Little Garden Farm Represents a Big Dream Realized
When Tom Denison and wife Elizabeth Kerle announced to their farm crew that they had begun the process of retiring, one long-time employee, Dionilde Lopez Garcia, knew it was an opportunity for him and his young family to start an exciting new chapter.
Dionilde, originally from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, began his career in farming at the age of 16 at Denison Farms, in Corvallis, OR. In his early 20s, he married a young woman named Beatriz. They now have four children: Luis, Samantha, Andrea and Anthony.
Over the course of his 17 years with Denison Farms, Dionilde proved himself to be an integral member of the team.
“He has done most tasks on the farm,” shares Tom. “But ultimately Dionilde managed our plant propagation and packing house. He was always a joy to work with.”
Working in close proximity to Tom and Elizabeth, Dionilde and Beatriz acquired the skills, from growing to bookkeeping, to feel confident they could start something of their own.
Dionilde expressed to Tom an interest in farming the three acres of land a few miles down the road from Denison Farms that Tom had first purchased in 1978. With Tom’s willingness to lease the land to the Garcias, the couple began to see their dreams of working together as a family and growing the food their children would eat come to life.
Of the choice to name their farm Little Garden Farm, Beatriz says, “It all started by planting and harvesting some products for personal consumption. Then, after my husband finished work or on the weekend, he would tell us, ‘Let's go to the little garden to see how your crops are doing,’” Beatriz shares. “When we decided to explore agriculture as a career and choose a name, we did not hesitate to call ourselves Little Garden Farm because that is how we already knew it.”
Beatriz adds, “Little by little, my husband's dream has been coming true, and all of this would not be possible without Tom and Elizabeth agreeing to rent this land to us.”
Once they overcame their concerns about becoming their own bosses and finding ways to make ends meet in the absence of steady paychecks, a new season of learning began. Navigating organic certifications, coordinating sales and experiencing crop losses presented some big hurdles.
On a recent visit to Little Garden Farm, their 10-year-old daughter Samantha plucked a red bell pepper straight from the plant for an afternoon snack as Beatriz explained their deep desire to grow food that is free from sprays. “My children eat this food, and they’re always touching the plants. We don’t risk using anything that could be bad for them,” she shares.
Despite the challenges, the couple is already reaping the benefits of their vision for their farm. Little Garden Farm is a place where their children are involved in the growing process as much as possible. At harvest, Samantha will build the boxes, Andrea, who is seven, brings them to the hoop houses, Luis, who is 12, helps return the boxes filled with the vegetables Dionilde has picked to the packing shed. Anthony, born at the beginning of August this year, will find his role on the family farm in time.
Beatriz glows as she shares how Little Garden Farm has changed the way her family eats. Their children are becoming more curious eaters and learning to love vegetables in a way they hadn’t before. The family is also using the land to incorporate indigenous crops into their diets.
In addition to the tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, chard and kale the family grows to sell, they’re also tending a few traditional Oaxacan crops for their own consumption. Oaxacan corn, pole beans, a variety of squash called Chilacayote and herbs like Pápalo and Epazote help to ground the family’s cooking in tradition.
“It’s been a true pleasure to begin working with Dionilde and Beatriz,” shares OGC’s Director of Purchasing Mike Neubeck. “They’re very detail-oriented and from their time at Denison Farms understand how important communication is. To have a new grower right out of the gate giving us a volume forecast and quickly update us with any changes is so valuable.”
The Garcia family is enjoying the proximity and partnership of Riverland Family Farms, Commonplace Farm and Tom and Elizabeth’s continued interest in their success. Like Commonplace, Little Garden Farm brings their orders to Riverland to be loaded onto OGC’s trucks, and Tom’s a quick phone call away to share his knowledge and expertise.
Tom shares that he “enjoys watching Dionilde, Beatriz, and their kids growing beautiful produce for OGC as their adventure in self-employment begins.”
“We thank all those who have been supporting us with words of encouragement, sharing their experience and advice, and loaning materials,” Beatriz shares. “A big thanks to Riverland Family Farms for allowing us to make deliveries there, and to OGC, who without knowing us, began to buy our products!”