National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15)
During National Hispanic Heritage Month and International Year of the Woman Farmer, the story of Isabel Rosas is a reminder of the many paths that can lead people to California agriculture. For someone who once said she would never become a farmer, agriculture ultimately became a way to build a business, grow organic food and give back to the community she calls home.
For Isabel Rosas, agriculture was always part of her story, but becoming a farmer wasn’t always part of the plan.
Born in Mexico, Isabel moved to California with her parents when she was 2 years old. She grew up watching them work in agriculture from sunrise to sunset.
“I saw my parents working from sunrise to sunset in agriculture,” Isabel said. “And it was something I didn’t like, because I didn’t want to work from sunrise to sunset.”
Her childhood experience led her to make a decision: she would never work in agriculture.
But life had other plans.
Finding a new path in agriculture
Before becoming a farmer, Isabel worked in an office. Then she married someone who had spent much of his life working in agriculture and who introduced her to the idea of organic farming.
Today, their farm grows a variety of vegetables and strawberries, including broccolini, baby broccoli, celery, lettuce, chard and kale.
For Isabel, farming is about more than growing crops. It is also about being connected to the community where she grew up. She is deeply focused on getting healthy food into the hands of local students and families. By working to distribute her produce to schools and donating organic vegetables, she is helping ensure that young people have access to nourishing, fresh food.
A farmer’s work takes passion
Isabel knows firsthand that farming is not easy. Farmers face challenges from the weather, including heat, cold, drought and rain. Equipment and labor can also make farming difficult. “It’s difficult for farmers to be farmers,” Isabel said.
But despite those challenges, she and her husband continue to farm because they love what they do.
“I say that you have to like farming to keep doing it,” she said. “It’s something we enjoy doing.”
Today, through Dream Farm, Isabel is growing more than vegetables—she’s growing a connection between her farm and the next generation.