Maria Narez was working as an agricultural laborer in Salinas, California—known as “America’s Salad Bowl” for the vast quantities of produce it supplies to the nation. Earning minimum wage, Maria dreamed of building wealth for her family by planting and harvesting her own crops.
In 2019, she joined the ALBA Farmer Education Program (PEPA)—a one-year course that offers affordable agricultural education and hands-on training. After learning the ins and outs of the farming industry, Maria planted her first half-acre of crops. But accessing affordable capital remained a significant hurdle.
One particularly difficult year, Maria lost 10 acres of crops due to water pump issues at the property she leased in Salinas. The total loss devastated her business’s revenue and led to her being denied a business loan.
Still, El Pájaro Community Development Corporation recognized Maria’s potential. This mission-driven lender, which focuses on small business development, provided her with a $30,000 loan. With that funding, Maria was able to secure 10 acres of farmland in Watsonville—El Pájaro’s home base.
She qualified for the loan through the organization’s Racial Equity Lens program, which uses an alternative system to evaluate creditworthiness. Instead of traditional financial metrics, this model focuses on character, commitment, conditions, and capacity—the “new 4Cs of Credit.” The framework acknowledges that entrepreneurs from under-resourced communities are often excluded from capital access due to conventional lending standards.
With the loan, Maria fully relocated her farm to Watsonville, paid the first half of her lease, and used the remaining funds to buy seed and set aside working capital for future seasonal workers.
Today, Narez Organic Vegetables grows and harvests 10 acres of kale, celery, cilantro, garlic, and broccolini—bringing Maria’s dream of owning a successful farm to life.