How a Farm Worker Built a Family Business – Peña’s Pecans

In a sun-drenched valley near the U.S.-Mexico border, palm trees wave in the breeze and pickup trucks line the parking lot at a pecan nursery that has taken root in southern New Mexico.

Peña’s Pecan Nursery is in Mesilla Park, about five miles south of Las Cruces, New Mexico. It’s a family business that started when Isidro Peña Sr., who first came to the U.S. through the Bracero Program, saw an opportunity to start a business of his own.

“I used to work on farms, and I learned how to graft the trees,” said Isidro, sitting down for an interview at his pecan cleaning facility. “When I started to grow the trees and put my little nursery in, I still worked part time at the farm until I could get the first crop. That’s when I began to make enough money to continue renting land for pecans.”

Today, Isidro is 86 years old but still very much involved in the business he helped start in 1959. His daughter, Martha Orta, is CEO of Peña’s Pecan Nursery, while his son, Isidro Peña Jr., manages plant operations to clean, pack, and sell pecans, along with custom harvesting.

“Our father was happy to be here because it was the American dream,” said Martha. “He had a job to go to and even though it was hard on your body, it didn’t matter because it was fruitful and you learn something. He learned how to work the land and how this land gives to you.”

‘Mother Nature at her best’

The secret to growing pecan trees is a combination of location, time, and commitment. The trees take five to seven years to reach maturity but once established can produce nuts for over 100 years.

Pecan trees thrive in silty and well-draining soil with plenty of sun. In this scenic valley along the Rio Grande, you can find pecan trees in every corner — many of which started at Peña’s Pecan Nursery.

“This is Mother Nature at her best,” said Martha. “This is her gift to us, and we just have to know how to take care of it. My dad loves the land. He loves taking care of it. And that’s why he does so well because of the love that he gives to it.”

It’s this love for the land and for growing pecans that has Isidro Peña Sr. coming in on the weekend to lend a hand or check on operations.

“He could probably travel the world, but his love is here,” said Isidro Jr. “On a Sunday, he could be reading the paper, and I pass through here and I’m like, ‘What are you doing? You know we’re closed on Sunday.’ I love the way he paved the road for us.”

Planting trees for the next generation

One lesson that Isidro Peña Sr. passed along to his children was the value of hard work. As a Bracero Program worker in the 1950s, he understood the meaning of a hard day’s work. Today, his children are stewarding the family business with their children and grandchildren in mind.

“What motivates me is to try to do the best we can,” said Martha. “Now that I have grandkids, you just want to leave a legacy behind for them, and you don’t want to make it as hard. But they have to know that it is hard. They have to know that it is difficult because if they don’t, they won’t appreciate it.”

Megan Schuller is a senior relationship manager and loan officer with American AgCredit. She has worked with the Peña family for several years. In that time, she has come to respect and appreciate the family for their forward-looking approach.

“When you have the next generation already involved, it makes my job a lot smoother,” said Megan. “I know that the operation has some sustainability and has a future to look to, even if it’s not this immediate generation and they’re looking forward to their next generation.”

Peña’s Pecan Nursery is known throughout the region for their quality pecans, expertise, and commitment to helping other farmers.

Isidro Sr. said the best part of running the nursery has been watching it take new life in the hands of his children and their children.

“I feel like a king because I have a very good family and very good kids,” said Isidro Sr. “We respect each other. So, I’m very happy working with my family.”