Meet the Farmer

As a child growing up in Oaxaca, Emilia Santos learned how to grow peas, cabbage, plantains, green beans, radish, coffee, and more. She watched her mom work hard to harvest these crops, which the family used in their meals or sold to buy necessities such as clothing.

That work ethic influenced Emilia as she began her own journey in farming. In the late 2000s, Emilia arrived in the United States and soon began working as a produce picker. She harvested produce such as grapes and black mulberry, but at the end of each season, she found herself without work. To make up for the lost income, she often made and sold tortillas, tamales, and atoles (hot beverages). 

Even when she was employed, Emilia noticed that large-scale conventional producers often used pesticides, which caused her to experience headaches. After the birth of her first daughter, Emilia decided she wanted a more healthy, stable career. She and her partner, Marcos, began working for a farmer participating in the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA)’s Organic Farm Incubator. The couple learned more about the program and enrolled; soon, they started their own business, Alfa y Omega Organic, committing to a certified organic production process. 

Nowadays, Emilia is grateful for the flexibility to spend time with her two daughters, teaching them about how vegetables grow and how to make salsa from the tomatoes they harvest. This connection to the land is important for her to pass down; she says that kids can often be disconnected from how their food grows, and she wants her daughters to learn everything they can. At farmer’s markets, she loves that her daughters will often chat with people browsing and shopping. Emilia says that her family is her biggest motivation to keep the farm and business thriving. 

In 2026, Emilia was named the New Farmer of the Year as part of the California Small Farm Conference. You can read more about her recognition here.