Eloy and Frances have been vending at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market since 1986. Their farm is acequia-irrigated and has been in their family a long time.
A chat with Eloy in May, 2018
What is the signature item that you sell? Native Indian Cota Tea, Indian Tea, Pueblo Tea, Navajo Tea. You can sample a brewed cup of cota tea at our booth. Hot or iced cota tea (Thelesperma Gracile) is a flavorful beverage that also settles the stomach and purifies the blood. It can be consumed in quantity without ill effect. It’s not uncommon for any member of my family to drink a large glass along with a meal. It’s medicinal uses are that it stimulates the kidneys, and purifies the blood. Preparation: In order to extract full flavor these herbs should be simmered. Add one tea ball or a teaspoon of the loose herb in 4 to 6 cups of water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before adding sugar or honey.
What is the best way to store it and how long will it last? Since we dry the plant once harvested, it will store 2 to 3 years.
How long have you been farming? Eloy has farmed his whole life. However, this was not the main source of income. Wildcrafting has been more of a hobby. “I worked for Los Alamos Labs for 35 years as a Health Safety Engineer and retired 6 years ago with an excellent pension.”
How long have you been a member of the Market? About 35 years.
Share favorite memory of the Market. I’ve enjoyed meeting people from around the world – Germany, Greece, China, Italy, Spain, England. I love the compliments, especially the way I do business. One customer sent $150 cash for whatever I could send him! We once quit the Market. We were home 2 weeks and missed all the activity so we decided to go back and have never done that again!
How did you get into farming? My family owned a large apple orchard of 600 trees. I kept 100 of the apple trees. In the beginning, nothing was selling until we decided to dry the apples. This led to us transitioning into wildcrafting. Wildcrafting for the tea became more popular and we decided to stick with this.
Do you own or rent the land you grow on? We own the land we grow on. However, for wildcrafting the tea, we go up to higher elevations…making our tea organic with no pesticides!
How was your growing season last year? Cota is drought resistance and easy to find. We gather mint at higher elevations. We also offer red chile. Last year’s frost killed it.
What crops are coming up next, seasonally? We just planted chile and tomatoes.
Besides farming, what takes up your time? Eloy loves fishing. Frances prepares for the Saturday market.
Do you speak any other languages? Speak and write both English and Spanish
Are you celebrating anything special this year? 52 years of marriage next month
How would you describe yourself in one word? Energetic
What is your favorite dish to make? Menudo with oregano, onion, lemon, salt and pepper
Red or Green? Eloy- Red, Frances- Green