PHOENIX — No one is immune to inflation and farmers are no exception.
Jesus Najera is one of them. He tells ABC15 he grew up farming, following his dad around in the fields in Mexico.
Now Najera produces vegetables at Spaces of Opportunity, a community garden in south Phoenix. It’s a space some farmers are using to help make ends meet.
“It’s a lot of work,” Najera said, in Spanish.
He says it took him years to find land to grow his vegetables in the states.
“They gave me an opportunity here and, well, I’m happy. I’m here every day,” he added.
He now plants seeds of change on land he rents from Spaces of Opportunity, where he produces hundreds of pounds of vegetables like carrots, beetroots, cilantro, and onions per year.
“It takes four month to harvest the onions. It takes a while to see the fruit of your labor, but it’s worth it,” he said.
To Najera, this is a labor of love.
Though inflation is really taking a toll on him and his fellow farmers.
“It has affected us all. One pound of garlic seeds used to cost $2.00 and now it’s $5.00. If you take a look at the numbers…it’s hard,” Najera told ABC15.
While the rising costs have decreased profits, he’s thankful to have the community’s unwavering support.
“It’s hard, but like I said, we have to keep working. We can’t just stand around,” Najera told ABC15.
Spaces of Opportunity hosts a Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm.
Here they sell vegetables from farmers who grow in the community garden, and profits go directly to the farmers.
