Jose Ornelas founded Jayleaf on the principles of organic food, food security, and health equity.
Family has played a huge role in the creation and success of Jayleaf.
From a young age, Jose Ornelas loved to weed, harvest, and conduct administrative work alongside his parents who worked for the Salinas Valley Spring Mix farm throughout the 1980s. He grew up appreciating fresh soil, organic food, and the journey that fruits and vegetables take in order to get to the mouths of hungry individuals.
At the age of nineteen, Jose founded Jayleaf Specialties. Jayleaf started as a brokerage firm that consisted of buying and selling Jose’s parents' greens. As Jose’s vision for the company grew and developed over time, Jayleaf soon became a vertically integrated grower, packer, and shipper of organic leafy greens.
Jose’s passion for farming is rooted not only in his love for organic food, but also his devotion to food security and health equity: “To eat organic, we are helping nurture our bodies and our planet.” Wholesome products that keep our immune system strong and promote a healthy life are of great importance. Farm workers and their families who are handling non-organic produce where conventional pesticide residuals pose acute and chronic health risks.
Jose also has an immense understanding of the importance of eating locally and how it plays a role in protecting our planet: “Local farmers are contributors to our local economies which bolster the well being of our communities.” Eating local helps support a variety of farmers and products that help diversify one’s diet options that may not be offered through commercial farming.
Additionally, transportation of produce from farms in distant areas can negatively impact our environment through excessive CO2 emissions contributing to our significant greenhouse gas problem. As temperatures rise, it is harder to grow certain leafy greens that are delicate to heat. High temperatures attract pests, cause sun damage, create a need for longer watering intervals, and negatively impact harvest schedules.
Something Jose has noticed more of recently is more plates being packed full with veggies. He believes that the tables are turning regarding meat being the main focus of a meal, to now vegetables being highlighted more frequently. If Jose had to choose his favorite vegetable from his own farm he would choose Wild Arugula: “I enjoy the spice so much I catch myself taste testing this variety the most as I tour the farm.”
As consumers of Jose’s vegetables, he reminds us all that “we must also nurture our planet with beneficial organisms and natural soil biodiversity to restore our source of food and life for generations to come.”
Jose Ornelas founded Jayleaf on the principles of organic food, food security, and health equity.
Family has played a huge role in the creation and success of Jayleaf.
From a young age, Jose Ornelas loved to weed, harvest, and conduct administrative work alongside his parents who worked for the Salinas Valley Spring Mix farm throughout the 1980s. He grew up appreciating fresh soil, organic food, and the journey that fruits and vegetables take in order to get to the mouths of hungry individuals.
At the age of nineteen, Jose founded Jayleaf Specialties. Jayleaf started as a brokerage firm that consisted of buying and selling Jose’s parents' greens. As Jose’s vision for the company grew and developed over time, Jayleaf soon became a vertically integrated grower, packer, and shipper of organic leafy greens.
Jose’s passion for farming is rooted not only in his love for organic food, but also his devotion to food security and health equity: “To eat organic, we are helping nurture our bodies and our planet.” Wholesome products that keep our immune system strong and promote a healthy life are of great importance. Farm workers and their families who are handling non-organic produce where conventional pesticide residuals pose acute and chronic health risks.
Jose also has an immense understanding of the importance of eating locally and how it plays a role in protecting our planet: “Local farmers are contributors to our local economies which bolster the well being of our communities.” Eating local helps support a variety of farmers and products that help diversify one’s diet options that may not be offered through commercial farming.
Additionally, transportation of produce from farms in distant areas can negatively impact our environment through excessive CO2 emissions contributing to our significant greenhouse gas problem. As temperatures rise, it is harder to grow certain leafy greens that are delicate to heat. High temperatures attract pests, cause sun damage, create a need for longer watering intervals, and negatively impact harvest schedules.
Something Jose has noticed more of recently is more plates being packed full with veggies. He believes that the tables are turning regarding meat being the main focus of a meal, to now vegetables being highlighted more frequently. If Jose had to choose his favorite vegetable from his own farm he would choose Wild Arugula: “I enjoy the spice so much I catch myself taste testing this variety the most as I tour the farm.”
As consumers of Jose’s vegetables, he reminds us all that “we must also nurture our planet with beneficial organisms and natural soil biodiversity to restore our source of food and life for generations to come.”
