A Star Has Risen: Javier Zamora Receives OTA's 2018 Leadership Award

Last night, organic grower Javier Zamora was honored by the Organic Trade Association as a Rising Star as part of the organization’s 2018 Leadership Awards Dinner at Expo East.  

Zamora is the owner of JSM Organics, a certified organic farm located in the rolling hills of Royal Oaks/Aromas, CA. His team is dedicated to producing the highest quality organic strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, vegetables and cut flowers.

Javier receiving his award from some of the organic industry's top thought-leaders.

Zamora came from a farming background in Mexico and landed in Los Angeles at the age of 20. For the next 20 years, Zamora learned English and eventually attend college at the age of 43, earning a degree in Horticulture.

Following college, he attended Agriculture and Land Based Learning (ALBA,) whose mission is to create economic opportunity for limited-resource and aspiring organic farmers through land-based education in the heart of the Salinas Valley. After completing the rigorous program, he began his farming career on an acre and one-half or organic ground.   

Today, Zamora farms over 100 acres in the Salinas Valley. And more importantly, Zamora is giving back --- mentoring farmers and providing an important voice in the organic community. He currently mentors seven first generation farmers, showing them where to get financial help, how to look for land and how to access other resources to be successful.

Javier Zamora showing off a box of his organic strawberries at JSM Organics.

“It’s an honor that people are paying attention to how much I get involved in the community. More farmers should be giving back to small and beginning growers, “Zamora said. “By getting involved as much as I can without neglecting my business, I put myself out there as an example of hope. We should not forget that we all had a starting point and are all moving forward. We tend to forget our roots and how hard it was at the beginning.”

Zamora currently sits on EcoFarm Board, ALBA Board and the Small Farmers Advisory committee for USDA. He regularly gives advice to Farm Link and Kitchen Table Advisor and is the local chapter President for CCOF.

“I get up really early in the morning and leave work late. I have a family that is really understanding. They understand that what we are doing is good for the family and for the community. They really support me, “he said.

Zamora was chosen for the award for exhibiting a tremendous capacity for resilience by starting a small organic farm in a region where land values are prohibitively expensive. He remains a true advocate for immigrant farmers and farmworkers in California. Zamora is known for paying his workers a more than fair wage and has expanded the number of workers he employs year-round.

"You help others succeed because you've been given that opportunity. That's the real American way," Zamora said.

During the OPN Connect Issue #48, OPN connected with Zamora and further shared his journey to becoming an organic leader and his vision for the future of organic farming. Read the full article here: http://www.organicproducenetwork.com/article/348/in-their-words-javier-zamora