New Farmers: Growing Blue Agave
I was surrounded by agriculture most of my childhood. My dad cultivated various crops such as strawberries, raspberries, zucchini, snow peas and corn. I started “driving” tractors with my dad around the age of 5, but it was more about being able to spend time with him on a “big toy.”
One day while driving the tractor when I was around 15, I didn’t quite realize that stopping a tractor going downhill was a lot different than stopping it while you’re pulling machinery for your crops. Instead of applying the brakes first, I put the clutch in and away we went. My dad was riding on the back holding on and trying to figure out how to stop us from crashing into a tree.
My dad saved us and while that brief moment of fear and stress filled my body with dread, my dad didn’t let me get off the tractor. He immediately told me to drive the tractor back to the top of the hill. His lesson was simple, don’t be afraid and keep going.
Fast forward to 2019, and Sophia and I took an unafraid leap and decided that we wanted to explore farming life as well. It seemed like a natural fit to join the agricultural community here in Mexico given it was part of my life especially when we were presented with the opportunity to do so. We just needed to come up with a crop that we could work with over the years that didn’t require much water. Mazatlán’s weather is extremely hot and humid during the Summer months. It is an area of Mexico that honors the Tropical Weather stereotype.
Nightly thunderstorms are common all Summer and Fall long with fairly dry Winters and Springs. Researching all the crops out there that could survive in the tropics, we came to the decision to plant Blue Agaves. And while this was not an easy process for us to dive into, we are thrilled that this is an avenue we decided to take as these beautiful succulents even became the inspiration for our company name!
We are constantly learning the ins and outs of farming in Mexico and what it means to be an Ejidetario. Not sure what an Ejido or Ejidetario is? Check out our article about what it took for us to join the agricultural community of Mexico.