Entrepreneur Nery Martinez

Nery Martinez Speaks with Santa Fe Farmers' Market CEO Debbie Burns and Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute Executive Director Manny Encinias Ph.D at his Santa Fe Farmers' Market Booth

Born in Guatemala, Nery Martinez attended secondary school and a technical college in his home country before moving to the U.S. In New Mexico, he completed his GED and continued with coursework at Northern New Mexico College. “One of the things that I am most proud of is that I entered Northern New Mexico College with very little knowledge of English and yet I was able to achieve Dean’s List status for my final two semesters.”

Nery found his place in the world on the 4.5 acres (including five 30x100 foot greenhouses and one 30x60 foot greenhouse) of Santa Cruz Farm & Greenhouses in New Mexico, where he apprenticed with his uncle Don Bustos, a respected, award-winning farmer. Santa Cruz Farm & Greenhouses has been in the same family for 400 years, and was named an Institute Farmer All Star in 2016. 

“I became excited about farming when I planted carrot seeds and I was amazed at the full bunch that grew. I thought, ‘Wow! It’s like magic!’” The work of growing healthy food makes him feel alive and connected to the world, Nery said. His passion and knowledge haven’t gone unnoticed. He was awarded the Young Farmer of the Year award at the 2016 New Mexico Organic Farmers Conference.

Nery added, “On my uncle’s farm I learned by doing. He encouraged me to figure out how to use farm equipment, such as a tractor, on my own. It was a motivating approach and increased my confidence in my ability to figure things out. I started on the farm in September of 2010 and by the winter of 2011, I was managing the whole farm.” Today he remains an active learner, participating in Marketing and Branding Workshops and other professional development opportunities provided by the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute. This spring he hosted the Healthy Soils training at his farm.

From 2018 to 2022, Nery served as the Market Manager at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, where he earned the respect of veteran farmers who were decades his senior and encouraged new vendors. He was able to problem-solve using creativity, diplomacy, and leadership. “I learned as the Market Manager to try to understand people and not be judgmental. I tried to help everyone as much as I could. When I saw that someone was not having a good day, I listened and with kindness tried to turn their day around.” 

Although Santa Cruz Farm & Greenhouses grows asparagus, cucumbers, squash, chile, and greens in a sequential model unique to their farm, it’s best known for its luscious fruits: strawberries in early May, apricots in July, and blackberries in August. During strawberry harvesting, Nery produces 500 pounds of strawberries a week that couldn’t be any fresher. On Monday he harvests for the Tuesday Santa Fe Farmers’ Markets, and on Wednesday he harvests for freezing for his juices. On, Friday he harvests for the Saturday Santa Fe Farmers’ Market at the Railyard. When asked if he uses any pesticides, he answers by showing customers a picture of his son Fernando eating berries “straight off of the plant.” Clearly, there are no pesticides on those berries.

Nery has an entrepreneurial spirit, and his strategy is to bring unique products to market so as not to compete with other farms. His latest venture is the creation of popular juice mixes that he serves by the cup at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. He credits his partner, Sasha, for the idea of the juices. “One day she was bringing me lunch in the field. She saw that I had tons of frozen blackberries in the freezer, and asked if she could use some to make a drink. It was very hot, and the drink was very good.” Nery spoke with Lara Theragood, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market’s Compliance & Integrity Manager, and was granted permission to introduce the juices at his booth at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market as value-added products*. He recalled, “The first jug flew off the table in 20 minutes. The next week it was two jugs, and today I serve three jugs a week. In addition to producing more juices, I started experimenting with other flavors: strawberry, apricot, peach and watermelon – and mixing them together. I was very attentive to the customers’ reaction to their first sips and modified the recipe based on their feedback.” The expansion of his juice business is only limited by his capacity to grow more fruit.

What does the future hold for Nery and his young family? “I want to let my children choose what they want to do. However, I do want to teach them about real life and to know where they come from, and that it is honorable to be a farmer. I teach my sons, Fernando and Isidoro, to respect people. This is probably the biggest lesson I learned from my uncle Don Bustos’ generous spirit.”

*Note: Value-added products are raw agricultural products that have been modified or enhanced to have a higher market value and/or a longer shelf life. These products allow producers to expand and diversify offerings, reach a wider public, extend sales seasons, and contribute to the conservation of food resources. The Institute will be providing a value-added workshop and certification training for vendors in the fall of 2023, supported in part by a grant from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Congratulations!

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market won

Best Business in the Railyard/Guadalupe District

AND

 Best Market or Festival

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