We recently connected with Heather Montoya and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Heather with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I get my work ethic from my parents. They have taught me to do the job, do it right and don’t give up. When I was little I was always motivated to sell something whether it was chicken eggs, baked goods, homemade bracelets, etc. My parents taught me the value of money early on and how it can quickly be spent or be saved. Family & health is definitely my top priority but having financial security is a priority as well. I own an aquaponics business, called Tribe Country Farms, with my brother in law. We built it from the ground up and it’s been tough to survive against all the big competitors. We haven’t given up and continue to get creative with sales. Having a strong work ethic has always been part of who I am and what it truly takes to keep a business going.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I grew up in northern IL and learned about Aquaponics at Colorado State University. I have always had a passion for plants and fish. As soon as I learned about it, I immediately knew that was what I wanted to do.
I am the co-owner of an Aquaponics business called Tribe Country Farms. We have a 6,000 sq ft greenhouse in Woodstock, IL. What makes us interesting is that we can grow year-round in a controlled environment. We only use 1/10th of the water traditional farming uses and our fish are the fertilizer, which makes us a very sustainable business. The only thing we add to our system is fish food- no chemicals, pesticides, etc. are used. The fish are raised in separate tanks, and their waste goes into our septic and then the nutrient rich water goes to the raft beds of lettuce. We can harvest 2,000 heads of lettuce each week and are certified Naturally Grown. The lettuce tastes amazing and lasts 2+ weeks in the fridge. We currently sell 5 varieties in grocery stores, butcher shops, schools and restaurants all within an hour distance from our greenhouse. We hope to expand one day and add another 6,000 sq ft on!
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Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The top 3 qualities and skills that have been most impactful in my journey would be ambitious, resourceful and resilience. It took a lot of ambition to move from Colorado to Illinois to start a business. I grew up in IL so moving towns wasn’t so scary but starting a business at the age of 25 from the ground up took a lot of courage. Being ambitious took over the fear of whether it was going to work out or not- in my mind, there really is no option but figuring out how to make it successful and work out. This leads to being resourceful. We started our business in 2020. Specifically started selling lettuce in the beginning of March in 2020 and then Covid shut down all restaurants in IL for 18 months. We had worked hard to line up restaurants for sales and then before we knew it our whole business that we just started came crashing to the ground. We quickly made a Facebook post that we needed help, and the community blew us away with their sales. We will forever be so grateful for all the orders and support that helped us get through that. We still struggle with chefs last minute leaving a restaurant and then we quickly have to pivot and find someone else to make up for those sales. Being resilient is a mindset I grew up with. My dad owned a business and him, and my mom, never panicked and always problem solved together. They were quick to think on their feet and showed a great example of when life throws you a curveball, you figure it out and keep moving forward. For anyone who is on their own journey of starting a business, I would say being resourceful is extremely important. The ability to quickly get creative and have back up plans will help with your success tremendously.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
The number one obstacle we are facing is competition. In the past 5 years since starting our business there has been so many huge hydroponic/aquaponic farms that opened and sell to grocery stores. We try to pride ourselves on being local and having super fresh lettuce year-round (we harvest the morning of delivery) but sometimes that still isn’t enough. It’s been a battle, but we’ve found that working with independently owned grocery stores is our niche as well as butcher shops. It took a lot of trial and error to figure that out, but it seems like we are heading in the right direction with those.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tribecountryfarms.com
- Instagram: tribe_country_farms
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tribecountryfarms/
Image Credits
Heather Doyen: HD Photography, LLC
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