Israel Morales Jr. inherited his father’s aptitude for growing things and his love of the land. After starting out with his father, Israel (known as “Junior” when his father is around) branched out and earned his own reputation as a gifted field manager for a number of growers, including Earthbound Farm. Today, Israel Jr. is working with his father once again as ranch operations manager for American Farms, working primarily with organics to raise the healthiest crops possible.

“I grew up with my little fists in the soil,” Israel says. “I love it. My father didn’t really want us to go into farming; he didn’t want us to have to work so hard. But the dirt is where the plants grow, so what can I say? It’s part of me.”

From father to son

Israel thrived under his father’s guidance. They worked together to implement global positioning system (GPS) technology, digital cameras, and computers to help guide the tractors during field preparation, planting, and cultivation. “You can really drive a tractor crooked, even if you’re paying attention,” he says. The digital technology means it takes less time to prepare and plant a field than doing it manually, which increases the number of plantings a farmer can make during a given growing season, and ultimately, the farmer’s income from his land. The system has since been very successful in his father’s fields (and others’).

“I knew I’d have to work hard to live up to my name,” he says. “But I’ve always enjoyed helping people. I knew that the more I learned about how the farm worked, what the soil and the crop needed, the more valuable I could be in helping to bring that healthy crop to harvest.”

Now, Israel is focused on organics at American Farms, planning planting schedules and helping out when problems arise.

“I’m a fresh set of eyes and ears in the fields, from planning through harvest,” he says. “If I can help everyone who sets foot in the field learn what to watch for, then we’ve got maybe 40 pairs of eyes on the ground, looking at what’s going on every day, instead of just 1 or 2. That’s when we get a great harvest.”