Sunshine Organics

Established In 2016

Location Watsonville, CA

Acreage 6

What they sell Mixed organic vegetables, fruit, flowers

When they began working with KTA 2019

Support our ongoing advising work with Sunshine Organics by giving to KTA.

Gladys is a second-generation farmer; raised by her parents Camilo and Maria Mondragon, she grew up in the Pajaro Valley helping her family grow and sell berries. Her childhood, as she fondly recounts, was spent playing in her family’s fields, accompanying her parents to farmers markets, and picking fresh berries off the vine. As Gladys started college, she began to work for her parents part-time as a way to pay for her schooling, focusing on their organic certification and expansion into farmers markets. Eventually, she and her husband Ralphie decided to formally invest in the farm as a way to support their growing family, while simultaneously honing their skills and experience in agriculture. In 2016, Gladys and Ralphie became the official owner-operators of the farm, renaming the operation “Sunshine Organics.” Gladys took over the managerial and operational aspects of the business while her husband Ralphie handled most of the production. Despite the shift in ownership, Gladys’ parents are still supportive with many aspects of the farm – Camilo and Ralphie have grown particularly close with Ralphie looking to Camilo for guidance and knowledge as the farm continues to evolve.

To Gladys, farming is a symbiotic relationship where she provides for her community just as much as her community provides for her. With every crop, she strives to grow the best version of her product to best serve her local foodshed. Her instinct to nourish has always been a part of her – it is a legacy Gladys has inherited and can share with her two children who spend their days, like she once did, tagging along to farmers markets and playing in the fields. But beyond her business, Gladys is motivated to not just support her family, raising her two children, but her community at large. In addition to farming, both Gladys and Ralphie work full-time jobs to support their community, with Gladys coaching soccer professionally and her husband acting as Vice Principal of Watsonville High School. Gladys holds these roles simultaneously and proudly, not expecting anything in return, but rather embodying her commitment to service of those around her.

Where to Find

Monterey Farmers Market (Old Monterey Marketplace), Tues 4-8pm

Sacramento Farmers Market (central - currently at Arden Fair), Sun 8am-12pm

San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Sat 8am-2pm

Stonestown Farmers Market (San Francisco), Sun 9am-1pm

Advising Snapshot: 2022

Farm Business Advisor Tania Zuñiga and Gladys started their work together by upgrading the business’ bookkeeping system to help with tracking capital and complying with their organic certification requirements. Tania also supported Gladys as she began to apply to and sell at other farmers markets, hoping to expand Sunshine Organics’ only market stream. While Gladys, Ralphie, and her parents tested different market opportunities, Tania helped them foster new relationships, organize their farmers market schedule, and manage logistics.

Once Gladys honed Sunshine’s business operations, conversations with Tania turned to land conservation and ownership. Affordable, small-scale organic land parcels are incredibly scarce in the Central Coast, and, as Gladys transitioned from one parcel to the next, she continued to experience setbacks in her crop quality and her family’s stability. In 2021, Gladys, Ralphie, and Tania started organizing financial information and filling out applications in the hopes of refinancing the property her parents purchased. Finally, in February 2022, Gladys and Ralphie were able to successfully refinance their house, using their leftover equity to pay off the mortgage on the farmland. This land purchase was transformational for Sunshine Organics; Gladys and Ralphie were finally able to invest in their long-term vision for soil health and biodiversity while also ensuring greater security for their business. More recently, Gladys and Ralphie have leased a secondary 20-acre parcel to be able to expand their production.

Gladys had also cited a desire to work with other women business owners who she could relate to and receive support from. Thus, when a chance arose for her to participate in KTA’s Women in Agriculture Group, she jumped at the opportunity to connect with other Latina business owners committed to sustainable, small-scale agriculture. Through the group, she was able to contribute to and immerse herself in an empowering space dedicated to offering technical and emotional support for women like herself. Gladys was ultimately nominated as part of the steering committee for a new, permanent spin-off group called Red Solidaria de Mujeres en Agricultura, allowing her to continue nurturing the leadership and solidarity of both herself and fellow women farmers.