Gary, born in Chicago, started out with the growing itch and went to horticultural school at UC Santa Cruz, then did landscaping for eight years before moving to Hawaii. Kauai was where he actually began his career as a farmer and he naturally specialized in tropical agriculture, growing such crops as ginger root and bananas. But after twelve years of 'no seasons', Gary decided he needed a change and came to Santa Fe in 2001. He has been farming here ever since, weathering the sudden switch from year-round farming to short seasons.
An elderly environmental activist named Helenti Homans helped Gary get started in Jacona, where she had a five-acre plot she wanted to turn over to the Santa Fe Housing Trust to build houses and bring more families closer to the land. There are now five houses on the plot, but Gary is the only one doing any actual farming. He started out with just two acres of mixed vegetables and flowers.
Gary and his wife of 22 years enjoy raising their 14-year-old daughter on the land and being self-sufficient. Gary finds direct marketing of what he grows with his own hands to be very fulfilling. He loves how his customers appreciate what he produces, but concedes much of the return is in a different currency than dollars. "It's a service," he says. "You won't get rich doing it, so you must love it. It's in the blood." Gary got hailed out earlier this year and lost some of his crops, but concedes that you can't resist Nature's flow. Farming can be a very risky business and at times very insecure. But, says Gary, there is an "underlying security. You have to be able to let go. You have to be grateful." Gary points out that when you raise a wide variety of crops there is generally very little that can happen to wipe you out entirely. On the giant monoculture farms, one single natural disaster can wipe out your efforts for the entire year.
Gary has tackled the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission's mound of paperwork and is certified organic. He says that certification helps particularly with people who do not yet know his produce and that more farmers using organic methods should do the work and get certified. "What people should know about us", he says, "is that we bring the very best quality produce to the market, the tip of the iceberg". Gary sells at Los Alamos Farmers' Market and a few other farmers' markets, and supplies a few local stores. In Los Alamos, he is best known for his beautiful salad mix, but he also presents a wide variety of root crops, other greens such as spinach and chard, and flowers. Usually, he says, he has 30 to 40 different products available. The bounty draws many people to his stand; customers have commented that is like "one-stop shopping". Gary appreciates the simplicity and good location of the Los Alamos market. He says it is a beautifully run market in a nice town with good value and very friendly people.
If you have questions or comments for Gary, you can contact him at his booth. He loves to talk!