According to the California Strawberry Commission, the number of Latinos leading the strawberry farming industry is growing.
Latinos make up more than ⅔ of strawberry growers in California and 25% of them started out as field workers, the Commission reports.
“Right now, we’re seeing more and more of the Latino community growing. A lot of them have gone from field worker to becoming owner of their own farms or growing their own berries,” said Mayra Paniagua, owner of Golden State Farms in Santa Maria.
Paniagua grew up around strawberries. Now, owning her own farm in Santa Maria, she is achieving a dream she once didn't think was possible.
It's a dream she couldn't have achieved without her parents.
“When my mom was pregnant with me, she was out picking strawberries. So I always say, since I was in my mother's womb, that's when that special connection began,” Paniagua said.
Her parents came from Mexico and worked as strawberry field workers.
“It provided us a house to live in, food on our table, and help pay for college education,” Paniagua said.
With hard work and dedication, Paniagua says they were eventually able to start their own business, which inspired her to do the same.
In 2014, Paniagua started Golden State Farms with help from her family.
Year after year, she says she has seen monumental changes in the strawberry farming industry.
“The Latina population has taken more ownership of strawberry farms,” Paniagua said.
“We’re seeing not only the progression in terms of going from worker to owner, but also the progression of knowledge," said Jeff Cardinale, Director of Communications for the California Strawberry Commission. "Going from someone who worked in the field to now owning and operating an industry, they take that experience with them and not only do they take it with them, then they pass it on to the next generation.”
Paniagua says the strawberry industry has given her a lot of hope.
“We get to see more and more Latino field workers become farm owners, so it's encouraging to see there's a bright future for the California strawberry industry,” Paniagua said.
