Meet the Farmer
Picoso Farm
Nancy Nuñez
Established In 2018
Location Watsonville, CA
Acreage 13.5
What they sell Mixed vegetables & strawberries
When they began working with KTA 2023
Advising Focus Market access; financial management; crop planning; emergency funding
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Maria “Nancy” Nuñez’ life has always centered around the intersection of farm and family - she grew up in Mexico in an agricultural community, watching her parents grow produce to feed and sustain her family. When Nancy moved to California and met her partner, Jose, they decided to continue her family’s legacy, beginning their farming journey in the hopes of supporting their growing family.
Nancy and Jose started simple with six rows of strawberries. Jose’s previous agricultural experience helped them grow their first crops, but, upon harvest, they were unsure where to sell. Nancy and Jose had the idea to set up their own farmstand next to Highway 101 North near Gilroy, hoping to capitalize on the heavy weekend traffic. The farmstand was a huge success, giving Nancy and Jose the confidence boost they needed to pursue their dream of owning a farm. Now, Picoso Farm grows their strawberries across 13.5 acres instead of just 6 rows, still setting up their farmstand every year to sell off of 101.
Nancy also sells her strawberries across a variety of farmers markets, drawing upon her past experience of helping her brother and sister at markets. For Nancy, selling her produce directly to customers is an act of love as she values cultivating lasting connections, learning new perspectives, and enriching her own life from these relationships.
Picoso Farm is not just a business, but a representation of Nancy’s dream: to create a life in which she can serve her community, provide for her family, and continue her family’s agricultural legacy.
Where to Find
Napa Farmers Market, Sat 8am-12pm
Martinez Farmers Market, Sun 9am-1pm
Cupertino Farmers Market, Sun 9am-1pm
Moraga Farmers Market, Sun 9am-1pm
Evergreen Farmers Market, Sun 9am-1pm
Seasonal Farmstand in Gilroy
Advising Snapshot: 2023
Since starting her farm in 2018, Nancy’s business has grown and scaled dramatically, increasing from .5 acres to a total of 13.5. However, Nancy’s limited access to resources and support made her feel isolated, especially when facing the challenges of being both a farmer and business owner. When she began her work with Kitchen Table Advisors in 2023, Nancy was able to quickly form a trusted relationship with her Farm Business Advisor Henry Catalan, which supported her in expanding her perspective of what she initially thought she could do.
During the winter of 2023, Picoso Farm, along with many other KTA client farmers in the Central Coast, faced significant obstacles in the wake of the severe winter storms that swept across California. Nancy’s farm in particular endured over $8,000 worth of damages, flooded fields, and destroyed equipment. But Nancy believes the obstacles she’s faced have made her stronger and resilient. With support from KTA and the Napa Farmers Market community, Nancy has been able to work through this crisis and re-build her farm, accessing critical relief funds that helped her and Jose continue journeying toward their family’s dreams. Nancy has her eyes set on expanding beyond 13.5 acres and exploring new markets in California and beyond. To continue growing her business, she has worked with Henry and California Farmlink to refinance some equipment in order to buy other farm equipment like a tractor. Additionally, Henry has assisted Nancy set up cash flow projections and crop planning as well as develop a market access strategy.
