Tian Cai Farm
Tian Cai Kuang and his wife immigrated from China to the United States in 2014 seeking freedom and independence. They sought this through farming, since Tian Cai’s older sister and brother-in-law were already doing so in California. For the first few years, their relatives taught and employed the couple on their farm. The two had no prior farming experience, but they also were no strangers to working hard with their hands; Tian Cai was formerly a dim sum chef, and his wife, a restaurant waitress. They soon picked up vegetable cultivation and decided to lease their own land in 2019. “Farming is a profession where a married couple can work hard together to feed themselves and their family”, Tian Cai expressed. He appreciates how farming has allowed them to build a better life for their family through honest work.
The choice to pursue farming as a career wasn’t made in isolation. Tian Cai had relatives already working in agriculture, but he and his wife also considered their limited English proficiency and their young family as important factors. Tian Cai explained, “If you have a farm, you can be at home…[and] conveniently look after your children.” He contrasted this with working a minimum wage job: “One parent would need to [stay home] and care for the children…I believe it’s actually harder like that. So that’s why we decided to farm. You can do things, work, [and] raise kids all on your own.” The Kuang couple’s decision-making process reveals family and self-sufficiency as guiding principles in their lives.
SIZE:
3.5 acres
YEARS IN BUSINESS:
6 years
PRODUCTS:
Bok choy, A-choy, yam leaves, amaranth, mustard greens, and other Asian vegetables
MARKETS:
Independent grocery stores, wholesale markets
COUNTY:
Santa Clara