For Juan Gonzalez Torres, farming means much more than planting seeds and harvesting crops.
Photo courtesy of Juan Gonzalez Torres
Over the past decade, Juan has been a leader in his community selling and donating produce all over the Madison area, introducing fruits and vegetables grown in his hometown of Puebla, Mexico to farmer’s markets, restaurants, and shelters.
After moving from Puebla to Madison in 2003 to join his sister Reyna in her restaurant and catering business, Juan spent several years working at restaurants in the Madison area.
Photo courtesy of Juan Gonzalez Torres
In 2009, he brought his talents and passion for farming to the Gene and Linda Farley Center for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability in Verona. When Juan joined the Farley Center’s farm incubator program that launched in 2010, Los Abuelos Farley Farm was born and named after the center’s owners, Gene and Linda.
Photo courtesy of Juan Gonzalez Torres
Growing Mexican crops like epazote and verdolagas and adopting Midwestern crops like Kohlrabi and Kale, Juan brings a special fusion of Mexican and Midwestern farming to the Madison area.
In 2011, Juan started Los Jalapeños CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) where members pay for weekly boxes of seasonal produce for 20 weeks. Today, Los Jalapeños CSA has over 250 members with the biggest amount of shares going to support employees at the Epic Farm Campus in Verona.
In addition to Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, Juan sells his produce at Hilldale Market, Northside Farmer's Market, local restaurants, Mexican grocery stores including MariMar and Santa Maria, schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District, REAP Food Group, and Second Harvest.
Photo courtesy of Juan Gonzalez Torres
Apart from growing a wide variety of vegetables, Juan added that what he enjoys best about his job is his ability to sell directly to local consumers and support local residents in need through donating to food pantries.
Juan runs his farm enterprise in cooperation with his sister Reyna’s local Madison restaurant and catering business, El Sabor de Puebla. Together, the family businesses are active in their communities to foster growth, diversity, and partnership among local farmers and organizations.
Juan’s efforts through Los Abuelos Farley Farm and Los Jalapeños CSA not only bolster the local agriculture economy but serve as a reminder of the power that food has to bring communities and cultures together.
Come explore Los Abuelos Farley Farm’s variety of produce this weekend! Join us at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Edgewood High School in Madison, Wisconsin.