Thank you Ben for making the first harvest a success.
Benjamin Masapila, picture below, was the first “small’ farmer to take a chance on us in our pilot project - to trust us that we would be good and fair partners (and there had to be trust on HH’s side as well) - and agree to grow produce items specifically for our Senior Market Program (now in its 13th year!).
All photos by Christy Porter
Benjamin Masapila working on his farm in thermal preparing for the first Small Farmers Pilot Program harvest.
Benjamin farms his two acres in Thermal with help from his four sons and wife, Doris. Not too long after Ben and his mighty “crew” had the plants of cauliflower and broccoli in the ground, Ben fell very ill with Covid in early February of this year. Ben had many pre-existing conditions, staying home in bed, giving directions to his family through an open window. After about 14 weeks, Doris and her sons harvested over nine tons of beautiful cauliflower and broccoli for our Senior Markets.
The Masapila family was paid market price for this harvest. Benjamin was amazed and proud and by early May was ready to plant tomatoes and cucumbers on his land. The first thing the family did with the money they made from the harvest was to buy a used (very) Honda Civic! Some how they all fit in there and came to the HH warehouse to show us!!
It is with a heavy heart that I report that despite appearing to have survived Covid, Benjamin Masapila died on May 7 from complications that plague many of us - hypertension, erratic heartbeat, overwork, diabetes - but also from lack of health insurance, a primary care doctor or nurse - and a lifetime of poverty and struggle.
His son Aaron hopes to keep the farm going and we will help him and his family all that we can. Thank you Ben, for trusting us and making the first harvest from this pilot project a success. In your honor, the project will continue.
We will miss you.
Benjamin and his family harvested 9 tons of cauliflower and broccoli for Hidden Harvest’s Senior Markets.