the first tasting room for Talley Vineyard and is proudly displayed on their labels today.  It is also the place where Vivian Krug took photos of the Talley family for this Harvest Festival".

Unfortunately Karen will miss this year's Harvest Festival activities as she will be in Tinghir, Morocco in the Atlas Mountains for three weeks to visit and help friends they support who work with the Berber people there. 

Karen stated, "I am so sorry to miss this special Harvest Festival, but our trip was planned months ago".

~~~~

Ryan, Todd, Karen, Rosemary & Brian
in front of the Branch School Pumpkin Patch
The Branch School Pumpkins are sold each year during the festival as a fundraiser
(you will find them set up in Olohan Alley on Saturday the 28th)

 

A blended family.
This photo of the blended families was taken as a surprise for Karen and Bob's 10th anniversary in 2006.  Just by coincidence, the photo was taken in the same spot where Bob formally proposed to Karen.