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ZoeyR
Newbie
Posts: 14
Registered: 3-15-2014
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Anyone Know About Successful Organic Farming on the Baja?
After receiving very helpful info from this forum years ago, I've been a lurker most of the time, however, since purchasing a little condo in the Los
Cabos area last year, I'm 'sticking my toe' back into the forum as I need a reality check!
We (hubs and 3 daughters) have been vacationing here and in Yelapa MX since 1990 and have seen many changes over the years.
We 'fell in love with the Baja' on our first trip and feel like its in our blood.
Not quite able to be here full time due to work, I find my thoughts turning to ways to live here full time.
So, my question, am I nuts to even be thinking about buying and operating an organic farm on the Baja in 'retirement'?
Any thoughts/info would be greatly appreciated and no, I've never farmed but see the whole organic farming 'foodie' movement as being a kind of cool
thing for the future of the Baja.
Thanks and please be kind with your comments, some of you guys scare me
Zoey
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Plenty of organic farming in the area south of Ensenada called Maneadero. Many of these farms sell their produce in the US market and one farm sells
cherry tomatoes to Trader Joe's
Some vineyards in the Guadalupe Valley organic farm and MD Vineyards does organic vegetable farming in Uripan Additionally there are farming
operations in the Santo Tomas Valley and around San Quintin.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by ZoeyR
So, my question, am I nuts to even be thinking about buying and operating an organic farm on the Baja in 'retirement'?
Any thoughts/info would be greatly appreciated and no, I've never farmed but see the whole organic farming 'foodie' movement as being a kind of cool
thing for the future of the Baja.
Thanks and please be kind with your comments, some of you guys scare me
Zoey |
OK...... you know nothing about farming, but you want to buy a farm. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................
What about marketing? Do you have any expertise in that field?
I don't mean to be scary, but I think you are on the verge of getting in over your head.........farming perishables with no established customer base.
If whoever is trying to sell you a farm claims it comes with a list of established customers, they will owe you nothing and will vacate at the drop
of a sombrero for the following reason.......you're a foreigner and breaking into a closed market will be next to impossible. In Mexico, and in most
fields, it's not what you know, but who you know.
Perhaps you should rethink the farm as a new career and find something else to do.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Hola and welcome to the forum.
You can do your family's needs with organic farming by doing what we did for many years in Baja Sur. Hydroponic farming...easy, good eating, and fun.
http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Hydroponic-Garden
Just be sure to use rabbit proof fencing!
p.s. as for doing this commercially...it's probably a little overdone at the moment.
[Edited on 3-15-2014 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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"On the Baja"... ? Where in Canada are you from  ...
Seriously seek out Don Jorge for his expert advice here on organic farming in Baja.
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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Mood: Current
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How do make a million dollars in Baja, start with two. Mexico has a lot of hoops you will need to jump through before your first crop ever gets
planted. I have watched many a gringo get ground down by the Mexican process. Good luck.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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hooterville?
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cessna821
Nomad
Posts: 148
Registered: 9-17-2010
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Dear Zoe,
Our home in Mulege is for sale you can see it on these websites ...but if you wish we can send more pictures of the garden.
We have many productive fruit trees growing in our garden:
3 coconut palms
1 pistachio
I Valencia orange
1 Seville orange
1 pomelo
1 pink grapefruit
1 key lime
1 mango
1 fig
The garden is surrounded by a wall ....no nasty critters can get in. In the past I have successfully kept chickens.
Every seed I plant germinates. This season I have grown:
Tomatoes
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Lettuce
Radishes
Basil
Parsley
Cilantro
Garlic chives
Zucchini
Peas
Beans
We always have heaps more produce than we can eat. We swap oranges, limes, grapefruit, herbs and tomatoes for fresh locally caught fish. I make
marmalade ....and give some away. If I was here all year around I would make jam and chutney, freeze and bottle vegetables.
None of this needs a certificate in Agriculture and is really satisfying and enjoyable. Unfortunately because of advancing years and age related
medical problems we are sadly selling our home after more than fourteen years of blissful weather. We will return to our family in Europe.
Exterior pics:
http://tijuana.backpage.mx/en-au/homes-for-sale/130000-3hb-h...
Interior pics:
http://bajasur.es.craigslist.com.mx/reo/4355640593.html
Kind regards,
Anne
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Wotta Dream...
Gotta go up in the mountains to do it. Greenhouses. Grow specialty salad and spices for luxury Los Locos restaurants. Establish a stable clientele
with Mexican hotels. Then and only then could you flap your wings and fly to the moon.
Having operated my own legal businesses in Mexico starting in the 70's unless you learn A LOT OF ROPES that have absolutely zero to do with sound
fiscal management by US standards, you are going to become chopped liver so fast your head will spin. Economically Mexico is not a different country,
it is a different universe.
Best to diddle at first. Find out what people WANT then try sampling to see if you can make it happen. Without stretching your neck across the
chopping block and yelling "I Dare You!"
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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ZoeyR
Newbie
Posts: 14
Registered: 3-15-2014
Member Is Offline
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Thanks everyone, I love you guys!
To answer some questions, I'm from Canada (Vancouver), however come from generations of farmers from the Prairies  ,( not totally green behind the ears) and have a BSc in Agriculture, Land and Earth
Sciences.
I think your comments are all fair and very informative and simply trying to get our electric bill changed to our name (with no luck) has given us a
tiny taste of being more than a tourist here.
I think there is a flood of Boomers moving here and maybe David should write a book!
Maybe all I need is a little garden and some chickens.
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LosCabosbound
Junior Nomad
Posts: 38
Registered: 10-28-2007
Location: La Costa California /Mykonos San Jose
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ZoeyR,
Go check out Flora Farms in the San Jose area...very inspiring.
There gardens are unbelievable, food is great, drinks even better, atmosphere off the charts.
Not the easiest place to find but worth the effort
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
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There's a lot of produce, both organic and non, being produced here in BCS for the US and Canadian markets. There are also many USDA compliant packing
facilities and a transportation infrastructure to ship to market. Oregon TILTH certification is also available in Mexico. The export market for winter
vegetables is very lucrative and there are both foreign and local farmers capitalizing on it. The area where I live used to predominately grow chiles
for the Mexican domestic market, but every year more farmers here are switching to export crops, and they are growing a wider variety of produce,
which has been good for the economy and the table. Now we can go to local produce stands and buy everything from heirloom tomatoes to watermelon
radishes.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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LosCabosbound
Junior Nomad
Posts: 38
Registered: 10-28-2007
Location: La Costa California /Mykonos San Jose
Member Is Offline
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Link to Flora Farms...
www.flora-farms.com
[Edited on 3-15-2014 by LosCabosbound]
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ZoeyR
Newbie
Posts: 14
Registered: 3-15-2014
Member Is Offline
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I love Flora Farms, thanks
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Lencho, that's why I forwarded my work permits, letters, and documents on to others so they could store them. Not interested in consulting. If you
have an argument contesting my information, state it, clearly.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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I'm actually somewhat surprised that no prig stepped up to note that it is not called the Baja, but just Baja.
That said, the Del Cabo folks in Pescadero have been producing organic tomatoes and other produce for over a decade. Their home base is in Northern
California.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
I'm actually somewhat surprised that no prig stepped up to note that it is not called the Baja, but just Baja.
That said, the Del Cabo folks in Pescadero have been producing organic tomatoes and other produce for over a decade. Their home base is in Northern
California. |
Did you not see my reply?
What's a 'prig'? It is Baja California, not just 'Baja'... but I think we all know and love La Baja enough to abbreviate it any way that makes us
happy! Yes?
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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boutique farming
Zoey-
You don't say if this is to be a large enterprise or a small home-based biz. This sounds a bit like what you have in mind: small scale, but hi quality
organic and "heirloom" veggies. You aren't competing with the mega-farmers but going after "boutique" markets. Is that correct?
As others have pointed out: it takes time, connections, relationships etc. to do what you are proposing.
FWIW, 20 years ago, following the drowning death of her spouse near La Mision, a friend of mine began selling her organic produce to restaurants in
Ensenada.
She had young children to support, and had always managed a small garden outside her home in the Guadalupe Valley. Over the years, she built up her
Business by supplying friends who used her produce in their restaurants around Ensenada.
As they say, the rest is history: today she is supplying many of the "upper crust" restaurants, wineries and hotels with produce that chefs and
foodies know and love and ask for by name. She has been highlighted in many stories about the wine and food in the valley.
So consider how much time you have to invest not only in the garden, but in cultivating relationships. That makes all the difference, in addition to
the quality of the produce you grow.
Send me a U2U if you want to talk with my friend about her experience, and visit her operation.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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LaRibereña
Nomad
Posts: 110
Registered: 8-27-2003
Location: Tehama, CA & La Ribera, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Organic Farms
Lots of them in Santiago, Miraflores, Santa Cruz - all growing organic veggies for the US market and near to Los Cabos.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Awesome reply Don Jorge... I knew you would have the best info!
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