SALINAS VALLEY — For Candi DePauw, Jynel Gularte and Colby Pereira, agriculture is more than an industry. It is a family legacy, a career and a way of life deeply woven into the communities of South Monterey County.
The three women — DePauw and Pereira of Soledad and Gularte of Gonzales — are among nine Monterey County women being honored by the Monterey County Fair as part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Designated by the United Nations, the 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer is led by the Food and Agriculture Organization under the theme “Empowered women, transforming agrifood systems.” The initiative recognizes the contributions of women farmers and raises awareness and support for their role in agriculture.
A lifetime in agriculture
DePauw’s ag role has spanned more than five decades.
Her agricultural career began in the early 1970s as a greenhouse worker. After earning a Master of Agriculture degree from Colorado State University, she returned to California and managed greenhouses and labor contracts for Green Valley Produce and Bud Antle Inc.
Today, she owns California Poppy Company, a landscape contracting business, and serves as a Hartnell College trustee.
DePauw’s work in agricultural education has become a defining part of her career. For 15 years, she has coordinated Farm Day for Monterey County Agricultural Education, connecting students and community members with the region’s agricultural roots and future.
Her contributions earned her the 2023 Grower-Shipper Ag Woman of the Year Award and the 2023 Salinas Chamber of Commerce Agricultural Leadership Award.
But when DePauw considers what she loves most about agriculture, she points to the people.
“The people associated with agriculture are what I love most about ag,” she said. “In addition to providing nutritious food for national and international markets, ag people, regardless of their role (from farmworker to producer), seem to have an innate appreciation for community and environment. Collectively, they provide a foundation not only for youth, but for our society as a whole. A family orientation, a dedicated work ethic and a commitment to future generations are all part of the ag legacy… what’s not to love!”
Carrying on a legacy
Gularte, a fifth-generation farmer’s daughter, was born and raised in the Salinas Valley.
Growing up on her family’s farm, she knew from an early age that agriculture would be part of her future. She spent 10 years in Buena Vista 4-H, showing swine at the Salinas Valley and Monterey County fairs and serving in leadership positions. In 2011, she was the Salinas Valley Fair Senior Swine Showmanship Champion.
Gularte graduated from high school with honors and attended Cal Poly, graduating summa cum laude in 2016 with a degree in agricultural business.
She worked in sales and food safety before returning to the family business in 2018. She is now the controller and compliance officer for Rincon Farms Inc. and co-manages her family’s boutique vineyard, Gularte Vineyards.
Gularte’s involvement extends beyond the family operation. She has chaired the Central Coast Young Farmers and Ranchers chapter for four years and is involved with the California Rodeo Salinas, Resource Conservation District of Monterey County, Monterey County Agricultural Education, Monterey County Cattlewomen, SAGE and Monterey County Farm Bureau.
For Gularte, continuing her family’s agricultural tradition carries both pride and responsibility.
“Being involved in farming is more than just a job or career — it is an entire community and way of life that I am honored to be a part of,” she said. “The hours are long, the work has become increasingly difficult and expensive. That is why you have to love this industry and have a true passion to be in it. The stakes of farming in California are too high. I love serving my family through our farming operation, especially helping my dad and continuing our legacy of five generations. If not us, then who?”
Leading from Soledad
Pereira’s path in agriculture also began with family farming roots in Soledad.
A lifelong resident of the community, Pereira grew up with experience in multigenerational family farming operations. She earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business with a minor in crop science from Cal Poly.
She is now chief operating officer of ogCompanies, a newly formed organization uniting Braga Fresh, organicgirl and Bud Antle/Dole Fresh Vegetables. The companies form a vertically integrated producer of organic and conventional packaged salads and fresh vegetables shipped worldwide.
Pereira has taken on leadership roles throughout the agricultural industry and her community. She served as president of the Monterey County Farm Bureau and is a past president of the Salinas Valley chapter of California Women for Agriculture.
Her other roles include service on the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement Advisory Board and Technical Committee, California Leafy Greens Research Board, Cal Poly Plant Science Advisory Council, Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce Board and Hartnell College Foundation Board. She is also a former elected director of the Salinas Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency and former elected member of the Mission Union School District Board of Trustees.
Pereira believes agriculture’s reach is what makes the work meaningful.
“Being part of an industry that is responsible for producing the world’s food supply and ensuring that consumers have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food is incredibly fulfilling,” she said. “The economic contributions of agriculture are impactful, while supporting local rural and community development and promoting environmental stewardship. I love that agriculture touches everyone in some way, even if just by the fact that you ate today!”
DePauw, Gularte and Pereira represent different generations and roles within Monterey County agriculture, but their stories share a common thread: a commitment to an industry that extends beyond the fields and into education, business, community leadership and the next generation.
They join Salinas honorees Gina Basaldua and Lisa Branco, as well as generational honorees Tomi Mastsuno and Janet Louie, and Tracy Pezzini and Haley Mallory, in the fair’s recognition of women contributing to the county’s agricultural community.
“While representing diverse backgrounds and roles across the industry, these women symbolize the immeasurable contributions of women who help sustain one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions,” said Kelly Violini-Rodoni, CEO of the Monterey County Fair. “For each of our ladies celebrated, there are hundreds more that make our community the vital, agricultural producing, greenbelt that drives our economy and feeds the world.”
The Monterey County Fair will feature an exhibit in the Salinas Room highlighting women farmers and their contributions to food production, economic prosperity and sustainable agrifood systems.
The 2026 fair, themed “Cowboy Boots & Coastal Roots,” runs Sept. 3-7 at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center in Monterey.
