A farmer by design

Dominican immigrant Hector Tejada was a graphic designer when he immigrated to the U.S. A community garden experience in the Bronx sparked his interest in farming.

Reprinted from the New Farmer Development Council Newsletter

Hector Tejada didn’t start out as a farmer—when he first came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1995, he was a graphic designer. However, one of his first jobs in New York City was selling for a local farmer at city farmers markets. This experience sparked his interest in agriculture, and he contacted a community garden in the Bronx where he began growing vegetables for a local soup kitchen in his spare time.

After working in the markets for a year, Hector started working on a local farm as well. Farmer David Wengerd, an Amish farmer in eastern Pennsylvania, hired Hector to help him grow vegetables, and, recognizing his eagerness to learn about agriculture, David offered him a small plot on the farm where he could grow his own products. With David’s help, Hector learned local production practices and gained the experience he needed to start his own farm business.

In 2001, the New Farmer Development Project (NFDP) worked with Hector to find land and get seeds for planting, and Conuco Farm was born. In the past few years, Hector has built up a loyal clientele who are devoted to his heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants—many say that his tomatoes are the best they have ever tasted! With more than 100 different vegetable varieties, his market stand is always colorful with blue potatoes, purple beans, green and white eggplants, and every shade of pepper and tomato. Hector has also expanded his business to include a bakery that produces delicious breads, tortillas, sweets, and savories made with all local flour, honey, fruits, and vegetables. In addition to these treats, he hopes to create local value-added products for sale to his customers in New York City’s farmers markets.

As one of the first NFDP participants, Hector has also played a crucial role in the project’s growth and development. He has been a member of the NFDP’s participant committee for three years, and has worked with committee members to create credit and leadership opportunities for other NFDP participants. He has also hosted training workshops on his farm for new farmers, and he is famous in the project for sharing seeds and transplants at the beginning of each season. With his leadership experience, Hector is now working with his local extension office to start Farmers of the World, a project similar to the NFDP, in Pennsylvania. “It is important to remember where we come from, and to see our experiences as an asset that we can share with those others.”