“It’s hard without rain”: How California’s drought is affecting this immigrant family-owned farm

“It’s always sunny and hot,” José Alcántar said. “It’s hard to grow anything. It’s hard without rain.”

By CHRISTOPHER TORRES
EL NUEVO SOL

With California in the middle of another drought, family owned farms across the state are struggling to grow a sufficient amount of produce to sell and support their families.

José Alcántar, the owner of Alcantar Organics in Carpinteria, Calif. and father of three, said he usually grows 75,000 lettuce plants every two weeks. Due to the lack of rain this year, there has been a dip in his farm’s lettuce production.

“It’s always sunny and hot,” Alcántar said. “It’s hard to grow anything. It’s hard without rain.”

He said he had to adapt to the drier conditions, including leaving some fields dry intentionally, planting more drought-tolerant crops and seeking new income sources all-together.

Alcántar immigrated from Mexico in 1992 at 16 years old. He said he started as a field worker for Tutti Frutti Farms in Lompoc, Calif. after working in the restaurant and grocery businesses.

After saving some money, Alcántar was able to leave his previous job and start a small, 5 acre farm with his family in 2012. Now, he owns three farms located in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Every week, Alcántar said he drives to different farmers markets scattered across southern California including Ojai, Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, Calabasas and Melrose and serves 350 to 400 customers at every venue.

“I work really hard,” Alcántar said. “From Wednesday through Sunday, it’s really mucho trabajando.”

Alcántar said his farm business has allowed him to support his family and put his children through college. With California experiencing its second driest year on record, Alcántar said it’s been more difficult to keep up his crop production compared to when they first started.

: Ricardo Montez, left, buys organic kale from José Alcántar, the founder of Alcantar Organics at the Melrose Farmers Market in Hollywood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2021.

: Boxes less than half filled with lettuce at the Alcantar Organics stand at the Melrose Farmers Market in Melrose, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. José Alcántar, owner of Alcantar Organics, said he usually grows about 75,000 heads of lettuce every month, but the drought has negatively impacted his ability to grow his usual amount because lettuce is a water-intensive crop.

: José Alcántar, owner of Alcantar Organics, waits for customers at the Alcantar Organics stand at the Melrose Farmers Market in Melrose, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. Alcántar said he serves about 200 to 300 people at the Melrose Farmers Market. From Friday to Tuesday, Alcantar will go to farmers markets in Ojai, Santa Barbara, Calabasas, Melrose and Oxnard.

: José Alcántar, owner of Alcantar Organics, cleans a crate full of small butternut squashes at his farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Alcántar said he inspects every singular vegetable and fruit to see if it meets his own standards. If it does not, he throws it away. “Without a lot of rain, my crops sometimes dry out early,” Alcántar said. “I’ve been throwing out more products lately. I dont like it.”

: José Alcántar Jr., the son of José Alcántar, carries a box full of celery to load up their truck and head to Ojai Farmers Market at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021.

: José Alcántar Jr., the son of José Alcántar, waits for his mother in the truck to head to the Ojai Farmers Market at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Alcántar said they used to sell their crops to local grocers in bulk, but because they haven’t been growing their usual yearly amount, they were forced to travel to multiple farmers markets to sell their products.

: A crate filled with fruits and vegetables that were not good enough to sell at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Alcántar said the dry conditions at his farm has forced him to throw away produce in larger amounts throughout the past year. “I would just turn it into compost and just leave it,” Alcántar said. “But I can’t do that for everything.”

: Different kinds of small tomatoes that were dumped on the floor for not being good enough to sell at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Alcántar said the dry conditions at his farm has forced him to throw away produce in larger amounts throughout the past year. “I would just turn it into compost and just leave it,” Alcántar said. “But I can’t do that for everything.”

: Andrés, left, and Leonel Alcántar, right, sift through the soil and pick the weeds growing next to the young broccoli crops at Alcantar Farms in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Andrés and Leonel are both family members of José Alcántar and have been working for him for more than 10 years.

: José Alcántar, owner of Alcantar Organics, walks by a dry patch while looking for fruits growing on the fence at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. With this large patch of soil being too dry, Alcántar was forced to grow different kinds of fruits hanging on the fence next to the dry area.

: José Alcántar, owner of Alcantar Organics, holds a freshly picked pepino melon at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Alcántar immigrated to California from Mexico in 1992 and began as a field worker for Tutti Frutti Farms. After working in both the restaurant and grocery store business, he said he settled working in the farm business because it is something he enjoys. “There is a lot of opportunities in this country,” Alcántar said. “It’s just harder coming from Mexico and trying to live a good life here, but you have to work hard and now I am here.”

: This tool on the tractor kills the weeds and brings up the moist soil from the bottom and rids of the dry soil at the top.

: José Alcántar, owner of Alcantar Organics, holds a freshly picked green cauliflower before packing it in a box and heading to a farmers market in Calabasas. Alcántar said his cauliflower is one of his best sellers at his farmers markets, but cauliflower takes a lot of water to grow in large amounts. “It takes a lot of water, but I have no choice but to grow because my customers love it, “said Alcántar when asked about how popular his cauliflower is.

: José Alcántar waits for his farm workers to load up the truck to head to the Ojai Farmers Market at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Alcántar said they used to sell their crops to local grocers in bulk, but because they haven’t been growing their usual yearly amount, they were forced to travel to multiple farmers markets to sell their products.

: A dry area where Alcántar would normally plant lettuce and cabbage at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. With this large patch of soil being too dry, Alcántar was forced to use this area as an organic dump to cultivate compost. “When there is no rain, it’s hard to grow anything,” Alcántar said. “Paying for water is too much so we made dry areas on purpose to save money.”

: A rotten, dried tomato is thrown in the dry area where Alcantar would normally plant lettuce and cabbage at his family farm in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. With this large patch of soil being too dry, Alcantar was forced to use this area as an organic dump to cultivate compost. “When there is no rain, its hard to grow anything,” Alcantar said. “Paying for water is too much so we made dry areas on purpose to save money.”

: Alejandro López drives a tractor near the young lettuce crops to sift through the soil and pick out the weeds at Alcantar Farms in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. José Alcántar said López has worked for him since he started at Tutti Fruiti Farms and have known each other for almost 13 years. “[López] is a very hard worker and I’ve known him for a long time,” Alcántar said. “This is a family farm and he is family to me.”

: Carrots are buried into the dried, muddy soil in the area where compost is made at Alcantar Farms in Carpinteria, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Alcántar said the hot weather and lack of rain has forced him to sacrifice areas of his farm where he would normally grow produce.

: Water drips off the edge of a table after washing some vegetables to keep them damp for the farmers market. Alcantar said he has tried to limit using the hose, but still has to use it when they need to wash their produce for farmers markets.