Meet the Farmer

Rufino Ventura says his love of the earth and nature traces back generations. Growing up in Putla Villa de Guerrero in Oaxaca, he watched his parents harvest crops like corn, beans, and squash. At a young age, he witnessed the hard work that came with farming while growing his own passion.

In 1996, Rufino relocated to the United States, later meeting his wife Belen Gonzalez, who arrived in 2004. For more than a decade, the couple worked for an agricultural company in Hollister, San Benito County. Rufino says he had to learn a completely new landscape: cultivating, growing, and harvesting crops in U.S soil was different than back home. But once the couple familiarized themselves with the land, they started thinking about what it might be like to run their own farm. After completing the Farmer Education Course (PEPA), organized by the Agriculture and Land-based Training Association (ALBA), Rufino and Belen were one step closer to making their dream come true. In 2011, they officially began Ventura Organic, shifting their focus fully to their own land. 

 Ventura Organic started with less than an acre; now, the business has grown to eight acres total. The couple lives about eight miles from the farm, which is their sole source of income. Currently, the farm grows Italian zucchini, cabbage, chard, beets, carrot varieties, corn, cilantro, kale varieties, chile varieties, tomato varieties, among many other vegetable varieties. Ventura Organic has been producing organically since 2011, stewarding the soil by minimizing tillage and adding compost and cover crop every season.  

Staying close to their roots is also a priority for the couple. Rufino and Belen previously lent their time to a community garden for Oaxacan kids, which focused specifically on maintaining Indigenous culture and practices. They taught the youth how to grow their own vegetables, showing them exactly how their food gets to the table.