Getting my Boots Dirty!

Hey, there! My name is Marley Violini, previously known as Marley Sollecito (got married in October 2025!), and I am so happy to have you on my page :) Something that I always tell people is to "get your boots dirty," meaning that you should embrace and pursue opportunities and interests regardless of your background or previous experience. In my opinion, most knowledge and skill is gained through hands on experiences and learning on the job. Can you tell that I graduated from Cal Poly? I definitely took the moto, "learn by doing" to heart! For me, "get your boots dirty" takes on a quite literally meaning sometimes. My full time job is working as the Operations Manager for JV Farms California, a custom farming operation in the Salinas Valley. Prior to this job, I had very little to no experience in farming at all. Through hard work, long hours, and utilizing the skills I gained while at Cal Poly, internships, and learning on the job, I have come to love my career and shock myself with how much I actually understand and can manage when it comes to farming. However, farming is not my only connection to the agricultural industry. I like to say that my life is a mixture of "lettuce and livestock." My husband's family has a cattle operation of which I have been so fortunate to experience over the past nine years. Although I may not have grown up in agriculture, I truly love this industry and lifestyle! I hope to serve as an "agvocate" and bring attention to the hard work that it takes to get food "from farm to fork." My admirations for the farmers, ranchers, shippers, truckers, laborers, and everyone in between is what drives me to showcase this incredible industry. My passion for photography helps me to share the story of the people, the industry and the valley that I love so much. Thank you for taking an interest in following me along as I continue to grow!