Meet the Farmer

For Martín Aviña, community and connection have always been important values in his journey as a farmer. Maintaining a connection to the land felt familiar to Martín, whose family in Mexico grew wheat and corn throughout his childhood. After emigrating to California, Martín continued forging strong ties to agriculture as a farmworker, working on an organic farm in Salinas. There, Martín was introduced to the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), an organization that provides opportunities for low-income farmworkers through land-based training in organic farm management. Martín began taking his first course at ALBA in 2016, and enrolled in their Organic Farm Incubator program the following year where he started learning the ins and outs of running his own farm. After graduating from the program, Martín was able to lease his own parcel of land in Aromas, CA where he farms now. Martín grows a wide variety of crops on 12 acres including broccoli, chard, zucchini, fennel, and lettuce. 

As his business expanded, Martín never lost sight of the importance of support and collaboration within the farming community. He actively prioritizes knowledge-sharing and mentorship with other farmers, sharing land with fellow KTA client and ALBA alum Martín Barraza of Barraza Farms. Together, the farmers collaborate on and exchange best practices, equipment, tools, and knowledge. Now, as he works to increase his acreage, Martín hopes to hire more farmworkers and staff and, ultimately, model what farm ownership can look like for them too. In growing his business, he aims to elevate prosperity not only for himself but for other farm owners and farmworkers, helping them achieve the dreams he has seen become realities.