Rodolfo Zaragoza
Commodities Grown: Mini sweet peppers, Squash, Cucumbers, Cantaloupe, Honey dew melons, Cherry tomatoes, Green bell pepper
1) When did you know you wanted to be a farmer? I knew I wanted to be a farmer ever since I can remember.
2) When did you actually start farming? I actually started farming in 1978.
3) What did you grow first? I first started growing watermelon and cantaloupes.
4) What commodities have you grown over the years? Over the years I have grown oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, squash, hard squash, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, euro cucumbers, bell peppers and sweet mini peppers.
5) What is your favorite commodity to grow? To eat? My favorite commodity for growing is watermelon and for eating is sweet mini peppers.
6) When you’re not farming/working, what do you like to do with your spare time? In my spare time I like exercising (cycling, running, skiing), eating in good restaurants, traveling and spending time with my family.
7) How would you describe your farm to someone who has never seen it before? I would say my farm is a leader in the field of products that we harvest. We are always open to new ideas for improvement in all areas of our operation.
8) What gives you the most satisfaction in farming? My greatest satisfaction in farming comes from harvesting good quality, healthy products for sale and in having the best yields and returns on each and every one of them.
9) How long have you been farming and how long has farming been in your family? Farming has been in my family for 60 years and I have been farming since I was born.
10) Tell your story behind your favorite brand ‘label’ and why it was chosen. My “Malichita” label is dedicated to my eldest daughter who passed away at the age of 5.
11) If you could choose any other line of work what would that be and why? If I could choose any other line of work, it would be any line of cattle farming.
12) What are your favorite places to visit in Mexico and why? I like to visit tourist resorts that have beautiful beaches, good restaurants and good fishing. (Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Acapulco, etc.)