Meet Byron: The Micro Farmer Behind Hukama Produce

“Try this one, it’s the best,” mico farmer Byron Nkhoma says, bending down and plucking a few leaves from an arugula plant. 

He hands them out for our little group to taste. The leaves are peppery—just as I expected—but somehow creamier than other arugula I’ve tried. Byron says it’s because they come from an older plant. 

Continuing through his farm (which, at just four acres, is considered a micro farm), we try multiple items fresh from the ground. I taste baby arugula, Green Oak Leaf lettuce, and French Butter radishes to name a few.

Hukama Produce: Touring The Micro Farm

That’s just a small snapshot of my recent tour of Hukama Produce, Byron’s family farm in Ramona, California. I was lucky enough to visit this month and listen to his story.

Byron’s originally from Zimbabwe, where he worked with cattle and chickens. He immigrated to the US ten years ago after his girlfriend (now wife) moved to the San Diego area with her mom to become micro farmers. They started with a small patch of pumpkins, then added other crops and began selling at a local farmers market. 

“I remember going to the farmers market and bringing back like $150,” he said. “And I was like, oh man, should I do this?” 

Even though it was really hard work without much pay, Byron and his family decided to stick with farming. Today, things are a little bit easier, and Byron told us that connecting with others was the real breakthrough for the farm. Hukama Produce won a microgrant from the Pine Cone Foundation and started working with the San Diego Foodshed co-op. From there, Byron connected with The FruitGuys. 

Farm-Fit Supports BIPOC Micro Farmers and More

Hukama Produce is part of a new FruitGuys program called Farm-Fit. It’s designed to support small BIPOC-owned farms by matching them with corporate or institutional food service programs that need fresh produce. We want to help farmers like Byron connect with long-term, consistent buyers, and we’re hoping to bring him a lot more business.

I toured Hukama Produce with our Farm-Fit project lead and two Farm-Fit clients. It was amazing to see how much Byron is growing on just four acres. He’s looking to add another acre in the spring, and he’s extremely proud of his growing practices (as are we). He doesn’t use any chemical pesticides and instead uses other techniques like mulch and fabric cloths to keep away weeds. He also has a lovely worm bin and makes worm tea to help revitalize struggling plants.  

Farm visits are always humbling, and I’m immensely grateful to our farm partners. Feeding all of us is an admirable thing. I’m honored that The FruitGuys can play a small part in helping them do what they do best—grow amazing produce.