Yadira Mendiola, owner of The Queen of Vegetables Organic Farm with more than 25 acres across Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, continues to inspire our community through her dedication to organic and regenerative farming. After participating in ALBA's Farmer Education Course, Yadira discovered her passion for organic agriculture and made the courageous decision to transition away from working on conventional farms to launch her own organic farm business.

Earlier this year she celebrated an important milestone: The Queen of Vegetables successfully passed a Harmonized Plus Food Safety Audit. This advanced food safety certification allows farms to meet the standards required by many larger grocery chains, schools, and institutional buyers, creating new opportunities for growth and market access.

Yadira's story is one of family values and care for her community. As the only woman in her family working in agriculture, she built her farm to produce healthy food for schools, farmers markets and local communities. Along side her son Achilles, who represents the next generation in agriculture, she continues to expand her farm's impact while staying grounded in the values that inspired her journey.