Originally published in the Napa Valley Register on January 24, 2022

The astute Napa Farmers Market shopper may have noticed a few familiar faces offering their produce under a new farm name. The market community is very excited to welcome Picoso Farms to the Napa Farmers Market lineup on Saturdays, and Tuesdays starting this spring.

Picoso Farms offers a variety of greens grown in the idyllic California Central Coast climate, as well as a large selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables including corn, strawberries, peppers, tomatoes and even nopales.

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Many of you will recognize Jose Garía and Maria “Nancy” Nuñez as the stall vendors for Avila Farms. Nancy was also part of last month’s “Pages from a Farmer” column about pregnant women farmers. This young family team is now selling produce they grew on their own 7-acre farm in Gilroy – Picoso Farms – which Jose and Nancy started from scratch in March 2020.

Jose is one of those unique people who found his passion in farming; he thrives troubleshooting all the hurdles of farming and lives for those moments when a successful harvest makes up for all the hard work and failures of the past. His love of farming started at a young age growing up in the Chicago area, and when Jose and Nancy met in 2017, she recognized his unique quality: “Farming is Jose’s happiness,” she says, “and seeing him happy brings happiness to me.”

Nancy’s parents were farmers in Mexico and started teaching her how to farm from a young age. Nancy used to help her mother at mercados in Mexico, and she remembers bringing home exotic fruits or breads as the result of trading produce with other vendors. As her mother said, “The best part about this profession is we will never be hungry – there will always be food from the farm in our home.”

When Nancy’s family moved to California, she began working on the farm her older sister started roughly 25 years ago. It is there that Nancy deepened her knowledge of farming, and where she and Jose decided to start their own business doing what they love.

You will see both Nancy and Jose at the Napa Farmers Market working as a team to sell their produce. (You may not see Nancy for a few months, however, as they are expecting a baby very soon.) At Picoso Farms, Jose’s main role is in planning, directing and doing the physical farm work. Nancy is the head businesswoman who takes care of administrative work, insurance, determining how much to harvest, etc. It is a family endeavor, though, and Nancy and Jose’s children also participate. Together, they make a strong team.

Picoso Farms are in the process of becoming Certified Organic, which is not for the faint of heart. Organic farming requires a skillset of experience that includes, among many other things, knowing how to monitor soil fertility and appropriately manage pests.

Jose learned many organic-appropriate techniques from his experiences farming in Chicago, but he and Nancy are also learning and implementing new skills tailored to their Central Coast property. When I speak with Jose and Nancy, their passion is clear: “Every day is short because we are working on the farm furrowing, sowing, scampering around, picking, etc., but the reality is we enjoy it because we love being farmers.”

Jose remembers selling peanuts with lime and chile at the jaripeos (bull riding events) in Guanajuato Mexico, dreaming of a day when he could have a business in the United States. That dream is now a reality for him and for Nancy. Farming is hard, and owning a farm is even harder, but knowing Picoso Farms is their business, and seeing the literal fruits of their labor and the satisfaction of their clients is priceless for Nancy and Jose.

The Napa Farmers Market is so happy to have this wonderful young family of farmers join our ranks. We wish Nancy and Jose many years of success and support from the Napa community!