Church Brothers Farms: A Partnership Built on Consistency (and a Whole Lot of Produce)

If you’ve been in the foodservice world long enough, you know a truly dependable produce partner is a bit like finding a front-row parking spot on a Saturday afternoon — rare, precious, and worth celebrating when it happens.

At Keany, we’ve been celebrating ours since 1999.

The company was founded in 1999 by brothers Tom and Steve Church, who had worked in the lettuce fields as teenagers. (Yes, they went from picking lettuce to running one of the industry’s most respected operations. Overachievers, both of them.) The Church family has been an integral part of Salinas Valley agriculture for almost 100 years.

Today, Church Brothers oversees field operations, harvest and production crews, and state-of-the-art processing facilities in the US and Mexico for greens and vegetables. Headquartered in Salinas, California, they remain close to major growing regions and operate a vertically integrated business built for consistency and quality

We asked Ted Keany, our CEO, what he values most about the Church Brothers partnership. His answer was refreshingly simple:

“The best thing about Church is their consistency in supply.”

In produce, consistency isn’t flashy — but it’s everything. It’s the difference between a menu that runs smoothly and a kitchen scrambling at 5 p.m.

Church Brothers delivers that consistency, day in and day out.

One of Church Brothers’ biggest strengths is full vertical integration. They own their harvest and production crews, so they control quality, timing, and consistency at every stage.

In produce, that kind of top-to-bottom ownership is a gamechanger. When something needs to happen, it happens — no waiting on third parties, no mystery delays. Church Brothers is in the driver’s seat from the field to delivery to Keany’s warehouses.

Tight markets are where supplier relationships get tested — and where Church Brothers shines. Through contracted programs, they provide reliable coverage even when supplies get scarce. For customers who depend on steady availability, that kind of dependability isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential.

Speaking of owning the journey — Church Brothers runs a tremendous processing facility, and it shows in the product. A large portion of what we stock is their processed line: pre-cut, cleaned, and ready to go. It saves time without sacrificing quality.

And when it comes to varieties of lettuce alone, the breadth is impressive – romaine and iceberg in multiple cuts, tender leaf blends, and more. If your kitchen works with lettuce in any form (and whose doesn’t?), Church Brothers almost certainly has a cut and variety built for you.

Here’s a look at the Church Brothers items we carry at Keany:

Processed Greens & Whole Lettuces

• Romaine
• Iceberg
• Green Leaf Lettuce
• Chopped Romaine
• Shredded Romaine
• Shredded Iceberg
• Destemmed Spinach
• Tuscan Salad Blends
• Baby Kale
• Romaine Hearts
• Ready Leaf Lettuce
• Little Gem Lettuce
• Baby Spinach
• Sweet Mix Lettuce

Processed Vegetables

• Broccoli Florets
• Cauliflower Florets
• Cleaned Halved Brussels Sprouts
• Shredded Cabbage (Red, Green)

Whole Commodities

• Broccolini
• Caulilini
• Green Onions
• Cilantro
• Parsley

Organic Commodities

• Organic Baby Spinach
• Organic Spring Mix

Whether you’re building a better burger, loading up a salad bar, or just trying to get Brussels sprouts on the plate without an hour of halving and trimming (we see you, prep cooks), Church Brothers has you covered.

From best-in-class processing facilities to a foodservice-first mindset, Church Brothers has built something worth partnering with. Keany is proud to carry their products and have been part of a strong relationship since 1999.

So, the next time you’re ordering from Keany and seeing Church Brothers on the label, know it’s not just produce. It’s 25+ years of trust, consistency, and a shared commitment to keeping kitchens running at their best. If that doesn’t make you feel good about your next order of romaine – or little gems, broccolini, or green onions – we’re not sure what will. Church Brothers keeps our kitchens moving.

Want the full Church Brothers lineup we stock? Reach out to your Keany sales rep — they’ll walk you through it.

Green leaf lettuce is a loose-leaf lettuce with ruffled, open heads and tender, mild-sweet leaves. It offers great plate coverage and texture for sandwiches, burgers, and salads, and it’s prized for its flexibility and visual appeal.