Meet the Farmer

For Celsa Ortega, farming has proven to be an integral part of building her sense of home. Celsa grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico working in agriculture – not as a way to build a business, but as a means to put food on the table. It wasn’t until she migrated to the U.S. and became connected with ALBA that Celsa understood farming could be something more – a connection to her culture, a way to provide for her family, and a path to building new relationships and skills. Watching fellow ALBA farmers carefully cultivate their land and grow fresh, organic produce, Celsa felt inspired to start her own venture: Induchucuiti Organic Farm. She began by growing mixed organic vegetables and selling them to wholesale buyers, eventually expanding her business into other sales channels. 

Working as a farmer and a single mother has proven challenging at times for Celsa, facing language and cultural barriers, a lack of broader family support, and difficulty establishing a healthy balance between work and family. However, as her eldest son has grown older, he has been able to provide key support in helping with bookkeeping and establishing Induchucuiti at the farmers market. For Celsa, her son’s support has allowed her to expand her focus beyond the day-to-day operations of her business – one day, Celsa hopes she can grow spices from her culture to share with her community – and find more balance between her life and work. Most importantly, Celsa hopes that her children find inspiration in her journey, grow up happy, and are empowered to pursue their own ambitions with the same conviction as Celsa.