Meet Javier Toscano

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Javier Toscano a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Javier 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?

My father. He thought me a strong work ethic and to show pride in my work by doing it the best way possible.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I was pulled right back into what I love which is farming. I went to college and graduated with a degree in electronics technology and got to work at McClellan Air Force Base right after I became a US citizen. From a young age I helped my father harvesting mostly fruits during my summer breaks and weekends. I tried my technical profession, but I soon realized that it didn’t quite fulfil me, so in 1991 I decided along with my farther to start TOSCANO FAMILY FARM a farming business with no experience in growing commercially so we had to learn the trade on our own. We started buying used equipment because that is all we could afford. I then started attending farmers markets to sell our vegetables directly to retail customers, but it was hard financially because I did not have a good customer base and I wasn’t charging proper prices so I had to apply for loans for a few years until I adjusted pricing with production costs and finally things started looking promising and that is when I realized that I had made the right decision because what kept me in the game was simply the love for working with the soil and working for myself. 33 years later I am still loving what I do, and I am very proud that I built a good business which fulfil my desires of creating clean food and being able to provide for my family with a successful business which I love and enjoy. I decided to grow Organically in 1997 and faced many new challenges along the way to be where I am today, but I was able to provide for my family and allow my wife to be a stay home mom. make my business successful. There were times when I did not make much profit doing the very thing that I love so I would tell myself to have patience and eventually my business will succeed and it did, but it took longer than I expected. I started growing items which my competition was not growing and eventually thing turned out in my favor. I started making value added products creating my own recipes, so I first begun with 3 hot sauces in 2013 and have expanded to 14 in 2024 along with spicy pickles, sliced jalapenos, stevia powder, smoked poblano powder, and garlic powder by only using my own crops and we had good success with them. I supply a few small businesses because my product line is truly handcrafted.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

One lesson I learned was to do what I am good at and not copy my competitors but to be my own person and eventually those who are willing to support me will grow in numbers over time. I want the reader to know that if you have a desire stay on it and don’t listen to anyone who looks down at you or tells you that it won’t work because if you love what you do, that is the drive that will make you successful.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My mother and father made sure I respected my elders for sure. They also made me aware that I was accountable for my own actions and couldn’t blame anyone else and face the consequences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://WWW.TOSCANOFAMILYFARM.COM
• Instagram: @TOSCANOFAMILYFARM