Ricardo

Ricardo grew up helping his Dad farm 400 acres of vegetables, a family farm his brother still runs. He earned his BA in Agriculture in Chapingo Mexico and shortly after graduating had the opportunity to study at Olds College as an exchange student. He went back home having forged lifelong friendships.

Ten years later, with some real-life and hard-earned experience under his belt, having worked for BravoAg (now ADAMA), Tessenderlo Kerley International and Fertilizantes Tepeyac he returned to a job with old friends at Eagle Lake Nurseries and never left. “I have loved plants since I was young… I wanted to be like my Dad, a successful farmer.”

Ricardo never stopped learning—in Canada he met new plants, new pests, new protocols. “Plants speak a totally different language,  not English or Spanish… but they always tell you if something’s wrong… they give you a lot of signs.”

His advice to the next generation of agriculturalists and horticulturalists: “What we do is not easy. It is a challenging industry. We’re always working outside and the weather is tough, but if you have a dream, if you are passionate… in the end you will succeed at whatever you have chosen, in any field.”

We’re just so grateful Ricardo chose his field of study and our field on the prairies to become part of a new farming family here.