Struggling farmer finds support through enhanced food system in Santa Barbara County
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – From dawn to dusk, Jose Alcantar and his family are focused on growing organic food at Alcantar Farms in Carpinteria.
“I have my little crop … green kale … and black kale," said Alcantar.
For Alcantar, there’s nothing like seeing a bed of sprouting greenery, or smelling the scent of a purple onion just pulled from the ground.
“I like to see my plants every week … getting bigger and bigger," said Alcantar.
But as any hard working farmer would tell you, Alcantar’s push to staying afloat in the farm industry isn’t getting easier.
"It’s hard … haha … everything in the field is not easy you know … this business is not like making rich guys," said Alcantar.
The hardest part while growing these crops for alcantar?
Paying the bills.
“When I see the bills like water … and every year ... it’s almost like … the more cheaper is like $16,000 a month for the water bill," said Alcantar.
Now, the farmer is finding support through an enhanced food system thanks to a partnership with the USDA and the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.
The program gives small local farmers like Alcantar a place to sell their produce to dependable buyers.
“It’s going great … our neighbors that get the produce are able to get organic produce that’s pretty much farm a table … and it’s been a really great program … to see it go through our community," said director of operations Jesus Lopez of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.
“One of the things so special about this project ... is getting the best quality … and the produce that Jose grows is certified organic," said owner Katie Lesh of Farm Cart Organics.
On any given week, the food bank receives an average of 7,000 pounds of food from the farm.
“When we get the food from the farm, we get it in our grocery bags that go out to our distributions … and distribute to all our programs … all the way from a regular mobile food pantry to our healthy school pantries," said Lopez.
Through this initiative, nobody's left behind.
“You’re opening every door for people to have opportunities in our community … and we’re just great that we can be a part of it," said Lopez.
And so is Alcantar.
Now, when he sees another $16,000 dollar water bill, he won't feel quite so stressed.
"It's a little more easy to pay my bills you know,” said Alcantar.