Sea Mist Farms' Success Story
Great career opportunities in agriculture await young people who see the advantages — not the misperceptions.
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Chris Drew of Sea Mist Farms was bitten by the ag bug at a young age. He refers to farming not just as work, but as a lifestyle. -
California's Sea Mist Farms grows 5.000 acres of vegetables, which includes 3,000 acres of artichokes. -
Top 100 grower Ocean Mist Farms produces nearly 80% of the artichokes in the U.S.Photo credit: David Eddy
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Habla Espanol?
As the production manager at Sea Mist Farms, Chris Drew is responsible for more than 5,000 acres. They are spread out over 18 ranches, meaning that on most days, Drew can be found in his pickup, constantly on the move. He’s also talking virtually nonstop, whether on his cell phone or on his Nextel radio. But whatever device he’s using, you’ll rarely hear him speaking English, as his foremen are much more comfortable conversing in Spanish.
Drew took a few Spanish classes in college, but he said he really learned it when he started working summers at Headstart Nursery in Gilroy, CA, as a teenager. He doesn’t think he’d be nearly as effective if he didn’t know the native language of the lion’s share of his employees.
“If you’re going to work in ag in California or Arizona, you should learn Spanish,” he advises young people considering a career. “I would say it’s a must; it’s very hard for someone to work in our industry every day without it.”
