A Sustainable Harvest
iPhone Apps
Have you downloaded the free “strawberries” iPhone app? Now you can access more than 100 strawberry recipes from top food bloggers around the web! Just type “strawberries” in iTunes for a mini strawberry cookbook in the palm of your hand!
Strawberry Farmers
California strawberries are grown by hundreds of family farmers who are passionate about producing the sweetest and healthiest strawberries in the nation. We encourage you to learn more about where your strawberries come from!
Donato and Delfina Olivera
“If I can get up, then I can continue.” - Donato Olivera, 2012
In the mid 90s Donato and Delfina were a young married couple picking strawberries to support themselves and their families. They were hard workers, determined to make ends meet and raise a happy and healthy family.
Today, Donato and Delfina are parents to five grown children, and they grow strawberries on 140 acres in Santa Maria, California. With four kids in college and one in high school, all pursuing degrees and careers in environmental science, law and political science, there’s no doubt their children have inherited their parents’ spirit of hard work, determination and dedication.
With 13 years of experience growing strawberries – and just about the same amount of time picking – Donato and Delfina have evolved into farmers who care deeply for the land, their community, and the 130 people who work for them. Donato says the most rewarding part of his job is the bond they share with the workers. “We don’t treat our team like they are employees – we treat them like they are family.” Delfina has learned different Mixtec dialects to communicate with their employees so they feel included and respected. They both agree there is further reward in working outside and growing a crop that the world enjoys.
While the rewards are many, the challenges – especially of the past – are not easily forgotten. Donato and Delfina recall the struggles they had getting their ranch up and running, working seven days a week with only four employees, while managing a family of small children. With only two acres, they weren’t making much money, and as immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico, they had the additional challenge of adjusting to a second language and a new culture. But they overcame the obstacles and are proud of the journey.
That same journey continues as they face new challenges with the ever changing and unpredictable farming environment. In recent years they lost an entire crop due to inclement weather and didn’t make a profit. Despite seasons like that, and knowing that “everything can be lost,” the Oliveras remain passionate about farming and plan to continue for years to come. Donato’s motto is, “If I can get up, then I can continue.” 
They also lean on each other for inspiration and motivation. As partners in life and farming, the couple seems inseparable. When asked what it’s like to both work and live together, Delfina laughs and says it helps that they do very different jobs - and work at different locations on the ranch.
Strawberry farming leaves the husband and wife team little time to travel or pursue other interests, but family time is highly valued. Delfina loves to cook for her family and is known for her Oaxacan mole, homemade tortillas and salsa. We were fortunate enough to enjoy her chicken mole when we were graciously invited to their home for dinner. Delfina’s delicious recipe can be found at: http://bit.ly/z7VhX7
Donato plays guitar with a band called “Sin Nombre” (Without Name), comprised of friends and family. The band, well-known in the Mixtec community, plays at family events for special occasions such as weddings and birthdays.