Alejandro Tapia
Reiter Berry Farms, Inc.
Oxnard, California

“I came to the United States to buy a truck… but I fell in love with this land, and with farming, so I decided to stay.”

Alejandro grows conventional raspberries and organic strawberries for Driscoll’s. He began working in the fields in 1996 as a picker and weeder, and after five years he started making fruit deliveries to the cooler. In 2002, he worked his way up to ranch manager, and four years later, he had his own raspberry farm.

He finds the work rewarding and challenging. On his farm, he enjoys running trials, testing new proprietary berry varieties, and experimenting with new treatments and plantings. He is constantly refining making small adjustments, getting better each day and each season.

Alejandro was raised in Mexico by a farming family. He was 16 years old when he came to the United States.  Today, Alejandro is married, and he and his wife Monica have four girls, ages 14, 13, 9 and 6. In his free time, he enjoys playing football and soccer.