Back To His Roots
Javier Zamora grows flavor, community, and opportunity
Javier leads a group of Rootstock members through the strawberry fields.
Javier Zamora grew up in Michoacán, Mexico, the son of farming parents. When he came to the U.S., he hoped to continue that tradition—but instead of open fields, he landed in sprawling Los Angeles, a world away from the rural life he knew.
“In Mexico, my father would come home from the fields with cantaloupes and pineapples,” he recalled. “He’d slice them up—I can still smell the aroma. My brother and father also grew flowers. When we walked those fields, the wind carried the scent of spice and cinnamon. Those memories have stayed with me.”
Unable to find farm work in L.A., he started in a Mexican restaurant. When the housing crisis hit in the 2000s, his family lost everything.
“It was sink or swim,” he said. “Looking back, I’m almost glad it happened. I finished high school—at 43—and went back to my roots.”
Javier enrolled at San Joaquin Delta College, where soil science came naturally. A teacher introduced him to ALBA, a nonprofit training program for organic farmers. In 2012, with two acres leased through ALBA, he founded JSM Organics.
On June 14, Javier led a private farm tour for Rootstock members, sharing stories, insights, and a vision for agriculture that nourishes both land and people. In the strawberry fields, members gathered as he pointed out the varieties growing at their feet.
Growing for Flavor and Variety
“Most farmers won’t tell you what varieties they grow,” Javier said with a grin, standing among rows of strawberries. “For most people, a strawberry is just a strawberry, right?”
He explained that strawberries fall into three main types: short-day, day-neutral, and June-bearing.
“I grow all three,” he said, pointing to the field. “The dark green ones are Albion. These—Sweet Ann—look totally different. And over there, the lighter green? That’s Gaviota.”
As the group sampled berries, Javier led them to the Chandler patch—his June-bearing crop—then stopped by the Monterey row to make a point.
“Look—25 berries per plant. That’s what the big companies want: yield,” he said. “But they don’t care about flavor. Just volume.”
Large growers rely on heavy nitrogen to boost production. “That’s why their strawberries don’t taste like anything—just size and shelf life,” he explained.
At JSM, the focus is different. “We grow for taste, nutrition, and soil health. Store berries last a week but are bred for shipping—not flavor. Ours are meant to be eaten, not transported.”
Still, there are exceptions. “One buyer ships cases to Hawaii. Probably charges a hundred bucks. But people go for it—they taste the difference.”
Rotation and Diversification: An Insurance Policy
At the edge of the strawberry field, Javier led the group through a row of hoop houses, where tomato plants climbed toward the roof on wooden stakes.
“We’ve got tomatoes in these tunnels—it’s working really well,” he said. “I’m also trying Japanese purple sweet potatoes for the first time. I think they’ll do great. And we’ve already got peppers—jalapeños, serranos, and more.”
“If we had Central Valley heat, we couldn’t grow strawberries—they’d melt,” he added. “But these tunnels hold just enough warmth to grow crops like peppers and tomatoes.”
Javier explained why crop diversity—and rotation—is essential for organic farms. “You can’t plant the same thing in the same place. You’ll get soil-borne diseases,” he said. “We don’t fumigate like the big guys. They use chemicals that kill everything—good microbes included.”
“Rotation is our best tool,” he said. “We move crops between plant families to keep the soil healthy.”
One field still showed traces of past harvests—cabbage, parsley. “We might plant cilantro here next,” he said. “It depends. We keep things moving.”
For Javier, it’s also financial strategy. “Diversification is my insurance policy. If one crop fails, something else is coming in. That’s how I manage cash flow.”
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Throughout the tour, Javier returned to a central theme: none of this works without the team.
“No one pays what we pay,” he said. “Our crew works hard—we run a disciplined farm. But people are happy here. They feel respected. Everyone pulls together.”
Fair pay, he explained, is non-negotiable. “We charge more per case because we grow top-quality produce—that’s what lets us pay well and treat people right.”
Javier’s commitment to community extends beyond the farm. He regularly brings berries to South San Jose, donating or selling them at reduced prices. “Yesterday was a graduation,” he said. “Instead of flowers, the kids got JSM strawberries. Many had never tasted an Albion—I want them to have that experience.”
Twice a month, he sells at a local farmers market—for less than half what Rootstock members pay. “Many families can’t afford $7, let alone $10 a clamshell,” he said. “But thanks to customers like Rootstock, we can still get good food to them.”
He also supports the next generation, leasing land and mentoring aspiring farmers. “If someone wants to learn, I’m here,” he said.
And he sees his work as part of a larger ecosystem. “We’re close to the creek and ocean. Elkhorn Slough Foundation has a conservation easement on this land. What we do affects the whole system—seals, kayakers, the water. It’s all connected.”
Harvest to Hand
Because Rootstock partners with farmers like Javier, members don’t just get fresher fruit—they gain a direct connection to the land and those who tend it. On Thursdays, just hours before pickup, his crew is in the fields harvesting. No storage. No long-haul shipping. Just ripe, organic berries passed straight to the Rootstock community.
For Javier, it’s all part of a bigger vision: a food system rooted in care, connection, and respect—for the soil, the crew, and the families who get to taste what real food can be.
This story draws on a Rootstock farm tour held June 14, 2025; the short film Hasta La Raíz: Down to the Root by Patagonia Films (available on YouTube); and a profile of Javier Zamora published by Immigrants Are US (www.immigrantsareus.org/immigrant-bios/javier_zamora).
