Emilio Otontiopa is a CCOF Foundation Organic Transition Grantee.
Emilio Otontiopa grew up in Mexico helping his parents on their ranch and growing crops like corn, beans, pumpkins, and tomatoes. “I dedicated myself to studying and helping in agriculture to support the family,” he says.
When Otontiopa grew older, he came to the United States and worked in agricultural jobs such as cutting artichokes, watering vegetables, and then driving tractors to prepare plots for planting vegetables for large companies. “This is the story of how my life was as a child,” he says. “I was already working in agriculture, which I always liked because I always liked nature, seeing how plants grow.”
“Now I am a farmer because all my life I have worked in agriculture,” Otontiopa says. “I get along well with the field, I like to touch the earth, I like to see how day after day how plants develop and begin to bear fruit. And I see how my children like to work in the field, helping me produce food for the community and helping our family to achieve our dreams come true.”
Supported with a Future Organic Farmers grant from the CCOF Foundation, Ontotiopa began his academic exploration of organic agriculture in 2017 at ALBA. “The last day of classes we had our goal statements for the next five years and I declared that I was going to obtain 20 acres.” Otontiopa says.
Driven by the goal to one day grow at least 20 acres of vegetables and fruits, Otontiopa began with a half-acre, added two more acres that year, followed by six and a half more acres the next year and nine more acres the year after that. He has continued to add to his land, now growing fifteen acres of strawberries and two acres of vegetables. “I’m building a good reputation with buyers for the quality of the product and for the commitment I have as an organic farmer. This contributes to my successful growth as a farmer,” he says.
With the Organic Transition grant from the CCOF Foundation, Otontiopa plans to expand on his successful track record and increase his organic acreage even more. “I will farm more organic land to increase my organic agricultural production,” he says, “because my plan is already organic.”
The CCOF Foundation is proud to support producers like Emilio Otontiopa with the Organic Transition grant, which gives three-year grants of $10,000 a year to farmers transitioning their land to organic production. Grantees receive multi-year funding, peer-to-peer support, and 1:1 organic technical assistance.
If you would like to contribute to the success of Organic Transition grantees like Emilio Ontotiopa, please reach out to the CCOF Foundation’s Donor Relations Manager Shawna Rodgers, srodgers@ccof.org to learn more.