20-Dec-08 12:00 PM CST

Brothers – Man in Mission

In 1996 I visited an uncle’s farm in Peru to arrange a joint venture between his asparagus export plant and a large California asparagus company. As I did my inner warrior work, I became vulnerable and over time the venture evolved into a social entrepreneurship mission with sweet onions and purple garlic.

For my mission to work, I had to commit to build it myself. As I began growing and exporting I bonded with the local natives who are tied to the ancient Nazca Indians and the Nazca Lines. I treat my team members with dignity and integrity. Ten years later, I’m connected with these beautiful people, I pay them on time, a fair wage, have stayed loyal and listened to them. I honored their culture by naming my sweet onions, Sweet Nazcas. See wwww.sweetnazcas.com

My many feelings on this mission: Fear in investing my last my savings in a distant land, making payroll, paying my bills, getting deeper in debt, paying back investors; Anger at grocery chains not honoring their agreements and treating me like a commodity of little value, not making a profit even with good products; Sadness at being misunderstood, never feeling worthy, feeling discounted and like a fool; Joy at seeing my Sweet Nazcas in stores, creating something from nothing, seeing the happiness of Peru team members, introducing classical music in the packing shed, supporting my single parent engineer to provide for his daughters.

You can support me by buying directly from me. Commit to purchase four, 10lb. boxes, at $1.50/lb. (plus shipping), between now and March. Share boxes with neighbors and gift family/friends. Pickup locations TBA. “Non Sweet Onion Lovers”, try a box, you might be surprised.