Since childhood, Adelio Coronel has had a strong connection to the land. Originally from Mexico, Adelio comes from a farming family with significant experience producing organic crops. Upon arriving in the United States, Adelio worked an office job but always contemplated the career transition back into farming, sharing, “ …I had that feeling of what if. What if I go back to my roots? What if I start working in farming like I used to in Mexico?”
Adelio Coronel first learned about California FarmLink while participating in the Farmer Education Course in 2022 at Salinas-based partner Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA). His business, Coronel Produce Organic Farms, currently grows broccolini, lettuce, snap peas, and radishes for Coke Farm, an organic grower, shipper, and handler supporting small-medium-sized growers along the Central Coast.
When considering the goals he has for his business and family, Adelio reflects, “I feel like farming is a lifestyle and encompasses everything we do. However, I would like to put my kids through college. I would like for them to become leaders in the future.” Before FarmLink, Adelio believed that accessing financing for his business would be complicated. However, FarmLink’s approachable staff and his completion of the Resilerador course, gaining knowledge to navigate California agriculture's complexities, helped ease his concerns.
Serving small-scale farmers with the capital access and business technical assistance necessary for long-term success is a vital part of FarmLink's mission to support healthy and resilient food systems. In his first year of production, Adelio received a small loan from FarmLink to help alleviate strain on the business’s cash flow caused by the economic shocks of the pandemic and inflation.
In 2022, Adelio received an equipment loan from FarmLink to support the purchase of a new transplanter, “I believe [it] took me from point A to point B. It took me to that next production level, making me feel at peace.” When reflecting on that time, Adelio shares, “I don't know what would have happened had I not gotten that initial loan from FarmLink, because I was facing that obstacle, and it truly helped me to continue my business.”
