Stories that Inspire… “Red Fruit Production in the Mixteca”

It all began with a family peach orchard project in 2013. My family and I found it necessary to formalize our work with an orchard, and in search of new varieties, we met Fundación Pro-Mixteca. We took learning trips to Michoacán and Concepción Hidalgo, where we met producers of blackberries and peaches, respectively.

Thanks to their training programs, such as the Personal Development Course (CUSUPE), we began to grow in the human aspect, realizing that it was possible to work as a family and as a group. We gradually expanded our blackberry and peach orchards. In 2016, we started working with intercropped vegetable gardens, and by 2018, we included raspberries.

Thanks to this initiative, we shared our enthusiasm with other families, gradually including these projects within the community. It could be said that since 2020, about 70% of families in San José Yatandoyo have been dedicated to growing red fruits, peaches, or vegetables.

In 2022, together with Fundación Pro-Mixteca, we launched the project “Young Alive, Living Community.” There, we identified others who shared our interest, and that’s how we started the Nu’vi Cooperative. We currently have 10 main members—men, women, and youth—committed to our growth and supported by our families. We began with two raspberry greenhouses (300 m).

Through Fundación SERTULL, we achieved the construction of a water storage pond. In its first year, the Nu’vi Cooperative decided to contribute water to the community for paving works, while also supplying our products to other communities. By 2024, this effort enabled the production of blackberries on 0.75 hectares. This year, we expect a yield of 80 to 100 kg of blackberries every third day, as well as 30 to 35 kg of raspberries—significant achievements for the cooperative.

On a personal level, I can say that teamwork is essential—having partners who share the same vision for community well-being and the need for continuous learning.

At the end of 2022, we committed to caring for our soil and the environment by cultivating organic vegetables alongside blackberries, raspberries, peaches, and blueberries. Through eco-friendly practices, we produce high-quality goods without compromising the future of our children or our soil.

We are deeply grateful to Fundación Pro-Mixteca for their guidance, training, and hands-on practices, which have been fundamental to our success. The community savings group, which has also been very successful, has proven highly beneficial for the community.

We aim to be a model to follow—to share our experiences and the knowledge we’ve gained so that our people are inspired to produce organically and sustainably.

To other producers: I encourage you to have passion for the land, to stay motivated every day, and to improve your products.

When we understand how essential human development is, we can form working groups to achieve community growth.

We are always happy to welcome visitors, show our work, offer tours of our orchards, and share our comprehensive management approach. We are very thankful to those who support us, and we also wish to support others who want to learn.